Senegal's Revolutionary Rap Diva - Sister Fa

Image Credit: Cinemapolitica

Senegal's array of talented rap artists is one of the reasons the country has been name the global hip-hop mecca.

Rap artists have been at the forefront of the country's African Spring by using their lyrical genius to transform the hearts of minds of the youth to take the streets and demand an end to corruption, poverty, rising unemployment, and the abuse of women.

One rapper who is really making a dent in the scene is none other than, Sister Fa.

Fa's lyrical style interweaves images from her everyday life, including issues of HIV/AIDS, female genital mutilation, women's rights in Senegal, and poverty.

Here's a snippet from the Guardian of Sister Fa's view on the continued ritual of female genital mutilation (FGM):

I am an artist, a rapper and an activist, and because [FGM] affected my life so much, I want to talk about it. I still remember the day when it happened. I also know that things are changing and that when people understand they have a choice, they are able to change. There is hope for the future. I am just trying to speak for the many women who don't have an opportunity to raise their own voices. I am giving them a voice through my music.

This is a critical but neglected issue that deserves global attention. The extremely painful and often disabling consequences of female genital cutting are not only damaging to individual girls and women, but also affect their families and livelihoods. The UK is working in countries such as Kenya, Somalia and Senegal to help communities end this practice, and is looking at how we might do more to support its complete abandonment.

In terms of accolades, Sister Fa was named Best Newcomer of the Year at the Senegalese Hip-Hop awards.

It's with pleasure to introduce Sister Fa. Enjoy these two videos!

Arab Hip Hop Queen Malikah

Daily life for women in the Arab world is never an easy task in a male-dominated society. So imagine being one of very few female emcees taking on the testosterone-driven world of Arabic hip hop. But, MC Lix aka Malikah, which means Queen in Arabic, is doing just that.

Born into a Lebanese/Algerian family in Marseille, France in 1986, Malikah has spent the last nine years not only establishing herself as a well respected MC but also letting the world know that Arab women have something to say and should be respected.

Proclaimed the "Best MC in Lebanon" after making her mark on MTV Hip HopNa, Malikah has become the voice of female empowerment through her music. One of her trademark songs is Ya Imra’a, which encourages women to fight for their rights and freedom -- despite all the obstacles they face in the Middle East and North Africa.

Here's a little taste of the Queen in action.




At the onset of her career, Malikah faced her own obstacles. Besides battling her male counterparts, she was also forced to cover her face whenever making public concerts due to the opposition she faced from her family of being a rapper. On stage, Malikah is a force to be reckoned with. She is hardcore and serious when it comes to politics and social issues, but smooth when it comes to singing about love and friendship.

Currently, Malikah is hard at work creating her debut album, The Coronation. Here’s a link to her MySpace page to keep up with all her doings.

Women in Hip Hop: Where We At?

I recently read a Colorlines article entitled 5 Reasons Why People Love to Hate Kreayshawn , and it got me thinking about the state of women in hip hop today. Kreayshawn is a white female rapper from Oakland, California who has the web buzzing. Her debut single Gucci Gucci is a party song, and despite its materialistic sounding title, Kreayshawn raps about designer clothing being unimportant. One of the song's more memorable lines is, "I got the swag and it's pumping out my ovaries."

While the Colorlines article brought up some very good points, there was one I disagreed with. The article quotes the criticism of writer Bene Viera at Clutch:

It's ironic how a White girl mimicking Black culture has been viewed as quirky, cute, and interesting in the past. But sisters who fashionably rock bamboo earrings, gold nameplate necklaces, and blonde streaked weaves will inevitably be considered "ghetto" by society. It's equally problematic that every female emcee post Queen Latifah and MC Lyte who has massive mainstream success all had to sell sex. Kreayshawn, on the other hand, is able to avoid an over sexualized image because of her whiteness.