By Amy Hume
In February, End of the Weak Uganda was proud to host the UG
Queenz of Hip Hop at the monthly Hip Hop night at Sabrina’s Pub. Women in Hip Hop can be brushed off as not
serious or just trying to be like the boys, however the female emcees coming
out of Uganda are proving otherwise. Sony Music
Recording artist Keko graced the stage alongside fellow female soldiers Cleo
the Sphynx, Her Royal Highness Agee, Fasie, Yallah MC, and the Ginsu. The night also produced EOW’s first ever
female MC Challenge champion, Tushi Yo’Mighty.
As the Hip Hop community continues to break down barriers both in Uganda
and globally, these ladies show they are a force to be reckoned with.
Hip Hop
artists being recognized in Uganda is a relatively new phenomenon, however
these young women have long been inspired by the American exported
culture. Fasie began listening to
artists such as EVE when she was a little girl.
Cleo the Sphynx has been listening to international Hip Hop since she
was 9 years old, but only recently became interested in Ugandan Hip Hop. They cite foreign artists like Nas, Lauryn
Hill, Michael Jackson, and Rick Ross and local artists Enygma, St. Nelly Sade
and Ruyonga as inspiration.
Appreciating
Hip Hop and deciding to make it a part of life can be a challenging
decision. Cleo says after being added to
the Facebook group Hip Hop Express Family and interacting with artists that she
considered getting involved. “It was then that I was convinced to try
writing because apparently I knew a lot about the culture and I had an affinity
for intricate lyricism. After so many
times of turning down suggestions to write I had resigned myself to the 'fact'
that I cannot rhyme to save my life, Enygma challenged me. He said, ''I
personally believe you are full of shit and can rhyme if you really focused. ''
So with mentorship from another lyricist, (Benny Black) I was able to start
writing my own lyrics.” In the beginning
she hid the idea that she was creating Hip Hop music from for family, but since
being discovered by her mother, her family now embraces her musical
endeavours. Fasie admits “As I continuously
listened to lots of Hip Hop music I started writing down my own lyrics and so
it was a good idea for me to start doing Rap because I was much interested at
it.” In 2008, she joined the Luga Flow
Army alongside Burney MC, CYNO, St. Nelly Sade and Foever and claims they have
become instrumental in bringing attention to underground Hip Hop in Uganda.
Since the dawn of Hip Hop existence
began in the late 1970’s, women have faced various difficulties when pursuing
their love for Hip Hop music. “It was
trying but I was determined, but if you got what it takes, it’s only a matter
of time before you get a shot,” says Keko.
This generation of female emcees has hope that recognition is coming and
will only get bigger. Agee states, “ I
think right now the female emcees are not out there so there's not really any
respect given but with the growth they'll soon be seen as competition.” As Cleo admits, “There is a common belief
that female emcees are not serious. We start out our careers and quickly quit
before anybody notices our existence... THIS IS MOSTLY TRUE! There are only a
handful of female rappers and only Keko has made it far enough to be noticed as
a rapper.” She continues, “My experience
so far as a female emcee has been mostly great. Sure I have gotten hated on
just like everybody else trying to make it in the industry but that is exactly
what drives me to keep going.”
In regards to women being a
vital part of the Hip Hop community Keko states “It gives hip hop a whole 360
appeal say R&B has, which would make it more commercially viable.” Cleo adds, “Women create a much needed
balance in Hip Hop. Even though we are never compared to our male counterparts
we get the opportunity to show that we can be just as skilled and it has
nothing to do with physical beauty and appearance as portrayed in the
mainstream today.” Many artists credit
Keko for bringing attention to the talent of Ugandan female rappers. “Women are given less attention in our society but
can attract much attention if deliver their messages through music. We have
inspired the young generation of both boys and girls. Another credible
achievement is when Ugandan female rapper Keko got nominated for international
awards, which brings positive energy to any other female emcees in Uganda,” believes
Fasie. By Keko signing to a major label
and in turn sharing her music with the world, the competition of the female
emcee has arrived in Uganda.
Competition recently came in the
form of four young women, Tushi Yo’Mighty, MC Clara, Nicole Esteem, and Race T,
the first ever females to compete in the regional MC Challenge in Kampala. Tushi took the crown and became one of only a
few queens to hold the MC Challenge Champion title within the global EOW
movement. In response to her winning the
title, Tushi describes her experience. “It was amazing! God it was my first
time on stage performing and that was a bit tricky coz I was introduced to new
things, but I managed to get away with the prize! And by the way I am longing
to do things like this constantly until I feel like I have given the world the
best of me they deserve.”
As
these incredibly brilliant artists overcome the obstacles Hip Hop culture can
produce, there is hope for Hip Hop in Uganda.
As Tushi strongly proclaims “I want to be the most inspiring Hip Hop
star. I want to change the world. I want to communicate with everyone and break
the chains of absurdity and fear in them.”
Many of the world’s great musicians have such a strong foundation
planted in the power of music that it’s easy to see why artists gain strength
from their love of music. Cleo declares,
“Music has inspired me to stick situations out. It's an outlet for thoughts and
feelings I wouldn't easily disclose in a normal conversation. It has also
inspired me to pay attention more to my surroundings and makes even the most
plain of topics more interesting because being a lyricist everything has
layers, entendres, wordplay etc. It's a
lot of mental back flips which is always fun.”
Bravery
in the face adversity presents itself in many forms. Thanks to these powerful female voices, the
appearance of Hip Hop in Uganda is well on its way to a facelift. The global End of the Weak family expresses
gratitude to these women for empowering not only the movement, but also the
girls and women of Uganda.
