Akala - UK Hip Hop artist on the issues of race, history, philosophy, and much more

Respect!
Salute!
In ya dis ya time

Afrofunk in Abidjan 1976-1981

via Okay Africa

#SALUTE

We are Africans

L O U D E R!

A F R I C A N S

A W O O O O O O O O!

Proudly African y'all
in ya dis ya time y'all!

REMIX!


jus in case yu did not get it the first time around
Black Coffee no suga no cream
Awoooooooooo!

Proudly African!
In ya dis ya time!

Go in Peace Brother - Gil Scott Heron

Some Gil Scott-Heron tributes ~
He was breaking Shit down by Adam Mansbach via The New Black Maganize
Godfather of a dangerous medium from the Mail & Guardian
Gil Scott was more than the Godfather of Rap by Earl Ofari Hutchinson via  The Grio
The brother, has done gone joined the ancestors
He will be in the company of other greats like hisself
FELA, Peter Tosh, Nina Simone, Brother Malcom, and many more
may his beautiful soul rest
and his light continue to shine thru his powerful lyrics/verses/message/music
he done his earthly duties
and may the ancestors welcome him divinely
in ya dis ya time

In Times like these - Queen Ifrika

talk about consistency
Ms Ifrika neva ever fails
lyrically musically  nor visually
she delivers and speaks truth to power
the song and video similar to that of Tarrus Riley's Shaka Zulu Pickney
guess we're all feelin it
there aint no true leaders sadly in our timez
we thot mr obama would turn the tide [which he did in sum cases]
but reality check says we missin our heroes
what we have now are just puppets turned dictators turned outlaws
hypocrites parasites pimps and devil worshipers
all chasing after the lousy dollar
so ear wha da queen seh
and take heed
in ya dis ya time y'all

ChocQuibTown

their name is where they come from
let their music fill you
let the visuals speak to you
african blood inna we me seh
nah gonna say more
check here for mo
in ya dis ya time

Enter Mr. Riley

need i say more....
in ya dis ya time

L'estate Romana

For those of us who for sum dubious reason or other


Did not manage to make it to the summer festivals scattered around the euro

And had to content with the hot humid summer in rome , jah know!

We kept the flame of fire burning still

Until the massicci and the sound bwoys and promoters make their way back and broke from all

The summer jams fests and splashes.

It was at Villa Ada that we enjoyed a mini reggae splash

Tell it like it is

We mus tell our own stories
by any means necessary
as evidenced by Kudakwashe




and while yu at it
check out the chimurenga library here
yu will see that even befo the advent of this swavy high teck
we hav bin tellin it it like it is even befo befo
in ya dis ya time y'all

Hamba Kahle MaMhlongo!

AAUW MAN!
me jus find out that Mamhlongo
has passed on to another world
almost about a month ago
in this case i am the late one
and now i am ravaged with
anger sadness nostalgia bitterness praises numbness an all o' dat
i neva got to see her perform live
i missed her in rome coz i had missed the las train to tek me to town
then i missed her in mzantsi coz i had also missed the train to tek me to grahamstown
and i think the show in jozi [grahamstown arts fest] might hav bin her las one
[dunno, not sho]
but darn! me jus found out now
thats her on the side bar, the urban zulu
mus pay mah personal private tribute to her
heck she inspired the pseudo urban proletariat
how can i not pay tribute
she inspired a lot of mah generation

here is a tight and brief sum up on her
hamba kahle sis busi

in ya dis sad timez y'all

Spicing up me life

Bin listenin to a lot of richie spice of late
Thats him on the side deh…chillin
Is bin a joyful spicy musical ride

an acquaintance once remarked:
~I overstand now why how Richie can sing the way he does~
She happen to be travelin with Richie on a tour
From one African country to another
A long journey of over six hours
And thru out da whole trip
Richie neva said a word
Until them got to the destination
And when Richie did speak it was to ask
What time is sound check…or singthing to that effect..practical
Then off to his room to rest an meditate…
A true rasta man this here Richie
He even say so his self:
~I mah true rastaman smoking me herb doin mah ting~
I rememba whe I first heard Richie
Marijuana had just catapulted him into world charts
and everywhere yu go yu cud hear that hauntin dedication to Marijuana
~nah nah nah nah nah nah yeeah~
That was such a refreshing sound to hit the scene
And I was down in the island call Sicily
Back in the daze of mah island haze in Palermo
Reggae music was/is a rarity there but is there awright
The massive is scattered far and wide and in isolation
So we wud wait fo summer to colour the island red gold n green
Summer was opportune ca we cud jus camp by the seaside an listen to all the reggae weneed
It was also perfect ca all the yutes com back fo holydaze
If is not by the seaside it wud be at some camping area in the midlands
I memba chillin by the seaside meditatin an watchin mr sun takin his leave
The magic of the orange ball of fire setting
Accompanied by the sounds of richie spice
~nah nah nah nah nah nah yeeah~
That was majestical
And eva since then I hav always bin a Richie spice reader/listener
I rememba also whe I first catch him live
It was at rototom sunsplash
And I believe t’was his first euro tour and everyone wanted a piece of him
~ Babylon A Gwaan~
But Richie In his black skull cap and red hand glove was neva fooled
That’s why he is where he is now and why he sings the way he sings



Then yu can have a full on session on his ganja chunes
Then almost as sudden he would humble you an bring ya back in ya dis ya time reality
An acute observer and commentator of social decadence and social upliftment he is
And if your hearing is keen yu will ear that his imagination is alive
Yu can ear his message is deeper than the light breeze’s sound.
I was gonna put up some quotes from his repertoire
Snippets from here and there

But I think i better leave that to the experts
here is a better write up on Mr Spice

In ya dis ya time y’all