African Underground: Depths of Dakar Downloads

Depths of Dakar is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed and highly successful transatlantic hip-hop experiment that is “African Underground, Volume 1, Hip-Hop Senegal.”In 2003, Ben Herson traveled to Dakar, setting up shop for three months with a mobile rig built with help from his... Learn More »

Depths of Dakar is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed and highly successful transatlantic hip-hop experiment that is “African Underground, Volume 1, Hip-Hop Senegal.”

In 2003, Ben Herson traveled to Dakar, setting up shop for three months with a mobile rig built with help from his partner in crime Dan Cantor. Through his network of contacts, he put the word out that he would record with anyone who would grab a mic, in an effort to find some more obscure MCs who may not have had the opportunity to buy costly studio time. When word got out that a studio was operating with an open door policy, rising stars, established hit-makers, and plenty of unknown neighborhood MCs with serious lyrical chops rolled through the doors to cut a-cappelas.

Back in New York City, Herson spent three years working on the tracks with his production partner Cantor at Notable Productions. The record is a collaboration between Senegalese MCs and top-shelf US talent.

Rap is still CNN in Senegal, especially for poorer people. The active political presence of local rap in Dakar largely sets it off from its imported US cousin. Several songs here demonstrate its power to testify, and several songs feature what the Senegalese call "egotripping"-- your typical boast rap, a standard mode of hip-hop everywhere. The depth and talent of the underground hip-hop scene in Dakar is evident in every track.

FULL LINER NOTES: (by Toby Warner)
After hip-hop burst out of its Bronx beginnings, it hopped a plane to Africa, where it has fused with countless local traditions and languages. One of the epicenters of the growing movement has been Senegal, where in the 80s rap began to flood the soundscape of the bustling capital, Dakar.

In Senegal, Afro-Cuban rhythms once echoed the pulse of independence-era optimism, when rural families flocked to the cities for jobs that turned out to be scarce. Hip-hop has since become the soundtrack for the highs and lows of their children's urban experience.

In the 90s, groups such as Positive Black Soul, Pee Froiss and Daara J made an international splash. The second-generation has been on a slow boil since then. Today's Senegalese rappers rhyme in a mix of Wolof, French, and other local dialects, mirroring the hybrid language of the city. Not content to see hip-hop as entertainment, today's Senegalese youth wield it as a political weapon. In 2000, rappers mobilized the poor and youth votes to the polls to unseat the ruling party of 40 years, in one of the most stable elections West Africa had ever seen. Nomadic Wax's first compilation (African Underground, Volume I) of Senegalese rhymes gave international listeners a taste of the fighting words flying around in those years, on top of some Wu Tang/Mobb Deep era dusty breaks. This second sampling of the talent on tap reveals that even with a new government in place, the striving continues.

In 2003, Ben Herson returned to Dakar, setting up shop for three months with a mobile rig built with help from his partner in crime Daniel Cantor. Through his network of contacts, he put the word out that he would record with anyone who would grab a mic, in an effort to find some more obscure MCs who may not have had the opportunity to buy costly studio time. When word got out that a studio was operating with an open door policy, rising stars, established hit-makers, and plenty of unknown neighborhood MCs with serious lyrical chops rolled through the doors to cut a cappelas.

Back in New York City, Herson spent three years working on the tracks with his production partner Cantor at Notable Productions. The pair solicited musical contributions from a range of groups, including Antibalas, Dub is a Weapon, Fu Arkestra, Subatomic Sound System, Escort, Jim’s Big Ego, Group Saloum, and Murphys Law. The record you hear is a collaboration between Senegalese MCs and top-shelf US talent.

Many of these tracks feature what the Senegalese call "egotripping"-- your typical boast rap, a standard mode of hip-hop everywhere. Examples range from the lyrical lionizing of Sen Kumpa, to the boasting of Zoo Squad -- who claim that their flow is so smooth it will steal your girlfriend and your money. Far from being mere bragging, an egotrip also sheds light on the rapper's personality. It's as much a revealing statement of intent as it is macho chest-thumping.

Rap is still CNN in Senegal, especially for poorer people. The active political presence of local rap in Dakar largely sets it off from its imported US cousin. Several songs here demonstrate its power to testify. Pato's high-octane banger is actually a canny round-up of society and a call to lyrical arms; with spit-fire couplets, he reminds rappers of their duty to defend the people and their interests. On "Geble Night in Blue" Nightmare and Yella, members of Zoo Squad, evoke one night in the geble (ghetto). It starts well with a rendez-vous with a girl only to end with a run-in with the police. Adama's sugary "Aduna Bi" croons a sincere hope for worldwide cooperation and dialogue, set to a gentle cascade of ska hooks and backed with a barrage of drum fills played by Leroy ‘Horsemouth’ Wallace (of Burning Speak/Rockers fame). Socially-minded songs can also wield wry humor. On "All I Want," Jojo and Gofu of Yat Fu own up to their baser desires. They jokingly yearn to be like Ewing on the soap opera Dallas (a perennial hit in Senegal), and confide a desire to get inside the devil's skin, to see if he's really such a bad guy.

Depths of Dakar contains its fare share of Senegalese stars. Omzo is a tried and true veteran, whose 2000 track "Politichiens" was instrumental in bringing down the old regime. "Goor Yombul" means "Being a Man Ain't Easy," and here Omzo sketches the pitfalls that surround Senegalese manhood, from unfaithful husbands to men who take Islam's allowance for polygamy too far. The last track, "Li Guen Pt 2" is more personal. After losing his brother, father and grandmother in the same year, Omzo took stock of his life on this heartbreaking track, advising listeners that you have to trust that everything happens for a reason. Herson also caught up with the fiery young Fatim, just as she was first joining forces with the formidable group Waa BMG 44. On "Real Woman," she showcases her nimble flow with a series of tragic vignettes about women trapped in terrible situations, advising all young girls not to marry for money. Near the end of Herson's recording time in Dakar, he asked his friends what other artists they'd record if given the chance. The unhesitating answer was "Fou Malade." A member of the Bat'haillons Blin-D (Army of the Lower Classes), Fou Malade made his name with his nasal flow and crotchety attitude. Despite a rapid rise to super-stardom, he remains an enigma -- a bright young man who plays the outrageous fool for the lyrical license it allows him. Here he flexes his BA in English, while Bllin-D big-up their peaceful style over a haunting piano melody.

Whether this is your first brush with African hip-hop or you've got towers of dusty tapes, your listening experience doesn't have to end here. Nomadic Wax is launching two online projects to bring you more music and more video from Dakar's percolating underground, as well as an opportunity to get politically and musically involved. As this album is being released, the Senegalese people are (hopefully) going to the polls. Nomadic Wax will be there to document the role of hip-hop in the elections with the Democracy in Dakar project. Nomadic Wax invites you to tune in at africanunderground.com for online video coverage of the political process and a peek at what live Senegalese hip-hop looks and sounds like. Also in the works is the Remix of Dakar project (remixofdakar.com). The site will release a cappelas from the Depths of Dakar sessions -- including some that didn't make it on the record -- for a worldwide remix contest.

- Toby Warner
« Hide Description