Beef Season: What Kenyan Artists Need To Know About HipHop And Beef
Yesterday someone on twitter challenged me about the 7 elements of hiphop when i said that today’s underground artists seem to only put a premium on beef.
Now, i have to say that my source is the hiphop documentary Beef which chronicles beef between rap and hiphop’s top luminaries over the years. From Pac and Biggie to 50 Cent and Ja Rule.
It was there that i had that with hiphop’s evolution, alot of it’s luminaries have argued that increasingly, beef has become one of hiphop’s mainstays making it a pillar.
Why am i talking about this, well, i figure i need to school you on hiphop if we are to understand what is happening in Kenya’s hiphop scene. The pillars of hiphop are:
1. Break dancing
2. Rapping
3. Graffiti art
4. DJing
5. Beatboxing
6. Street fashion
7. Beef
<Cabu Gah>
#1. In Kenya, Break dancing is well represented by a host of dance crews who fuse it with African styles aswell as Carribean styles. Crews such as F.B.I and Altarmin (the best gospel crew out there).
#2. Rapping. We have a host of rappers both on the underground and mainstream tha spit fire!
#3. Graffiti; visit “Wapi?” and you’ll see just how alive and vibrant the artists of the hiphop world are.
#4. DJing. DJ Joe Mfalme has this covered.
#5. Beatboxing. This one is also alive. Go for any hiphop event and you’ll witness it. The likes of Checkmate Mido keep beatboxing alive.
#6. Street fashion. Whether saggin jeans or skinny, with a fresh infusion of African print. Hiphop in Kenya meets the Kenyan culture.
#7. Beef. This one is the unhealthy illegitimate child of hiphop. In Kenya, this pillar has propelled the likes of Octo to prominence and Cabu Gah and Lyon Cash are looking to trave down that path. Coola Gang also had beef with Camp Mulla, Prezzo and Redsan had their tiff, Prezzo and Bamboo, Abbas and Chiwawa, Octo and Abbas. Bamboo and Clepto.
In Kenya by far the most creative and stimulating was Klepto and Chiwawa. They gave us straight heat for days! Remember “Tuendelee”? It was a response to “War Song” which according to urban legend had Mr. Lenny crying. I doubt that though.
<Lyon Cash>
When beef results in good music, i support it. If it’s about twitter and Facebook? Calm down on that. Cut your teeth on a real song! Cabu Gah and Lyon Cash wanted Kenya to sit up and take notice of them aye? Trust me when i say Kenya is now listening. Unfortunately the anticipation for their songs will put alot of pressure on them.
