Hip Hop and Social Change in Africa

Msia Kibona Clark is assistant professor of Pan African studies at California State University.Mickie Mwanzia Koster is assistant professor of history at the University of Texas at Tyler.

• 1. Introduction by Msia Kibona Clark and Mickie Mwanzia KosterPart I: “Social Ills”: Coming from Behind the Microphone to Effect Reform in Africa2. Hip-Hop Halisi: Continuities of Heroism on the African Political Landscape, Caroline Mose 3. Building Our Nation: Sénégalese Hip Hop Artists as Agents of Social and Political Change, Sheba Lo 4. Speaking Truth to Power: Hip-Hop and the African Awakening, Amentahru Wahlrab Essay 1 English. “Malian Hip Hop: Social Engagement through Music,” Amkoullel L'enfant Peulh Part II: “The Dusty Foot Philosopher”: Hip Hop Voices on Social Change in AfricaEssay 2. “How Hip Hop Impacts Social Change in Africa,” Malle Marxist 5. Redefining the Struggle: Remembering the Mau Mau through Hip-Hop Music, Mich Nyawalo 6. Khoi Hop: Hip Hop, Youth Activism and the Dilemma of Coloured Identity in South Africa, Shaheen Ariefdien and Rico Chapman 7. Beyond “Y’en a Marre”: Pikine’s Hip Hop Youth Say “Enough is Enough” and Pave the Way for Continuous Social Change, Asl

In recent years, several books have been published concerning African hip-hop, including Eric Charry’s Hip-hop Africa: New African Music in a Globalizing World (2012) and Mwenda Ntarangwi’s East African Hip-hop: Youth Culture and Globalization. While these books tackle some aspects of the societal implications of the music genre, they tend to focus on globalization, youth culture, or the music alone. The work under review is sharply focused on a critical examination of hip-hop and social change, whether by political and social commentary or by actually changing traditions and behavior. Furthermore, the book is unique in that it blends essays written by scholars as well as by some African hip-hop artists themselves, which allows for an exploration of the topic from both academic and firsthand perspectives. . . .The essays are thoughtful, insightful, and well written. All academic libraries with substantive African studies and/or world music collections. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.