Despite the tremendous growth of hip hop music during the late 1980s, it was not until the early 1990s that the first album of Tanzanian rap appeared. Saleh Aljabry (otherwise known as Saleh J) released the first Tanzanian rap album, Swahili Rap. The album immediately became a sensation all over the country and, in many ways, set a high standard for future Tanzanian tappers. Most of the songs were based on the music and rhythms of American artists, such as Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” and Naughty by Nature’s “O.P.P.” Instead of translating the song from English to Swahili, however, Aljabry used the American raps as a framework to develop his own ideas–ideas pertinent to Tanzanian lifestyles. For instance, on his version of “Ice Ice Baby,” Aljabry turned a song about drive-by shooting and self praise into a warning about AIDS and multiple sexual partners (Remes, “Global” 6).
In the chorus, however, Aljabry repeats Vanilla Ice’s lyrics as a way of identifying the song to listeners.
English language lyrics often support different ideological interests than Swahili ones do. One group who uses English in their music is Kwanza Unit (The First Unit).
Kwanza Unit formed in 1992 and has become one of the top rap groups in Tanzania. Lyrically and musically, the group borrows heavily from American rap discourses in their English songs. Take for example the song, “Inahouse.” The song describes a party with women, cigars, and other “pleasures”: Ladies in lingerie, passion, menage a trois … I’m sipping older sex Mafioso….
The Essay on Vanilla Ice Jim Carrey “Ice Ice Baby”
In the song, “Ice Ice Baby”, Jim Carrey satirizes vanilla ice in his version of in the original song. In “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice, talks about how he is way better than everyone and that he has all the girls, best cars, and even all the money. In the satirical version of this song by Jim Carrey, he basically is telling everyone that vanilla ice is a big fake and the only reason he is even ...
I’m in my silk robe, puffing a cigar, laying on my waterbed I’m about to be fed by this Puerto Rican love child. The lyrics develop a theme common to many popular American rap songs, at least those heard in Tanzania–women, wealth, and the ability to do whatever one wants are all present in the song. More telling, however, is the choice of words used by the group; “menage a trois,” “Puerto Rican love child,” “Mafioso,” and even “waterbed” highlight the group’s in-depth knowledge of American and European culture. Kwanza Unit’s talent lies in their ability to draw from their vast knowledge of these cultures and present their own unique sound to Tanzanian audiences. Even though many Tanzanians might not understand the meaning of words such as “Mafiaso,” they can relate to the song because certain aspects, such as the smooth, upfront delivery of the rap lyrics and the use of common rap words “sex,” “love,” and “ladies,” resemble the American rap songs with which they are so familiar. Further, Kwanza Unit develops their music without stories of violence, vulgar language, and images of excessive fame, even though these themes are prominent in the rap music they hear from the United States. The language they develop in their rap reflects their particular social and ideological position within Tanzania, as affluent youth in a major East African city (Dar es Salaam) familiar with American and European cultures.
It also emphasizes the group’s interest in using English to communicate with people outside Tanzania, employing American rap discourses as cues to signal to outside listeners the group’s understanding of hip hop music and their legitimacy as tappers. Most rap musicians consider hip hop to be a voice for youth culture in Tanzania and a way to speak about the “reality” of living in a “Third World” society. The choice between English and Swahili lies in the musicians’ conception and associations with languages and the processes by which people attach meaning and value to language, a concept which Debra Spitulnik terms “language valuation and evaluation” (164).
The Essay on Hip Hop Culture
“A Reflection of Hip Hop’s Past: Is it Still Relevant? ” Have you ever noticed the similarities between hip hop dance and African dance? Has the rhythm in African drums ever remind you of hip hop beats? How about Minstrel shows and the purpose behind them; are they similar to hip hop shows today? There is in fact a strong connection between the three topics and the hip culture. Hip hop is full of ...
Language valuation and evaluation refers to language as value laden, always undergoing social evaluations and judgments which are embedded in constructions of power. Radio owners, DJs, and managers in Tanzania, for instance, often regard Swahili as the language of the rural peoples of the country. English on the other hand, is an international and therefore powerful language. The apparent language valuation and evaluation is that English offers more opportunities within European and American societies and is therefore more valued than Swahili.
Tanzanian hip hop musicians mediate between English and Swahili, relying on both languages to construct a unique soundscape for their music. They also mediate between their knowledge of the historical, commercial, and political dimensions of their social identities, using language to position themselves within national and international hip hop culture. As hip hop “develops” in Tanzania, the choice of languages and the performers’ interests in those languages will change as beliefs in language continue to shift. Clearly, however, neither language will dominate the local rap scene, as each plays a significant role in Tanzanian hip hop culture. The English language pervades rap musical performances in Malawi, but it occurs alongside and is often interspersed with Chichewa; this dual presence reflects the more general daily linguistic environment of Malawi, where the two languages interweave to a large extent. Much of the discourse about rap music, including newspaper articles, discussions with and among youths, and radio broadcasts, takes place in English though, highlighting the non-local or “foreign” aspects of rap music and culture.
Both performers and “hip hop supporters” (the self-applied label for non-performing fans) articulate their reasons and rationales for choosing between languages and are often able to reflexively comment upon the implications of their choices..
