Afrolution Vol 2: The Original African Hip-Hop Collection

This second edition of African hip-hop compilations from the UK label Afrolution is a masterstroke of music collecting, a vibrant source of the best and most current hip-hop, jazz and funk on the continent. North Africa, which does have a vibrant hip-hop scene, is excluded, but there are 18 tracks from all over sub-Saharan Africa – even countries lesser-known for their rap like Togo and Malawi get a look-in – and, notably, there are two female rappers on the compilation, which is a rarity in this male-dominated scene.

Much hip-hop, heavy on the vocal, can be lyrically on-point but hard on the ears. The Kenyan rappers Goreala and Projekt rap alongside sweet vocals, a funk-driven bass-line and horns with a nice, breezy old-school sound on ’She Smiles Easy’. The Burkinabé rap group Yeleen weave a magical tale about the bush taxis which ply the West African roads, cheaply linking the capitals, in the song ‘Taxi Brousse’. A Fula flute and griot-styled singing from the main vocalist makes this a very different kind of hip-hop track. Other highlights include the head-nodding ‘Mudzionetsetsa’ from Malawi’s Biriwiri, which features a beat particularly African – no American styling here – and exceptionally resonant, rich vocals. While many of the tracks owe more to jazz and funk than to pure hip– hop, this compilation shows that with good production the African hip-hop scene, traditionally held back by sound quality problems, is ready to reach great heights.