Nfana Ibaga - No Problem - 2Face Idibia - 2004
Keep On Rockin' - 2Face Idibia - 2004
Checkmate (50 Cent Diss) - Jadakiss - 2004
I don't usually e-mail more than one person at a time, but I did want to let you all know that I just saw 50 Cent perform live here in Abuja. I'm still swooning...
Seriously though, my uncle got wind of some VIP event, which I guess was the media launch for the KOLA music awards, the African version of the Grammy's. Some state governors were there, the US Ambassador was there, guys with machine guns and so on. Shit was low budget though, I've seen high school plays with better production (mic problems, buzzing in the audio, it was actually rather frustrating). But they got shit together and then went LIVE via satellite to 45 African countries (no, that's not all of them). And after a few famous African acts (some of which were lipsyncing, sigh), 50 came on in all his glory. The Ghanaian girl who introduced him claimed that he is the most famous hip hop artist EVER and it was he that made her like hip hop. Go fucking figure.
He did two songs, "I Run New York" and some song he does with Justin Timberlake, according to my brother. But Justin wasn't there. I think they figured that just would have been too much.
And then, as he was walking off stage, they beckoned him back. Two Nigerian rappers, two women, and a small girl holding a rose came out, told them they loved him, and sang a song I imagine is titled "Welcome to Africa", just for him. They finished, and the small girl gave him the rose and said "Welcome to Africa, 50 we love you!" One of the rappers said "50 we are brothers if not for slave trade." And 50, the self-described Teflon Don, Get Rich or Die Tryin' I Got Shot 9 Times 50 Cent, shed a tear.
Not only did I see 50 Cent rap, I saw 50 Cent cry.
So one of those Nigerian rappers was 2Face. Both of these tracks are fairly "pop", but what I find refreshing about African hip-hop is that most of the artists can carry a tune, even sing a little bit. Likely more West African music to come in this space...
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