Mr. Africa

Met up with Mr. Africa last week to interview him for my book. He was born in the city of Kampala, Uganda and immigrated to Canada when he was twelve years old. His rhymes speak to the experience of being caught between two cultures--what it felt like to be a young African growing up in small-town Ontario. He rhymes in his own language.

"For years when I started music, I used to write in english," he told me. "I never thought I could ever write, or rap, or do hip-hop in my language. Because it never appealed to me. You know, I was in the phase of emulating other people. You know, trying to say I'm from New York--but I'm really not. Then came the transformation. I started paying attention to all the things that were going on in Africa and my heart just started being interested in finding out more about where I'm from. Understanding exactly the situations that my people are going through, the turmoil that they are going through. All that pulled me back down to earth. I started trying to write in my language, without confidence. But I said, 'Ima do it regardless. I want to be able to reach the kids in the villages'. "

He has lived in New Jersey, Germany, the U.K., and Sweden, but he has only been back to Africa once in the past fifteen years, to attend the burial of his father (who was a preacher/community activist). It has always been his dream to go back.

Last Friday, he set out on a two month journey to Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Kenya to network with hip-hop artists, share his music with African youth, and launch a grassroots label called Babubuka (which means ghetto youth) All Stars. One of his friends will be filming the trip, and they will be using the documentary to solicit sponsorship for future African hip-hop projects. Can't wait to hear his stories from the road.