Los Angeles — A new musical collaboration between artists representing Ghana, Uganda and the US has resulted in the creation of A.R.M., also known as African Rebel Movement or Artists Representing the Motherland.
The project brings together emcees (M.anifest and Krukid) and a producer (Budo) for in way that blends the skills of all three artists.
The trio joined forces in 2008 and are set to release their first album which incorporates the lyrical talent of Krukid and M.anifest over Budo's soul, afro-beat and hip-hop inspired sounds.
The artists are from diverse backgrounds, geographically and musically and have already established solo careers.
Krukid first met Budo while living in Illinois, and later reached out to M.anifest after hearing his music on a list of top African rap emcees on MySpace. After Krukid and M.anifest began working together, they recruited Budo to join them and produce the album they planned to release.
They have finally finished their album, which they say contains Afro-beat and soul inspired tracks, or what M.anifest calls "soulful bangers".
While it clearly reflects the group's hip-hop roots, M.anifest emphasizes that the album is hip-hop, but with a "twist." It remains true to both hip-hop and African themes of storytelling by providing a narrative that the group says is both relevant to Africans and is universally applicable.
While listening to either M.anifest or Krukid's music, it is understandable why M.anifest says their style represents the "traveling Africans" whose stories often go untold. Both are storytellers in a way that only rap artists can be. Their style is unique in that it can stand alongside many great American rap artists, while not losing its African identity.
The styles of Krukid and M.anifest seem to flow naturally with Budo's, who says that producing gives him a unique opportunity to create a collage of pieces from various influences. Krukid says that the different songs on their album speak to all of their narratives and experiences, and that their stories speak to not just one reality.
The music addresses their daily experiences in both Africa and the US, and also deals with heavier social and political issues. The album is mostly performed in English, but they do incorporate their own languages and culture into the lyrics.
The album is finished and they have been performing and exploring distribution possibilities and hope to have a release date soon.
Performances include a planned tour in 2010 and listening parties scheduled for Minneapolis and New York.
The group is also releasing the "Two Africans and a Jew Vol.1" EP in April of 2010. This project will be available on iTunes, Amazon and on the group's website, and will feature appearances from Slug of Atmosphere, Supastion and others.
The artists continue to work on solo projects. Budo is touring nationally for the next three months with the new Rhymsayers Entertainment signee Grieves. M.anifest is scheduling late winter tour dates and has an updated schedule posted on his website.
While the trio has no plans to perform in Africa at present, they look forward to being able to plan something on the continent soon.
I asked them if they had any advice for young African rap artists who are trying to make a career in music. M.anifest advised that artists first strive to be self-sufficient when it comes to making music and marketing themselves. Getting into the music business is almost impossible for those artists who just wait for a music executive to come along and discover them. He suggests that with the glut of rappers trying to make it, artists need to make the most of their resources.
Budo's advice for artists is to make sure that they are doing it for the right reasons. With the current state of the economy, artists need to want to make music because they love music, not just to make money. He stresses that instant success is an illusion and that opportunities for real profitability are few, so artists need to focus on what they love and follow that path.
In looking at the explosion of hip-hop in Africa, Krukid acknowledges that it is nice that artists are finally getting paid for what they do and that the form is gaining recognition. But he also cautions that as the music genre is making a profit for some, more people are getting into it for the wrong reasons.
M.anifest is impressed that hip-hop movements in Africa have their own identity and are not just mimicking what is going on in the US. He points to Ghanaian hiplife as an example, which he says started out as hiplife with rap, and has turned into a fusion of highlife and hip-hop. However the standards in hiplife are not as high as they should be.
M.anifest shares a common criticism of the increasing commercialization of hip-hop in Africa, in that artists are not forced to make quality music. While much of the hip-hop music being played on African radio stations is focused on love and partying, there is a trend away from lyrical skills and content.
Stateside, Budo says he is pleased with the evolution of African artists in the US, and points to artists such as M.anifest, Krukid, K'Naan (Somalia), and Blitz the Ambassador (Ghana), all making a name for themselves.
When asked about representing Africa in the American hip-hop scene, both M.anifest and Krukid feel it is important to stay true to their roots.
M.anifest believes that there is a myth that if US-based artists claim that they are American it will help them find success. He believes there is value in having a unique story and a diverse background. Pointing to the large number of Africans living in the US, he adds, "If you rep for us, then we'll support you".
Budo continues by saying that being true to where you come from allows you to be honest and create things that people will want to hear. Krukid adds that if an artist's music is strong enough it will allow them to stand as an individual.
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The Artists of A.R.M.
M.anifest (Kwame Tsikata) is from Ghana but has been a part of the music scene in Minneapolis, Minnesota, since 2005. His influences range from Fela Kuti and Hugh Masekela to Q-Tip and Mos Def. He released his first album Manifestations in 2007 and quickly gained respect in the African hip hop scene.
M.anifest was profiled by Allhiphop.com as one of four African artists to look out for and Voted 2008's Songwriter of the Year by the Minneapolis City Pages. In addition to his project with A.R.M., M.anifest has another solo album, "Coming To America," set to be released soon.
Krukid (Edwin Ruyonga) is a Ugandan-born emcee who began his involvement in hip-hop while he was still in Uganda. After coming to the US, he became more involved in the hip-hop scene in the U.S. and in 2005 released his first album, "Raisin in the Sun." His second album, "Afr-I-Can," was released under Rawkus Records and received significant critical praise, earning the artist four out of five afros/questies on Okayplayer.com. While promoting the A.R.M. project, Krukid also plans to release a third solo album, "Lifelines."
Producer Budo (Joshua Karp) is from Seattle, Washington, and is now based in Brooklyn, New York. He began playing the trumpet at the age of nine, and has been influenced by a range of music styles, which is reflected in the music he produces. He became involved in Seattle's rich music scene in 2002 and began producing albums with various Seattle-based artists in 2005. It was within the city's strong hip-hop scene that Budo got involved with various hip-hop artists.
