#LOYALTY-Enygma, Flex D'paper & Michael Ross [Song Review]

By Byaruhanga Felix (@TheNinjaFelix)

‘You Will Learn The Dance Of Politics, To Be Ruthless And Cunning. And Above All, You Will Be Loyal To Your Family. To Me. After All, Without Loyalty Between Us, We Are No Better Than The Beasts At Our Door.’

-Viktor (Intro)

If that intro doesn't get you, then you’re listening to the wrong genre of music. It’s got from the movie Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, sorry if you watched the translated version but back to the song; it’s produced by Baru who did a great job with the beat. Enygma features Michael Ross (@mrosskakooza) on the chorus who executed it perfectly and Flex D’paper (@flexdpaper)  who switches up his ‘Fresh Prince of KLA’ style on this one. The lyrics on this song are meaningful and they can easily be related to by anyone.  It’s no doubt that this will be one of those Enygma classics off his upcoming debut album.

Download Loyalty Here.

Connect with Enygma;

Twitter: @IamEnygma
Facebook: Enygma

Website: www.iamenygma.com

Contact Writer:
Twitter: @TheNinjaFelix
Facebook: Byaruhanga Felix
Email: felixbyaruhanga@gmail.com

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MEET THE PRESIDENT END OF THE WEAK UGANDA: BANA MUTIBWA

By Byaruhanga Felix (@TheNinjaFelix)

On the 28^thof this month it will be the End of the Weak MC Challenge at Sabrina’s pub headlined by St.Nellysade Kakubidewa (5k entrance). End of the Weak is a global movement towards the Hip Hop improvement in case it’s new to you. The movement is in five continents, twelve countries and twenty-two cities around the globe in ten years of its existence. End of the weak has paved way for most the new school top urban rappers like St.Nellysade, BigTril, Cyno MC, Rugged Made & many others. I caught up with the 2011 Entertainment Young Achievers Award Winner Bana Mutibwa a revolutionary rapper & the director of End of the Weak Uganda to discuss End Of the Weak and It's works in Uganda.

Bana Mutibwa: President End Of The Weak Uganda.

QN: First things first, if I called End of the Weak Uganda the underground base of Uganda’s hip-hop would I be right?!

Partly you are right, because we have decided to put ourselves in a state where we stay true to hip-hop. Usually when you stay true to hip-hop it gives you path where people say that’s underground hip-hop. Personally we don’t call it underground hip-hop we call it the good hip-hop. We’re here to package and promote good hip-hop, as long as you’re good End Of The Weak is there to give you a platform.

QN: Briefly give me a clear picture of End Of The Weak Uganda, how it came about to happen in Uganda.

Before putting on the tag Uganda, End of the Weak is a global movement which was towards the Hip Hop culture improvement. It started 14years ago in New York and it has been going global (Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic). In 2009 it came to Uganda when a photographer from New York called Amy Hume came to Uganda. Basically she is like the founder of the end of the weak in Uganda.

QN: Let’s talk about the MC challenge, what goes on in the competition/challenge like the one St.Nellysade is headlining.

We have different rounds that truly test even the most talented Mcs. We have the Beat juggling where Mcs just pick a beat to back them up, then we have the crowd’s favorite it’s called  Freestyle Grab The Bag where we bring a bag put different items & an MCs have to pick items  & then write rhymes about them, we have the cypha round and the Mc Vs. DJ round. 

When every country runs each season like in Uganda, we go to east, west, north then we come to Kampala then after there we do what we call challenge of champions which happens at Bayimba festival and then we get one representative to go to the world’s finals cause all these countries are doing the same. At the world’s finals all these Mc’s are rapping in their languages, so that’s the uniqueness about End of the weak.

QN: I understand you guys have been running this event since 2009 every year, how is this year going to be different from the past years?

This year we have decided to re-brand ourselves, every month we’re going to be doing an MC challenge. We’re going to be having different themes, for example; “End Of The Weak Presents St.Nellysade” that’s this month’s theme.

We also did a partnership with Urban Aksent, the top five MC’s are going to record together before the Mc Challenge then after the MC Challenge, we’re going to have the top three record together and they have an option to record with the headlining artist of the month, so they get a chance to record with St.Nellysade otherwise where would they find him? Then the top one out of the three gets a chance to go to the challenge of champions so that’s how we are structuring it now.

We are planning to move in different regions of Uganda cause we’re on a campaign to have End of the weak world finals in Uganda this year, so we’re going to be doing a challenge every single month.

QN: Away from end of the weak Uganda business, I understand to have travelled to different countries performing & representing Uganda so you have been exposed to different hip-hop communities, what do you think is lacking in Uganda’s hip-hop culture?

The fans haven’t yet adapted the culture; they don’t buy CDs, merchandise. The fans still need to do a lot for example when we organize concerts like this one that St.Nellysade is headlining you receive almost 100calls asking for free tickets, yet we use our own money to put such events.
 

We also need unity, UG hip-hop is divided. If we want to push UG hip-hop up there we need to be one like this St.Nellysade concert if you love hip-hop you have to be at this event cause that’s one way we can push UG hip-hop.

QN: Off head give me your top-5 Mc’s that aren’t from luga-flow army.

That’s a bit complex but starting from number five I would have Qwesto, Mulekwa, Atlas Da African,  Babaluku and number one  it’s definitely me Bana, otherwise my top 5 would be luga-flow members only.

Bana has been working on his debut album after his mixtape "The Ugandan Passport" that he dropped last year which will be amoung the merchandise being sold at Sabrina's Pub on the 28th MC Challenge. Come through and support Ugandan hip-hop. 

Connect with Bana;

Twitter: @BanaMutibwa

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#ZUUKUKA PART 2 SONG REVIEW [BENEZERI, RUYONGA & BIGTRIL]

 

By Mubanza Haggai (@mubanza)

We had Benezeri’s #Zuukuka (part 1) from his 2013 “I’m Benezeri” album receiving airplay on radio stations and television stations with an anti-corruption message, there’s now a sequel. The song has Benezeri featuring BigTril and Ruyonga; it starts with a narrative by Ruyonga with a sample of worthy self-awareness lines and prepares us for the theme of the song.

BigTril steps up to the occasion and does the first verse of the song, he delivers with that trademark energy spit of his pointing out how we are so far down the corruption rabbit hole that it feels like we need a miracle to come out of it the chorus comes next with the wake-up call for us to make the world a better place leading to Ruyonga’s verse who receives the beat with that ‘Ruu’ flow that makes him one of the best in Africa, he highlights how we’re quick to blame the government but bribing traffic policemen whenever against the law has never haunted us.

Now, as the song approaches verse three, there’s a well-timed switch up in the beats whose credit goes to the song’s producers Izaya and Samurae. Benezeri does the #Zuukuka theme justice highlighting how the corrupt are hypocrites who deserve to be punished and we should pick up our placards and protest this injustice. 

The song’s release is slated for 13th Monday, January 2014.

Nice beats. Great message. Amazing flow. Worth downloading.

Contact Writer;

Facebook: Mubanza Haggai

Twitter: @mubanza

Email: mubanza@gmail.com

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BABALUKU DISCUSSES B-GLOBAL GATHERINGS & UG HIP HOP

By Byaruhanga Felix (@TheNinjafelix)

When they mention Babaluku the first thing that comes to your mind is The God-father of LugaFlow in Uganda which is right but when you sit to level with him one on one he is more than just a lugaflow rapper, he is a teacher and more than that to the Youths who have gone through his BAVUBUKA FOUNDATION. He approaches hip-hop in a different way from which it’s widely viewed in our country which is entertainment.

My mind does a rewind. I arrived at the Bavabuka Headquarter which is located in Namasuba in the afternoon. The place is a bit loud with calm Pan-African rap music playing in their lounge and people rehearsing in the other room. The place has a creative flowing African vibe about it with some of awards they have won up on the top cabinet of their library.

Some Of The Awards At Bavubuka HQ

I was given a quick tour of the place by the Bavubuka coordinator Gilbert Daniels and a briefing of whatever goes on at the Bavabuka Foundation with all its sections (Bavubuka Allstarz, Bavubuka Sports and Bavubuka Dynasty). At this moment as the tour goes on Babaluku comes into the room while rapping along to the music playing while holding a bunch of books and he adds them to the library (a lot of learning goes on at the Bavabuka home). After the briefing with Gilbert the interview with Babaluku kicked off with my major interest being about the B-Global Indigenous Gatherings Of 2013.

QN: What’s up man? It’s dope to finally meet a legend in the game. First off let’s talk about the B-GLOBAL INDIGINEOUS GATHERINGS, that’s going to take place what does one have to do to be part of it and all the details of the event.

Thanks man, the five day event [B-GLOBAL] is the brain-child of celebrating a
decade of hip-hop in Uganda. When we were going to celebrate a decade last
year you know, we wanted to do uniquely very different than we ever done
before. There has never been a hip-hop festival in Uganda; there’s never been an
event that has ever gone for more than two days for hip-hop. So we wanted to do significantly something that will carry the greatness of saying that at ten years at a decade we did a 5day series of events that were in commemoration & celebrating the journey of growing indigenous hip-hop at in Uganda. So, we started B-GLOBAL Gatherings to open up space for Ugandans not to treat hip-hop as an entertainment platform but as an education based foundation.

So, we believe when we improve on the education and we invest in the demographic of youthful culture that are coming up we will get a new force that will be part of the hip-hop community to get into the circles and be influential. So that’s where education becomes key so we have to grow hip-hop from the angle of just being an emcee, a deejay or a b-boy to attaching ourselves to the relevant platforms that are growing in Uganda.

 I mean B-GLOBAL is literally in solidarity with all indigenous communities around the world. So what B-GLOBAL does for us, it keeps our voice on a global platform for all indigenous communities around the world to know there’s a voice of hip-hop in Uganda, it stands for the values of indigenous people of Uganda, it encourages and promotes all the moral values that comes with the indigenous expression. You know that’s why B-GLOBAL is one of the most authentic visions to ever hit hip-hop in Uganda. The Gatherings will take place at The HUB KAMPALA and they'll free.

QN: Let’s discuss hip-hop in Uganda? What are your views on its current state since you’re one of the people that started it?

I have positive and negative about it but let me start with the positive views. Hip-hop now in Uganda is a success and a voice. People are starting to listen and we’re able to draw a significant difference with that kind of music. It has worked in the demographic of the young people who are marginalized to be able to have an opportunity now, to have a voice at the table. Not only that but hip-hop from the entrepreneurial perceptive has given young people unconventional methods of being able to find ways of employment to support other communities.

The Negative side of it is lack of education and information. You see because we’re an entertainment based culture it’s easy for us to gravitate from the joy and the happy moments. At the end of the day we forget to do research and learn about what we do in our specific fields. And of course there’s the colonial syndrome of not having an authentic approach or desire to resonate our own indigenous expression whether it’s languages or way
in which our stories.


QN: You’re known to criticize English rappers in Uganda, why?!

First and fore most because the content is irrelevant. If you’re in Uganda and
you’re rapping about Uganda why should you use metaphors that are from New
York? Why not use Ugandan English context of expression because we have our
own language and context of expression here.

 So, you know it’s not criticism it’s not doing the knowledge, it’s not doing the 5th element. If you’re an emcee from UG hip-hop requires you have to be original, so what’s your originality that’s what I would ask all the English rappers. So it’s not criticizing English rappers I careless if they rap in English or anything, my thing is that be relevant to your people. Don’t just sound like 50cent then drop a little Elly Wamala (R.I.P) then you say you represent Uganda.

QN: Why English rappers would you say are on the right track representing Uganda or are relevant like you put it.

The closest to it is Krukid (Ruyonga) and that’s because I have known him for a while I have seen his work while he was in America. There are some of his songs hat I understand that have been more of better songs about Uganda than a lot of rappers that are on the ground here.

And also Atlas he has a good attitude being a kid who is raised in Canada to
represent his country well both mentally and musically. You know when you have
a conversation with him about the context of hip-hop he could tell you a lot about originality.

Lyrical G too he has stayed true to the game from back in the day when I met him up to now. He showed up with 16bars in luganda for the first ever studio session I had with him.

Babaluku is one of the originators of Lugaflow and the top influential rappers in uganda (see full list here). Through his Bavubuka Foundation this year they have organized a five day hip-hop forum known as  the B-GLOBAL INDIGENOUS GATHERINGS that will be finalized with the hip-hop summit on the last day. There will be different guests like Heat Wave from Canada to grace the forum and our own Ugandan rappers (Atlas, GNL & Others). So, starting on the 22nd of December make your way to The Hub Kampala and celebrate Ugandan Hip-hop.

B-GLOBAL GATHERINGS SCHEDULE

Contact the writer;

Twitter: @TheNinjafelix

Facebook: Byaruhanga Felix Felifed

Email: felixbyaruhanga@gmail.com

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RUYONGA DISCUSSES VICTORY LAP & KRUKID.

By Byaruhanaga Felix (@TheNinjaFelix)

The Victory Lap Mixtape is  a follow up to Ruyonga‘s successful & critically acclaimed album Victory Music. It features a lot of  refixes from different African songs and some hip-hop hits of 2013 (let Nas Down JCole, Don't Kill My Vibe Kendrick & others). I linked up with him and we discussed it and also talked about Krukid.

QN:What's good boss?! According to your blog u had decided to take a break from music but you are now dropping a mixtape, what prompted the come back?!

The mixtape was already mostly done by the time I'd made the announcement. I'd always intended to give the hardcore fans a special treat for free for all the support I'd gotten this year. Just some easy listening. And I didn't feel it right to short change them on that one.

QN:So, let's talk VICTORY LAP, what influenced this tape? Is it a follow up of the "Victory Music" album?!

 It's actually more of a B-Side extension. The excess energy that had no place on the album which was a defined project. Albums are very constraining for me, and this was how I would let loose during the proccess. Just some nice clever thoughtful music and musical interpretations of music I'd heard and had appreciated for some reason or another. Most of the music on Victory Lap isn't even originally mine, this tape was really a creative outlet of a different kind.

QN:By any chances did the Krukid (the one who raps, who doesn't do evil) come out on the mixtape?!

Lol I don't think so. That chapter in my life is over, there's alot of unreleased music with his name on it, but this isn't it. This is for Hip Hop and music heads though.

QN:BTW where can the fans get the old "Krukid-Music", cause most of them know that you were around from back in the day but they never got chance to listen to it. 
They'd have to Google Krukid or go to Torrent sites and look up my name. That or maybe hope I release some of this other stuff I have, although I just dont know how that would work.  
  
QN:Okay away from the mixtape, describe for us a typical Ruyonga Studio session. 
I write and record really fast. Many times I write in studio. Sometimes JT will have me leave or do it later just so I don't do it to get it done. I'm a hustler mang, this music thing is something I was blessed to do. 

QN:What's your take on the hip hop industry locally right now and Ugandan rappers on the African scale?! 
We have the talent in spades. We just need to seriously work on our image and marketing. And individuality, we seem to copy a lot.

QN: Which mainstream or underground Ugandan rappers have earned your respect and why? Apart form The-Mith & Enygma. 

Tucker HD is a Beast, homey makes it look easy. Big Tril is on the rise, Benny Black is a problem though technically rwandese, Flexx D Paper gets his style on, LG, GNL, Sylvester n Abramz have stayed true, Navio has expanded, different cats are respected for different reasons.  

QN:Which female Ugandan rappers (underground or mainstream) works those bars for you? 
Sphynx, Mai Muna, Keko got bars that's well known, there's a few others whose names slip me right now.  

QN: Lastly, any words for the upcoming rappers who aspire to be in your position some day. 
You were never put here to be me. What greatness has God put on the inside of you to uniquely reveal? Focus on that.

In case you haven't got or listened to the mixtape check SoundCLoud, DatPiff, AudioMack  just google it or follow this link www.africanhhb.com.

 Connect With Ruyonga;
Facebook: Ruyonga
Twitter: @RuyongaMusic
Blogger: Ruyonga Blogspot
Wordpress: Ruyonga.com
Website: www.ruyonga.com




Contact Writer;
Facebook: Byaruhanga Felix Felifed
Twitter: @TheNinjaFelix
Email: felixbyaruhanga@gmail.com

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BIGTRIL DISCUSSES WHITE SHADOWS.

WHITE SHADOWS ALBUM COVER

By Byaruhanga Felix (@TheNinjaFelix)

On the 29th of this month Baboon Forest head Bigtril will be dropping his first
official album at club venom (entrance UGX 20,000 just). I caught up with him and we discussed a lot of things about his album, the state of hip-hop in Uganda as a genre and this is how it all went down.

Qn: What’s good boss? First, things first you announced a mix-tape last year “Dreams 2 Reality” but the fans waited but you never dropped it, what happened?
 
All is good, just wrapping up the album. About the mix-tape we discussed as a
label and we decided to pull it back, because me as BIGTRIL as an artist I’m past the level on a mix-tape. We felt that I was ready for an album so we held it back, but the music is available online people can download it.

Qn: Okay, let’s discuss WHITE SHADOWS the album; is there any inspiration
behind the title of this album?

White Shadows is my first studio album dropping 29th November. White shadow
is more of like a movement I don’t want to live in the dark (back) no more i just
want a white shadow (the brightness). Basically when you listen to the song
“White Shadows” you will know what I’m talking about.

Qn: Let’s dive into the craft and making of the album, how many tracks are on
the album on collaborations?

Basically this album has 12tracks with collaborations from artists like Evon (inside outside), Fille, Keko, Toniks, Dreign and others. Different producers have been able to contribute to its making like Sam Lamara, Dreign and others.

Qn: Sometime last year on a certain radio interview I heard that you had
collaboration with Ice Prince which you didn’t mention among the features on
this album what happened. I also realized that your album has few rappers what
are you getting at?

Yeah, the collaboration with Ice Prince is still in works due to the time difference
we have as artists and it will feature on the next album, in fact there are a lot of
international features that will be on my next album like Stella Mwangi and
others. My album has few rappers because I wanted it to be a Bigtril album; I just wanted to own it basically.

Qn: On this album you relax a bit, kill a few commercial tracks here and there,
what happened to the Bigtril on tracks like Drain Me Dry, Straka Money and the
like?

On this album I went "Trizzy-Trizzy", I just wanted to create an album that all
people can easily enjoy and have fun. I still bring back the hard core BigTril on
tracks like Boda-Boda Swag. Secondly, when you’re on a record label you have to loosen up a bit and make more money.

Qn: How much is the album going to cost and where can the fans get it from?

The album will cost UGX 15000 (12tracks) and in a month’s time the Deluxe
Version will be released (15tracks) and also a DVD of the album will be released.
The album will be available everywhere in all shops like Nakumatt, Garden City, music land and other shops that will be communicated.

Qn: Comment on the current state of Ugandan Hip-hop.

I think the Ugandan hip-hop right now has a future, I mean you have the old
school people like Babaluku, Mith, Navio doing their thing, then you have artists like me and the new school rappers. Literally the future is bright because artists are being nominated at the Channel O awards like Navio, Keko. I do believe the future is bright and we headed in the right direction.

Qn: Lastly give us your top 5 Ugandan rappers that are not from Baboon Forest
Entertainment.

Without baboon forest entertainment that’s hard but in no specific order my top
 5 Ugandan rappers are; Keko, Enygma, The-Mith, Navio and Ruyonga.

 

Tomorrow Bigtril will be answering questions from the fans via his twitter account @BIGTRILKAIZA, from 2-4PM. Just tweet your question "@BIGTRILKAIZA , @TheTribe_UG" and use the the hash tag #WhiteShadows.  

Connect with Bigtril
Twitter:@BIGTRILKAIZA
Facebook: Bigtril
website:bigtrilofficial.com

Contact Writer:
Twitter: @TheNinjaFelix
Facebook: Byaruhanga Felix Felifed 
Email: felixbyaruhanga@gmail.com

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