| Hipco | |
|---|---|
 Takun J, a famous Hipco artist. | |
| Other names | HipCo |
| Stylistic origins | Hip hop |
| Cultural origins | Liberia |
Hipco, also referred to as HipCo or just 'Co, is a genre of hip hop from Liberia. It has been described by The Guardian as Liberia's "unique musical style" using "vernacular speech and political messages." [1]
Rap and pop music are also performed in indigenous languages across the country, with a generation of artists creating their own style of uniquely Liberian rap music called Hipco (or "'Co"). Hipco is usually performed in Liberian English or the local vernacular, using the style of communication with which Liberians speak and relate to each other. Hipco evolved in the 1980s and has always had a social and political bent. In the 1990s it continued to develop through the civil wars, and today stands as a definitive mark of Liberian culture. [2] [3] Hipco music became popular in 2000. As of 2017, it was the popular music genre of Liberia, "serving as the medium through which rappers speak against societal ills, including injustice and corruption." [4]
The "'co" in the genre is short of the Liberian dialect Kolokwa, which according to the Washington Post, "the Liberian underclass has been improvising since the early 19th century, blending the English brought by 19,000 ex-slaves with words from about 15 native tongues to attain a soft-sounding patois. Kolokwa is 99 percent an oral language — as yet, there is not a single full book in the dialect — and it is all but incomprehensible to the American ear. In Liberia, the cultural elite has long shunned it as lowbrow. Which means that when Hipco artists inject a few choice snatches of Kolokwa into otherwise English lyrics, their words have political zing." [5] [6] According to the Washington Post, "HipCo is to Liberia as jazz is to the United States." In 2017, Liberian historian C. Patrick Burrows stated "we're on the verge of a renaissance. HipCo is at the leading edge of it." [5] In 2020, Takun J, DenG, Sundaygar Dearboy, Tan Tan, Soul Smiter, Odemz, and Amaze recorded the Hipco song "Sanitize". The artists released the song in order to raise awareness about Covid-19 and encourage Liberians to practice good hygiene. [7]
Among high-profile hipco artists are Takun J, Christoph the Change, and Bucky Raw. [8] [9] [10]
UNICEF has worked with Hipco artists to release hipco songs on Ebola prevention, with several of the songs becoming popular on radio in the country in 2014. [11] The Liberia Music Awards have a Hipco Artist of the Year category. [12] The Liberian Entertainment Awards do as well.
Progressive music is music that attempts to expand existing stylistic boundaries associated with specific genres of music. The word comes from the basic concept of "progress", which refers to advancements through accumulation, and is often deployed in the context of distinct genres, with progressive rock being the most notable example. Music that is deemed "progressive" usually synthesizes influences from various cultural domains, such as European art music, Celtic folk, West Indian, or African. It is rooted in the idea of a cultural alternative, and may also be associated with auteur-stars and concept albums, considered traditional structures of the music industry.
Hip hop music has been popular in Africa since the early 1980s due to widespread African American influence. In 1985, hip hop reached Senegal, a French-speaking country in West Africa. Some of the first Senegalese rappers were Munyaradzi Nhidza Lida, M.C. Solaar, and Positive Black Soul.
The culture of Liberia reflects this nation's diverse ethnicities and long history. Liberia is located in West Africa on the Atlantic Coast.
This article is an overview of the major events and trends in popular music in the 2000s.
The music of Liberia uses many tribal beats and often one of the native dialects, or vernacular. Liberian music includes traditional Gbema music, as well as the popular genre Hipco.
Arabic hip-hop is a segment of hip hop music performed in the Arabic-speaking world. Due to variety of dialects and local genres which exist in the localities, Arabic hip-hop music may appear very diverse depending on the country of the song. Like most artists of the genre, the hip-hop artists from the Arabic-speaking world are highly influenced by American hip-hop.
Pakistani hip hop is a music genre in Pakistan, influenced heavily from merging American hip hop style beats with Pakistani poetry. The genre was initially dominated in English and Punjabi, but in recent years has expanded to Urdu, Sindhi, Pashto, and Balochi.
The Liberian Entertainment Awards is an annual awards show, recognizing Liberians at home and in the diaspora for their outstanding contributions to the Liberian entertainment industry. The annual ceremony, held in the United States, features performances by established and promising artists. The LEA was founded in 2009 by Tarkus Zonen. The inaugural ceremony was held on January 31, 2009, at the Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Michael Davies, who is better known as Sundaygar Dearboy, is a Liberian singer, songwriter and record producer from Grand Bassa County. He sings primarily in Bassa and Liberian English and has released several studio albums, including See Boyee, Don't Live with Woman (2007) and Rebirth (2012). He was named the Liberian Musician of the Year in 2005-2006, and has produced thirteen albums to date.
Jonathan Koffa, known professionally as Takun J, is a Liberian rapper, singer, songwriter and activist. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of hipco, a politically charged music genre. The Liberian Gender Ministry designated him as one of its anti-rape ambassadors. Takun J's music addresses socio-political issues in Liberia. He is best known for the singles "Who Make You Cry", "Police Man", "Gbagba is Corruption", and "A Song for Hawa". Takun J's debut studio album, The Time, was released in 2007. His second studio album, My Way, was released in December 2012. Takun J is the recipient of several accolades, including Male Artist of the Year and Hipco Artist of the Year at the 2014 Liberia Music Awards.
An epidemic of Ebola virus disease occurred in Liberia from 2014 to 2016, along with the neighbouring countries of Guinea and Sierra Leone. The first cases of virus were reported by late March 2014. The Ebola virus, a biosafety level four pathogen, is an RNA virus discovered in 1976.
The Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa has had a large effect on the culture of most of the West African countries. In most instances, the effect is a rather negative one as it has disrupted many Africans’ traditional norms and practices. For instance, many West African communities rely on traditional healers and witch doctors, who use herbal remedies, massage, chant and witchcraft to cure just about any ailment. Therefore, it is difficult for West Africans to adapt to foreign medical practices. Specifically, West African resistance to Western medicine is prominent in the region, which calls for severe distrust of Western and modern medical personnel and practices.(see Ebola conspiracies below.)
Christopher Christoph Nyenga, known professionally as Christoph the Change, is a Liberian rapper and songwriter. After releasing the hip-hop track "Take a Break", he was criticized for sounding "too American". He gained mainstream success in Liberia after releasing the Hipco songs "Papay God", "Heaven and Hell", and "Gbanna Man".
Karwoudou Cole, who is better known by his stage name Bucky Raw, is a Liberian rapper and songwriter from Monrovia. He rose to fame after appearing in a cypher at the 2016 Liberian Entertainment Awards. Raw has released the mixtapes Country Soda (2017) and Cs2 (2018).
Soul Fresh is a Liberian hip hop duo. The Hipco group consists of JB and Shining Man.
Urbano music or Latin urban is a transnational umbrella category including many different genres and styles. As an umbrella term it includes a wide and diverse set of genres and styles such as dancehall, dembow, urban champeta, funk carioca, Latin hip hop and reggaeton. The commercial breakthrough of this music took place in 2017 with artists from Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Puerto Rico, the United States, Venezuela and even non-Spanish-speaking nations, such as Brazil, where Portuguese is spoken.
Daniel Tom George, who is known professionally as DenG, is a Liberian singer and songwriter from Bong County. He started his music career in 2000 as an R&B artist before making a guest appearance on Emma Smith's single "I Want to Go". DenG rose to prominence after being featured on Queen V's 2013 hit single "Jue You Bad". Following the success of "Jue You Bad", he switched from R&B to Afro pop. DenG released his debut studio album, New Seh, on August 23, 2023.
Faith Terryson, who is known professionally as Faithvonic, is a Liberian singer and songwriter from Grand Bassa County. She is also a fashion designer, graphic designer, content creator, and video director. Faithvonic derived her stage name from her first name and mother's name, and started writing and recording music in 2012. She signed a record deal with Kimmie Weeks' KLW Entertainment in 2014, but left the label in 2016 after her contract expired. On February 14, 2021, she released her debut extended play, Rich with You, to coincide with Valentine's Day. She has released music to raise awareness about Ebola and COVID-19, and has partnered with ActionAid Liberia on several humanitarian projects. Faithvonic's music is a mixture of Afropop and hipco.
Franklin Edward Harris, who is known professionally as Kpanto, is a Liberian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He started his music career in 2014 and gained recognition in 2015 after releasing a cover of Desiigner's single "Panda". His eponymous debut studio album, Skinny Boy Kpanto, was released on August 22, 2020. It comprises nine tracks and contains the songs "Take off Trouser", which was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2020 Liberia Music Awards, and "Flukor", which won Song of the Year at the 2021 Tunes Liberia Music Awards.
Rabbie Nassrallah, who is better known as Nasseman, is a Liberian reggae singer, songwriter, and activist. He gained recognition after releasing the 2015 single "Till We Meet Again", which was written to honor his mentor Ras Katata. His music primarily addresses social ills prevalent in Liberian society. Nasseman has written songs for several Liberian artists, and released the albums Till We Meet (2008) and Redemption Time (2012).
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)| Culture | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| History | |||||||||||||||
| Subgenres |
| ||||||||||||||
| Fusion genres |
| ||||||||||||||
| Derivatives |
| ||||||||||||||
| Regional scenes |
| ||||||||||||||
| Other topics | |||||||||||||||
