After a hiatus of over one year (not counting the occasional mixtape and guest shows from Nairobi), African Hip Hop Radio is back on air. Or rather the web, because the new shows are streamed live through Red Light Radio which is web-only. The monthly two-hour show presented by J4 & Amal with dj Threesixty on the SL’s will be broadcast every last week of the month and made available for download and listening via Africanhiphop.com.

This new edition of the web’s original urban African music show (presented by J4 & Threesixty, Amal was not around) features an interview with Nigerian/German singer Nneka and a phone chat with hip hop artist Joseph Mbilinyi (also known as Sugu or Mr II) from Tanzania. The latter was elected to parliament last year for Chadema, Tanzania’s biggest opposition party, representing his town of Mbeya.


The hip hop MP, who is also Tanzania’s shadow minister for Information, Youth, Culture and Sports, talks about his project Anti Virus, advocating fair treatment and payment of Tanzania’s musicians, and the launch party of the second Anti Virus mixtape which took place last weekend at the grounds of the Institute of Social Welfare in Dar es Salaam, attracting over 10.000 people. Despite network problems we finally got hold of Sugu on the phone in the second hour while he was having dinner.

Then we met Nneka before her show last weekend in Amsterdam. She talks about her new album, which according to her has a less obvious Nigerian sound, but its lyrical content is deeply embedded in what Nneka sees around her – she moved back from Germany to Nigeria three years ago. Also we hear why a collabo with D’banj seems unlikely for the moment. An extended version of the interview will be online next week at Thisisafrica.me.

New music this month from Zaiid, Taziyah B, Black Star, Vieira and many more. We also play a lost classic from Tanzania: ‘Acha’ by Kwanza Unit featuring the late emcee D-Rob. Also music from Rwanda and a track by a Congolese rapper in Finland.

Red Light Radio is a new radio studio in the heart of Amsterdam’s infamous Red Light district. Located in a former prostitution window, the station offers a wide range of shows playing music you won’t hear on commercial radio. African Hip Hop Radio is sharing a slot with Africa Unsigned which is broadcast two weeks after our shows.

Listen to the November edition of African Hip Hop Radio, or download:

[soundcloud]http://soundcloud.com/redlightradio/african-hip-hop-02-red-light[/soundcloud]
Playlist November 2011
1 Black’s Zenith – Shango Oba Onina (yeah they are from Nigeria, we know)
2 Black Star – You Already Knew
3 X Plastaz ft Fid Q & Bamba Nazar – Africa
4 Kwanza Unit – Acha
5 Taziyah B – Get shine
6 Kim – Talk
7 Gracias – H.K.I.
8 Raff MC n Kim – Underground Sound ft JCB
9 Exit – Certified Wambo (Namibia)
10 Jaak – Dit moet net yt
11 M.anifest – Motherland
12 Vieira – Nos e que nos
13 Zaiid – Mwanzo mwisho
14 Modeselektor, Nazizi & Abbas – Monkey flip
15 Family Squad – Tuve Kumihanda
16 Mensa – Anaa
17 Fela Kuti
18 Salaam Kivu All Stars – Saisir l’avenir
19 TID – Kweli
20 Geenuel ft Terry G – Fine Tile
21 Real Family – Akina mone
22 X Maleya – Tous ensemble
23 Wanlov – My funky story ft Kossa
24 Ben Ofiyai – Elektric Boogy
25 Sarkodie – U go kill me
26 Kay Ara ft Lil Shaker & Yaa Poono – Me dough
27 D Black – My kinda girl ft Sarkodie
28 EL – One Ghana for your pocket
29 Mokobe – African fiesta feat Nathalie Bleu