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Is it possible to compile a CD that does full justice to the breadth of African hip-hop? The excellent Africa Raps on Trikont in 2002 was the first to try at least partly to do that, covering the best rap music from three Francophone countries of West Africa - Senegal, Mali and Gambia.

Two years later, The Rough Guide to African Rap broadened the horizons further without quite fulfilling its remit, the compilers filling out that collection with a handful of ‘rap-inspired’ tunes.
Now this new release from Afrolution records (the sub-label of Black Mango that’s devoted to African hip-hop) broadens the geographical spread further, spanning from South Africa and Zimbabwe in the South to Senegal in the West and Tanzania and Kenya in the east.

The collection certainly starts very well with the scattergun break-beats of Sweden-based Kenyan Wawesh’s ‘Mjanja’ and Senegal’s Pee Froiss with their superb, effervescent ‘Jalgaty’ (the one track that also appears on both of the above-mentioned albums) signalling the compilers’ admirable desire to balance Anglophone and Francophone countries.

But an album that attempts to cover a whole continent that has gone hip hop crazy over the last few years is bound to come up short in places. UK-based Nigerian rapper JJC’s likeable, inclusive rapping has world-wide appeal, but it would have been nice to hear something else for a change from that nation’s thriving hip-hop scene. Similarly, Tanzania’s Xplastaz (whose founding member Faza Nelly was tragically knifed to death earlier this year) provide one of the highlights of the CD, but the burgeoning trend for Bongo Flava in that country is not represented at all. Two minor omissions to be corrected with Volume Two, perhaps?

Overall, though, this welcome introduction to Africa’s current hip hop sounds finds the continent’s urban scene in rude health, although there’s something of a dichotomy in the fact that as production values improve, so many of the recordings sound increasingly like those of their American and British counterparts.

Senegal’s Omzo apart, there are very few examples of the integration of traditional African music in the manner of Daara J’s outstanding Boomerang CD.

But somehow one gets the impression that all these clever and creative artists aren’t aiming for the Western world music scene anyway. Another measure of the confident (and competent) state of rap music in Africa.

The CD comes with an informative bonus DVD, where comments from the compilers Trenton Birch and Dennis Tapfuma, and various hip hop ‘heads’ of the talking variety are interspersed with videos of the artists and DJs showcased on the CD.

CD Tracks:
Wawesh - Mjanja (Kenya) / Pee Frois - Jalgati (Senegal) / Cashless Society - Taxi (South Africa) / DKR - We Built This City (Zimbabwe) / X Plastaz - Msimu Kwa Msimu (Tanzania) / JJC & 419 Squad - Kilonsele (Nigeria) / Emile - Who am I (South Africa) / Begotten Son - Revolution (Zimbabwe) / Smokey - Ghetto Noir (Gambia) / Migrant Souls - Africa Is Zion (Zimbabwe) / Real Elements - Amazing (Malawi) / Ozmo - Li Guen Pt. 2 (Senegal) / Metaphysics - Life (Zimbabwe).

DVD Tracks:
Interview: Afrolution Records / Music Video: Cashless Society - Taxi Wars / Interview: Speech (Arrested Development) / Music Video: Wawesh - Mjanja / Interview: Metaphysics / Music Video: Divided Kingdom Republic - DK Anthem / Interview: JJC & 419 Squad / Music Video: X Plastaz - Msimu Kwa Msimu / Interview - Patrick Neate / Music Video: JJC & 419 Squad - Kilonsele / Interview - Kimba Anderson (Real Elements) / Music Video: Smokey - Ghetto Noir / Interview: DJ Eric Soul / Video: African Hip Hop Indaba (B-Boy Battle Of The Year).

Link: www.afrolution.com