Another episode of Shots Fired, another blog post in which I awkwardly ramble about the title of said episode. But Nocando pointed out that Africa is the cradle of civilization, so technically, it is everyone’s Motherland. All qualifies aside, this is one of my favorite episodes that we’ve done. The first half is devoted to African samples and influence in rap. There is the history of Fela and the history of his eldest son, Femi. Then I speak to Femi for 45 minutes about everything from his father, to rap, to African politics. Episode description and the podcast MP3 below the jump.
“This week Jeff Weiss and Nocando explore the connection between Hip-Hop and African music. The duo talk about the history of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, rappers who have sampled Fela Kuti songs, and finally play a Wale track. Legendary Afrobeat star Femi Kuti stops by to discuss the formation of Afrobeat, how he now must find a balance between Facebook, Twitter, and practicing his instruments, and the Afrobeat influence on Hip-Hop.”
Download:
MP3: Shots Fired Episode 13: The Motherland Episode w/ Guest Femi Kuti
