Dust off that old Atlas, turn up your speakers and get out your seat. There is a new nation on the international hip-hop scene—Cape Verde. Don’t let its size fool you; artists from this small country are doing BIG things!

When it comes to music, Cape Verde is home to more genres than one can count. Google ‘CV Music’ and you’ll find more information than the white pages. Given its rich musical history, it’s no small wonder that when the Diaspora first brought hip hop back to the islands it spread quicker than H1N1.

CV Hip Hop blends rich island rhythms, hard-hitting beats, and razor sharp lyricism. Think Talib Kweli, mixed with Buena Vista social club, topped off with a sprinkle of your favorite club banger. Oh, and with a lyrical mélange of English, Portuguese, CV Kriolu, Dutch and French.

For CV MCs and DJs hip-hop transcends music. In 2006, East Coast artists formed The Movement a collective dedicated to musical collaboration and community activism. Here is where you get out your pad and pen… their lineup is deep (Think Wu-Tang). Here’s the scoop on two of my favorites:

CHACHI

Chachi reps hard for Cape Verde’s 11^th island—Rhode Island. The man’s resume is STRONG. Chachi has graced stages across the country with some of hip hop’s best. You don’t have to take my word for it. In 2007 VIBE magazine voted him one of the hottest new MCs state-to-state and in 2008 he was crowned the Champion of 106 & Park’s Wild Out Wednesday. For Chachi it’s not all about the mic. Out of the studio and offstage, he is a dedicated father, coach and youth advocate in Pawtucket Rhode Island.

Check out the video for his new track ‘Freedom Rings’ and keep your ear to the streets because his debut album About Time is schedule to drop this summer. For more info join his email list at (www.chachihiphop.com)

SHOKANTI

If Chachi is Domino, Shokanti is one of those brown packets of ‘In the Raw’ sugar they push at Starbucks. Shokanti’s music radiates raw CV flavor. Shokanti spits solely in CV Kriolu. His lyrics paint pictures of past, present and future. Remember the first time you heard Nas’ ‘N.Y. State of Mind?’ (Much respect to king of Queensbridge) and were transported to the streets of Queens? Shonakti’s music is kind of like that, except instead of grey stoops and stairways he reflects about the dusty streets of CV and the poverty of his homeland. Check him out at (www.myspace.com/shokantimusic)

Written by Jason Azevedo for Nomadic Wax

I listen to a lot of mixtapes (and there are more and more coming out these days!) and I actively avoid a lot of mixtapes. I have heard a lot of solid (and horrible) mixtapes this year, coming from all over the place. Some notable mentions of some of the best mixtapes I have heard this year include:

• Narcy’s ‘Stuck Between Iraq and a Hard Place’ (http://rapidshare.com/files/39464916/narcicyst-stuckbetween-9athome.zip),
• Oddisee’s ‘Diamond District- in the Ruff’ (which is straight fire) ( http://www.zshare.net/download/58639724e3cf086e/ ),
• K’Naan & K-Salaam ‘You Can’t Buy This’ mixtape (Amadou and Mariam and K’Naan collabo banger) (http://2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com/2009/03/05/knaan-you-cant-buy-this-mixed-by-k-salaam-beatnick-mixtape/),
• Jehst’s ‘Mengi Bus Mixtape’ (www.myspace.com/mengibus ), and others (Munetsi form zimbabwe had a dope one as well).

That said,(www.myspace.com/iankamau)’s new mixtape ‘September Nine’ has been playing in my car stereo, my headphones on subway rides, in my mind when I don’t have a stereo available, non stop since I got it. This mixtape is deep. It doesn’t even feel like a dope album. It feels like a classic. Murdering verses and melodies on mainstream beats, Ian Kamau is truly one of the dopest and most internationally minded and progressive artists I have heard recently. I don’t even want to say any more. You all need to download this mixtape (its free!!!!!) and see for your selves.

If you are interested, here is the link to a good review of Ian Kamau’s mixtape by fellow canadian emcee and activist The Voyce: http://praiseandwarship.blogspot.com/2009/06/september-nine-mixtape-review.html

Download the mixtape here: http://www.zshare.net/download/616892724d78a9fe/

And check out Ian Kamau’s blog’s, sketches, and other podcasts here: http://www.iankamau.podomatic.com

Video clips-
Ian Kamau jamming with K-OS:

Ian Kamau doing the spoken word outro to fellow Canadian (by way of Rwanda) emcee Shad K:

Ian Kamau Spoken Word piece live at the Toronto Manifest Festival:

A second Spoken Word piece from Ian Kamau live at the Toronto Manifest Festival:

Magee McIlvaine for Nomadic Wax

Let me describe the scene:

One aging silver minivan, a rotating cast of Senegalese and Zimbabwean musicians, one South African violinist/tour manager/driver; an intern toting a video camera; a marimba (xylophone) set, a djembe, amps, turntables, suitcases, merchandise, and camera equipment.

Three weeks straight, rain or shine. Can you picture it now?

Through April and May, Nomadic Wax traveled from Boston to Connecticut to New Jersey to DC and back, helping to put together the Spread the Word Tour. Backed by the Chabvondoka band, the tour featured Zimbabwe’s biggest names in political protest and hip hop, headlined by artists Comrade Fatso and Outspoken the Alpha Intellect , and spearheaded by violinist Verity Norman. It also featured guest appearnces from Zimbabwean music legends like Chiwoniso and DoomE of Zimbabwe Legit. Near the end of April, we were joined by Wageble <hyperlink www.wageble.com>, one of Senegal’s most legendary crews, on their first US tour.

After numerous shows, back aches and leg cramps and hours on the highway, Nomadic Wax has two music videos of the tour in the works, which will be released shortly. It was an honor and a privilege for us at Nomadic Wax to take part in this tour alongside some of Africa’s finest hip hop acts.

Comrade Fatso and Outspoken both have critically acclaimed albums available now through Nomadic Wax. Check out Comrade Fatso’s blog about the tour, and keep an eye out for Wageble’s upcoming album to be released this summer!

Click here for two articles (in French) about the Wageble tour:

http://www.kingsize.sn/Chronicles.aspx?ArtNo=8085

http://www.kingsize.sn/News.aspx?ArtNo=8165

Magee McIlvaine for Nomadic Wax

Comrade Fatso & Outspoken (alongside Mohammed Yahya and Poetic Pilgrimage of the UK) on Boston College radio, Part 1:

Comrade Fatso & Outspoken (alongside Mohammed Yahya and Poetic Pilgrimage of the UK) on Boston College radio, Part 2:

Outspoken, Eye-Witness (Wageble), and DoomE Right (Zimbabwe Legit) live on WPFW FM Radio in Washington DC, Part 1:

Outspoken, Eye-Witness (Wageble), and DoomE Right (Zimbabwe Legit) live on WPFW FM Radio in Washington DC, Part 2:

Outspoken performing his ‘Freedom Train’ poetry piece:

Freestyle Cipher at the Trinity College International Hip Hop Festival (www.trinityhiphop.org) in Hartford, CT. featuring Outspoken, Themba on percussion, Baay Musa (Senegal), and Hired Gun (Brooklyn):

Outspoken performing alongside other artists from around the world during the freestyle jam session on the first night of the Trinity College International Hip Hop Festival (www.trinityhiphop.org):

Themba Mawoko performing an acoustic set on the Marimba, part 1:

Themba Mawoko performing an acoustic set on the Marimba, part 2:

Themba Mawoko performing an acoustic set on the Marimba, part 3:

Outspoken alongside Readnex Poetry Squad, K’Naan, Baay Musa, Hired Gun, Self Suffice, and other artists at the 4th Annual Trinity College International Hip Hop Festival (www.trinityhiphop.org):

Outspoken at the DC international hip hop BBQ, part 1:

Outspoken at the DC international hip hop BBQ, part 2:

Outspoken at the DC international hip hop BBQ, part 3:

Outspoken at the DC international hip hop BBQ, part 4:

Magee McIlvaine for Nomadic Wax

In this original GOOD video see how a collaboration between Karaba and a Portland, Oregon, coffee roaster has solved that problem, boosted production, and given birth to a new non-profit.

The Zeitgeist Center is located at 1618 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd (Across from Cafe Reconcile in the Saturn Screen Printing Building) in New Orleans, Louisiana 70113. You can reach them by telephone at (504) 827-5858 recording or (504) 352-1150 office, or by email at rene@zeitgeistinc.net. The screenings will take place every day from December 23rd through January 1st, except for New Years Eve; the screenings will all start at 5:30 pm.

Our friends at Media That Matters have been doing some amazing work. New projects include:

MTM8 Festival DVD is now available for purchase online: http://www.artsengine.net/store#film_fest_dvd

The MTM8 Discussion Guide is now available to download for FREE! http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/tools/8/

Nomadic Wax Publishing will be featuring music from its International Urban catalog in ESPNs up and coming documentary film A Woman Among Boys, a compelling documentary film chronicling the experiences of Ruth Lovelace, the first female coach of the boys basketball team at Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn, New York. A Woman Among Boys will debut (Sunday, Dec. 21, at 9 p.m.) on ESPN2. By year end, ESPN and ESPN2 will have aired nine ESPN Films documentaries.

Nomadic Wax is proud to have 8 track of music music from African Underground: Depths of Dakar as well as other goodies from the Nomadic Wax vault in the sound track.