When Pa Salieu stunned the world last year with Send Them To Coventry, it introduced us (or at least those of us who hadn’t been tracking his deadly run of singles) to an intensely spiritual and cerebral take on UK rap, which took cues from his Gambian heritage and spliced it into the UK underground.
The Coventry-bred rapper has now followed up his critically-acclaimed debut tape with Afrikan Rebel—a new 3-track EP that takes his sound even further. Production comes in from P2J, Felix Joseph and AOD—all of whom contributed to Send Them To Coventry—but with features from Tay Iwar and Zlatan on opening track “Shining” and Obongjayar on “Style & Fashion” (all of whom are Nigerian), an even brighter spotlight is shone on West Africa. Together, the three tracks make for a riotous celebration of Afrobeats and the myriad sounds and strains that have branched off over the years.
While Afrikan Rebel is a real celebration of the motherland, Pa still keeps a foot planted in the UK, and even though he keeps it short and sweet with just three tracks, it packs a huge punch. Whether this is a sign of what’s to come or if the next project will be something else entirely remains to be seen; still, it’s a welcome care package for everyone keen for a follow-up to the mixtape.
“Fundamentally, Afrikan Rebel is about being proud and loud about where you come from,” Pa Salieu said in a statement. “For me, that is Africa. I see the word ‘Rebel’ only in the most positive sense. Those figures through history that have fought against the odds to stand up for what they believe in have always intrigued and inspired me. ‘Rebel’ is a mindset that helps keep me strong and I hope I can encourage others to be vocal about their beliefs and stand up for what they feel is right.
“My Afrikan Rebel series is a movement which I hope can allow me to connect with others with a similar mindset and gives a platform for me to experiment with influences and inspirations from my culture and others from the great continent of Africa.”
Press play after the jump.
