Yeleen & Pris’K

There are a surprising number of rappers in Burkina Faso, especially in the capital, Ouagadougou. A cosmopolitan oasis on the edge of the Sahel, Ouaga is home to a relatively progressive bunch of motorbiking hipsters. Cigarettes, Nescafe, and baguettes against a backdrop of street vendors, dusty boulevards and hustlers trading in everything from bicycle parts to stolen credit card numbers. The French colonial roots of this relaxed nation are apparent. Satellite TV beams in French, Moroccan, and Malian hip-hop videos, all in French.

This cassette is all in French, but there are some Burkinabé rappers who incorporate local languages like Mossi and More. Yeleen (the male duo) don’t rap much on this track. It’s all about Pris’K. Her flows here are so tight over the beat (which reminds me of Outkast or something).

Learn more about hip-hop in Burkina Faso at this French-language blog by a regular Burkinabé dude.

“La Marraine” from the casette single, Parlons d’amour