A staple of experimental club imprint
Hakuna Kulala
since its 2018 formation and active within Eastern Africa's hip-hop scene for two decades before that,
MC Yallah
has mastered a versatile rapping style, delivering multi-lingual rhymes at breakneck speed in a manner that's both forceful and playful. She received wider international recognition after
and parent label
Nyege Nyege Tapes
began presenting European concerts, and she collaborated with French producer
Debmaster
for live shows as well as the fiery 2019 full-length
Kubali
.
Yallah Beibe
, her second album, includes
productions as well as beats by Congolese artist
Chrisman
and Japan's
Scotch Rolex
(aka
DJ Scotch Egg
, and a member of
Seefeel
). The album immediately makes an impact with the tongue-twisting "Sikwebela" and the commanding "Miniboss."
Yallah
expertly navigates her way through rhythms inspired by trap ("Tuli Mukintu"), dancehall ("Big Bung," featuring
Ratigan Era
), and industrial hip-hop (the grimy, frenetic "Baliwa").
Duma
's
Lord Spikeheart
growls his way through the grim, dystopian "No One Seems to Bother," one of few tracks with English lyrics (for the first verse, at least). Haunting choral vocals add an eerie glow to the final track "Hera."
is limitless and fearless, and she pushes her sound in several exciting directions on the remarkable
. ~ Paul Simpson