Author: madamerap

Playlist – April 2019

Check out our April playlist on YouTube with a special selection of French speaking female rappers who released a track/video this month!

  • KT Gorique – Blasted (Suisse)
  • Raja Meziane – Allo le système (Algérie / République Tchèque)
  • Janus – J’veux classé (France, Paris)
  • YC – Sale (France, Chaumont)
  • Ryaam – Kamala Khan (France, Paris)
  • Mac Manu – Karma (France, Paris)
  • Pumpkin & Vin’s da Cuero – Longue histoire courte (France, Nantes)
  • Mcm & Psycadelick – Dans mes bras (Canada, Québec)
  • Méryl – Béni (France, Martinique)
  • Chilla – Am stram gram (France, Paris)
  • Wanda – Ma paire (France, Bagnolet / Royaume-Uni, Londres)
  • Esthr – Freestyle printanier (France, Seine-Saint-Denis)
  • Illustre – Les mains bleues (France, Clermont-Ferrand)
  • Lexie T – Lonely (France, Lille)
  • Liyahs – Freestyle (France, Le Havre)
  • Kenny Curly – Un zèbre (France, Montreuil)
  • Babysolo33 – En bas (France, Bordeaux)
  • Evara – La rage d’un animal (France, Pau)
  • Lady Laistee – Le retour du phœnix (France)
  • Veemie – Intraçable (France, Marseille)
  • Liza Monet – 187 Freestyle (France, Paris)
  • Le Juiice – Gang (France, Boissy-Saint-Léger)
  • L’Originale K – Handicapés (France, Nantes)

With “Kamala Khan”, Ryaam pays tribute to her racialized female role models

Ryaam releases the video “Kamala Khan”, directed by ORAMA FILMS, which pays tribute to the first Muslim female superhero created by Marvel in 2013. The Parisian rapper told us why she wanted to talk about this character and launch a series of freestyles dedicated to the racialized women who inspired her.

What does Kamala Khan represent to you?

I discovered Kamala Khan through a friend of mine who encouraged me to read the comic. Kamala is a young Muslim teenager and a strong character, like all superheroines, but without being hypersexualized.

She is of Pakistani origin and was born in the US. That raises the question of how she lives with both and of her double identity. As a child of immigrants, I had the same concerns when I was her age.

Why do you think creating a Muslim female superhero is groundbreaking?

I think the creators’ approach is innovative and positive at a time of growing stigmatization and ostracization of Muslim women. Kamala’s best friend, Nakia, wears the hijab and must face the remarks of her friends who think it is a male injunction and not a personal choice.

The comic also deals with the lack of identifying for Kamala who refers to our traditional beauty standards and her idol Carol Danvers, another Marvel character, who is a white, blond and thin woman.

Why did you want to pay tribute to the women who inspired you? 

I decided to focus on racialized women who are active or fight in different fields.

With my freestyles, the idea was not to write their biography, but to showcase the skills and strength they show when they encounter a problem, their capacity for resilience, their determination and commitment in their projects, which are things that I truly admire and would like to reach in my own life.

Find Ryaam on Facebook, YouTube and Bandcamp.

© Maxwell Aurelien James

INTERSECTIONS, the festival that showcases women, queer and trans people

For the second year, Madame Rap is one of the official partners of INTERSECTIONS! The festival moves into L’Embobineuse in Marseille from April 26 to 28 to showcase women, queer, trans and racialized people often negated or underrepresented on the music scene. 

During three days, concerts, stand-up shows, exhibitions, debates, workshops, screenings, performances and DJ sets will celebrate minoritized artists and help young people access art. The event is very much hip hop-driven (especially with Tracy De Sà, Safyr Sfer, Syn Cha, K’s Khaldi and Neka Groove), but remains open to other musical genres.

      

Founded by the association BAHAM ARTS, carried by Waka and Paulo, two queer people, one Black woman and one trans boy, the festival makes the connection between two important dates for human rights: March 8 (the International Day for Women’s Rights) and March 21 (the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination).

Before the festival, BAHAM ARTS organizes a fund-raising party on April 5 to collect money for the event and pay the artists (see the Facebook event here). As a matter of fact, Waka and Paulo have been working voluntarily since 2015 to highlight women and gender minorities in hip hop. First, with the rap band Rap’Elles, and then with two festivals, UMOJA and INTERSECTIONS.

Designed as a tribute, the second season of INTERSECTIONS is dedicated to Ibrahim Ali, shot by supporters of Jean-Marie Le Pen’s Front National Party on February 21, 1995, the victims and families of the victims of the collapse of the rue d’Aubagne on November 5, 2018, victims of domestic violence and femicides, trans and LGBTQIA people who suffer persecution in the world, Marielle Franco and Vanessa Campos, victims of police brutality and all the people who died crossing the Mediterranean or in bombings.

See you in Marseille on April 5 at the Dar Lamifa and from April 26 to 28 at L’Embobineuse !

Find BAHAM ARTS on Facebook.