No one who is familiar with both African and American
pop
music will be surprised to learn that what passes for
hip-hop
in Mali might not be recognized as such in the South Bronx. That's not to say that it isn't funky, or that there isn't a lot of clever wordplay, or that the music isn't topical. In fact,
Les Escrocs
do a demonstrably better job of addressing issues in their music than the vast majority of current American
artists do -- songs on this album address everything from polygamy and AIDS to political corruption and feminism. But in strictly musical terms, the most significant difference between the music of
and just about any American
artist lies in the realm of hardness: this music doesn't have any. Look at the cover photo and you'll notice something weird -- rappers
Salim Diallo
and
Mamadou Tounkara
are smiling. They're not trying to present themselves as pimps or hard cases. No bling, no SUVs, no pimp canes, no scantily clad women -- just a handful of guys (plus one female singer) in casual dress expressing themselves to the accompaniment of mostly acoustic instruments, with the occasional
electronic
beat thrown in for flavor. Of course, that laid-back aesthetic means that things aren't always as compelling as they might be, but on highlight tracks like
"Kalan"
"Konotie Magni,"
the balance between
traditional
and modern sounds yields something very close to magic. Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson