An authentic rapper

Amkoullel! This name is certainly not unknown to you if you are young and adept of the rap. His second album "Surafin" is already on sale and makes a lot of people dance in the night clubs of Bamako; a very engaged opus which dedication concert took place last Friday at the hotel Baobab. Who’s this new phenomenon of the Malian Rap who makes so much trendy young people move? We’ve tried to know more on the handsome boy of the Malian hip hop.

His real name is Issiaka Bah; he imposed himself as a reckoned leader of the Malian hip hop very quickly. The young rapper is original in his beats and in the themes of his song which are all pertinent and disturbing.
He’s a young engaged artist. “It’s a natural motivation. Dj in my way of living, I sincere enough and militant…the exercise of art require engagement to express one’s opinion and socio political convictions…” he said to justify his struggle. His engagement is naturally shown on his first album "In faculté" released in August 2002. "In faculté" is a very mature work, cleverly simmered to make a hit. And the results matched the expectations. Since the release, Amkoullel is always on stage because his very in demand. “Before this album, I was almost unknown for the majority of the Malians. But today I have some notoriety, "In faculté" has pulled me up into the Malian hip hop high society” confessed the rapper.
This album makes the engagement of the young Fulani concrete with very evocative and catchy titles. The introduction “I am” is alone an art and a message that defines clearly the strong personality of the young rapper. “This song is at the same time an introduction to my album and a way to present myself showing samples of the different style I use in my flow (manner to rap) and the different languages I use (French and Bambara). It also conveys my personality which is based on autonomy in thinking, in identity: I am because I don’t ape anybody…”

"Mali kalanko" and "In faculté" (the incapacity, the virtual existence of faculty, with the prefix “in” for the non-existence of any faculty or university…) in which he criticises the pupils and students who follow like blind the leaders of their association who in fact are just defending only their own interest. He highlights the gaps of the educational system and accuses students, parents, teachers and authorities of the importance of the school crisis Mali is going through since more than a decade. Convinced Africanist, he’s against mimicry. That‘s maybe why in his song "A Guodon", he exhorts music lovers to dance like they conceive music and not like how the other dance. In his opinion, danse and music are universal so every one can dance as he like.
The style of this song is raga hip hop and has been created for the people who like dancing. The lyrics say: “let yourself go! Dance! Don’t be ashamed to let your joy explode, the sound must penetrate your skin!” This song also praises the party nights in Bamako in which people enjoy themselves a lot! In an other track (ironical this time), the very satirical Amkoullel condemn the “fools, the carefree and those who doesn’t use their brain because they are used to the intoxication of the communication of today’s consumer societies. They are unable to judge or criticise cleverly the policy of the country or of any where else in the world.”

The assembler

The engagement is the same in his second album "Surafin" (bride) and the name is very evocative. He denounces demagogical speeches on the struggle against poverty, corruption, selfishness and hypocrisy which is every where…
On Surafin, the Fulani child has the position of assembler. He managed to unite the best of the Malian hip hop on his album: Tata Pound, Diata Sya, Doudou Soul, Philo of Magic Black Men, Déné Issébéré, and Michelle Traoré... an ambitious project that shows the maturity of this handsome guy. “I wanted to work with friends on a project and I managed to do it. It’s the main thing.” He said in an interview published in the “Reflet N° 369 of Wednesday, September 3rd, 2003. Those who know him know that he has always fought for the unity of the family of the Malian hip hop and the realisation of this album is a première and a real success. His ambition is to continue this experience with Malian artists out of the circle of hip hop such as Doussou Bagayoko, Ramata Diakité, Amy Sacko, Rokia Traoré, Mamou Sidibé, Mariétou Diabaté, and Batoma Sissoko...
He doesn’t forget his mother who is the root of his success and pays a touching tribute to her in his first album: “without my mother, I wouldn’t have been the man I am today. It calls out to all the people who use the absence of their father as a pretext to become delinquents. It’s a love song for my mother and all the mothers who take care of their children” said the polite, joyful and timid boy.

The intellectual

The themes of Amkoullel and moreover the clarity of his social and political analysis
should not surprise anyone who knows that he’s an intellectual. Graduated in Laws, his background is useful to his engagement.
His ambition is to be a complete artist. So the concert of last Friday was the last concert given by him for this year. He‘s going back in France in a few to days to study and become sound engineer. He will be absent during one year. This formation will help him to make concrete the hope aroused by the two first albums. His thousands fans are very sad when thinking of his absence.
Handsome guy, Amkoullel is presently the favourite of the young trendy people of the country, especially after his two brilliant shows near two Rasta men leaders in the African youth: Alpha Blondy and Tiken Jah Fakoly. Young girls are ready to do any thing possible to be in his company and seduce him. But the young Amkoullel stays wise and keep his feet on … stage !

Moussa Bolly
MAJ 20/02/2004