When it comes to female rappers in the Zimbabwean hip-hop space, Kikky Badass is almost always the first name on everyone's mind. With a career spanning over a decade, she has made her mark as one of the most notable talents the genre has ever produced. This has been cemented by the EPs Queen of the South and Mambokadzi, the album Bloodline and numerous singles & features.
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| Kikky Badass |
Set to be hosted in Johannesburg on the 12th of October, 2024, this year's festival will be the event's 18th edition. It will feature almost 100 artists, with names like Nasty C, Blxckie, Maglera Doe Boy, Emtee and Nadia Nakai leading the lineup. Benny The Butcher will be the headline international act, with Kikky Badass being the only African rapper from outside South Africa set to grace the stage.
We caught up with the rapper to talk about the opportunity and women in Zimbabwean hip hop:
So how did this opportunity come about?
Kikky: I actually don’t really know how it came about. I was on my IG scrolling through and saw I got tagged on their IG page with the caption "Who wants to see Kikky Badass perform?" So I took a screenshot and sent it to my team. Next thing Siya was telling me "They want you to perform this year," I just froze.
How did you feel when you got the call?
Kikky: I was so happy when I got the call from Siya, it was like "Phew! Finally, things are coming together."
Who are you most looking forward to meeting on the lineup?
Kikky: I’m looking forward to meeting Stogie T, of course I love him, also Maglera Doe Boy, Priddy Ugly, Big Zulu and Okmalumkoolkat. These are the people I’m looking forward to meeting in person since most of the people there are people I’ve met before.
How has it been collaborating with international artists for the singles you've dropped this year?
Kikky: It’s been such a humbling experience, getting to work with the creatives that aren’t from where you’re from is always exciting, you learn a lot about other cultures and pick a thing or two to incorporate when creating something. So it was such a fun experience but also educative.
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| Kikky Badass |
We see women in rap right now having bangers in countries like the US... How far do you think the Zim hip-hop landscape is from having women dominating charts?
Kikky: I think that Zim hip hop still has a long way to go. We haven’t had women in Zim dominate charts here in Africa so it’s gonna take a lot to have brands eligible for the US market. Branding and packaging who we are as Zimbabwean women in rap is something that needs serious attention. I can’t even think of over 5 women in Zimbabwe right now who can even compete in the African music market.
I feel like most people get comfortable with making music that is only consumable by a certain demographic trend which is towards "the ghetto youth," and this group is adamant about consuming music that is familiar to them and their lingo, incorporating English in the lyrics is looked down upon. These consumers do not want their creatives to evolve, they want them only to make music that is only ghetto inspired.
So that has set us back and that is why Zimbabwe has not been a part of modern award shows like BET, Afrimmas, Channel O and MTV Video Music Awards. So I think this is something I take very seriously, I want us to break away from the primitive traditions as far as the music we make and catch up with the rest of the world so that we can also dominate the charts like other African artists.
Do you think the perception of female rappers has changed from the time you began your career to now?
Kikky: I think the perception of female rappers has changed drastically from the time I began my career to now. Looking back to rappers like Nicki Minaj, Lil Kim, Lauryn Hill etc, their journey was so very hard & they had to put in more work to even be acknowledged, unlike their male counterparts. But because we are now in modern times, how women are treated in the workspace is no longer the same as in the past.
The fight for equality of the sexes opened up opportunities for women to be a part of decision-making in corporate governance. We have more women in big positions which is why there is a plethora of women rappers. Females can now express themselves more without fear, it has allowed us the freedom to represent ourselves the way we see fit. It increases our confidence and self-awareness.
Women get their chance to write their own music and get credit for it. Back then most female rappers were said to have the men write their lyrics because they knew better that kinda took away the identity of the female artists. Now we get the chance to work how we want and represent ourselves the way we want creatively which is amazing. We have so many female artists dominating the charts now unlike before.
Who are the women in Zim hip hop that you're currently feeling and who do you think is most underrated?
Kikky: I love AWA, she is amazing and represents women in our culture with how she dresses and how she raps. Yamikani is amazing she can rap, dance and sing too, I think she is very underrated, people don’t know who tf she is but I do and Lord knows she is also someone who has a brand that can be exported.
Banshee is also an amazing lyricist, for me, I look at female rappers who can push their pen. The pen is really what gives you the stamp and respect, you can not be a rapper without the pen, the pen is a huge part of the hip-hop culture.
I also like Young Gemini she is like a mini-me, very feisty and heavily opinionated, you will not shut her up if she has something to say. There is also Noluntu J, I see the work she is putting in, I’ve seen her work with one of my brothers Nino. And lastly Hannah, I was so excited for her when she came out but right now she hasn’t been putting out music I don’t know why though cause that girl can rap circles around niggas, her pen is unmatched.
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