Four women. Four stories. One love for hair & hip hop.
Menoosha, Donniele, Kella, LyricL take you through their individual hair journeys.
Donniele is an amazing singer from North Carolina (USA) that I have had the joy of working with at a couple of events. She stepped out of her comfort zone to rap majestically on this track about making it in this ungrateful industry 'in spite' of her dread locks.
Kella is a well established Canadian based female rapper from Ivory Coast and France. She is one of the most consistent female rappers that I know, and brings a sweet French flavour to the song (which inspired my French verse). Numerous hair trials during her teenage led her to choose her signature Red Dread Lock look which she has imposed today. Look out for her latest album 'Peau' available on all stores.
LyricL is the Poet of us all. Spoken Word artist, Wordsmith, Writer, Lecturer and Award winner of a BEFFTA Prize, she hails from London via Nigeria. We met several years ago working on a Thomas Motter project and immediately connected. Her take on 'Hair Cypher' celebrates the scientific and historical aspect of Black Hair. Be it with her blue dread locks or her headwraps, she always makes a powerful statement. Look out for her latest album 'UnequiVocal' and her book 'AmaZen' on amazon.co.uk
lyrics
Menoosha :
Welcome to the first ever hair cypher
Featuring melanated bars by Donniele, Kella and LyricL
Beat drop !
Donniele :
In North Cackalacky yeah your hair is your glory
But only if you fit their narration of your story
Too curly to be straight but not nappy enough
When image is everything then life can be kind of tough
They never wanted me to find out who I be
But then I loc‘d it up and felt my spirit fly free
They said “you’ll never get a job with your natural hair”
But I’ve performed for presidents and I didn’t see you there
Kella :
Si je veux raconter mes cheveux,
je dois commencer jeune en parlant
défrisages et tresses mais je n veux pas y penser!
Forcée de me coiffer sentir tirer ma tête de tous côtés,
mal au crâne : c'est trop serré, cheveux brûlés et trop cassés.
J'ai tout coupé ado, j'y mettais toutes sortes de couleur,
me les approprier, attacher toutes sortes de foulards.
Les dreads sur ma tête sont bien les fruits de ma quête spirituelle,
un retour au naturel et aux ancêtres ouais
Chorus
We're keeping it rolling
In a hair cypher
We're deep in the feeling
Won't you tell me a story
bout your hair connection now
your skin complexion now
Deep in the feeling
In a hair cypher
Menoosha :
Chevelure d'ébène
Jadis dense et belle
Mais les bémols de la vie et les peines
Me les enlèvent
Par centaine (x4)
LyricL :
So let me break down the molecular structure,
functional connection.
Crown on my head and celestrial direction.
Threaded beads and braids.
Freedom maps for slaves
Single married or queen, patterns ALL differentiate.
Hand-skills
Never chilled - so we celebrate!
Stories passed everlasting DEEP like DNA
Ancestors investing in my future, ‘Guides’
Even in a head-wrap Magic and Pride
wrapped up inside, THAT’S why!
Chorus
We're keeping it rolling
In a hair cypher
We're deep in the feeling
Won't you tell me a story
bout your hair connection now
your skin complexion now
Deep in the feeling
In a hair cypher
Bridge
Tell your story, your song
Sing your rhapsody all day long
It's your crown nothing wrong
Keep this hair cypher going strong
H-A-I-R Cypher
Chorus
We're keeping it rolling
In a hair cypher
We're deep in the feeling
Won't you tell me a story
bout your hair connection now
your skin complexion now
Deep in the feeling
In a hair cypher
credits
released May 24, 2020
Menoosha Susungi, Brenda Donniele Graves, Karine Anoma Sanlé, Nkechi Mgbado, M Fasol
In 2010 Menoosha received two nominations at the MP3 awards and the BEFFTA awards in London, following the release of her
first album 'Satellite Brown Chick'. Her R&B single 'Talk to me (Sweet Thing)' peaked at #14 of the UK Soul Charts in February 2017.
Her critically acclaimed second album 'Airs About Hair, Vol. 1' is now out and available....more
"For the fifteenth instalment of this compilation series I’ve picked one track from each of the year’s releases (including selections from our sister label Excursions) with a couple of exclusives added, rounding it out to 17 tracks of soul, hip hop, beats, jazz and bruk. "
Name a price for a finest selection ! K.Rise
VINSON's debut EP is a smooth and immediately appealing mix of deep house, hip-hop, and R&B, clearly made with deep love for Detroit. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 10, 2020
A collection of 12 years of beats from Canadian producer Beatchild, this compilation offers warm, hazy sunshine in the dead of winter. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 1, 2021