Ella Mai is an English hip hop artist from this current generation. It may not seem like hip hop music based on the old standards of hip hop, but the fact that it might lack rapping or djing effects does not make it any less of hip hop in this generation. She has won some awards for the different genres of music she makes.

Some africanisms themes noticed in the song, “Naked” from the album “Ella Mai” are polyrhythm (guitar & vocals), pitch inflection, and group participation (there is another voice, not only singing, but also adding a beat with hums and ahhhs). This song is about finding love, about one loving someone for who they truly are on the inside despite it not being perfect. This song does not fit the category of typical hip hop based on the hip hop taught in class. Hip hop usually has a play on the beat to make it something people and move to and not in a swaying way. Her song, “Whatchamacallit” shows off the artist’s more hip hop side from the beat as well as the message of the song. It is plain out about cheating and how people perceive it to be fun even though they know it is wrong. It is telling us about how our generation loves being rebels and doing things they know they should not do.

The genre of hip hop consists of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech. There are hints of funk, rhythm in blues, and disco in hip hop music. I usually listen to hip-hop for the beats rather than the lyrics. Most of the time the lyrics of hip-hop do not really mean anything, and if they do have a meaning, it is usually violent, immoral, or sexual. I can not speak for all in this case, but I believe that is the best thing about hip-hop is the rhythm.

By: Toluwanimi Araromi