By: Rob Fitzpatrick
Who is he?
Rapper Samuel Bazawule, 29, was born in Accra, Ghana. "It's a vibrant place," he says. "Music was everywhere, big speakers blaring in the open field or live bands playing highlife and Afrobeat covers." Already a teen star in Ghana, Blitz moved to New York – having taken a bachelor's degree from Kent State University in Ohio – in 2005.
He's not your typical say-nothing rap star then?
Not exactly. Blitz – and his band, the Embassy Ensemble – pack a brilliant fusion of styles. You can hear late-80s hip-hop alongside contemporary African soukous and highlife, as well as echoes of Afrobeat artists such as Fela Kuti and Papa Wemba. "Afro-centric hip-hop can make a comeback when the people are ready," he says. "I want to make positive change happen."
He sounds like an overachiever
Spot on. Blitz has just finished writing a screenplay and is now working on directing his first feature film, to be shot in Ghana. "It's about looking in the mirror and accepting who I am," he says. "Telling my story honestly with openness and vulnerability."
Where can I hear him?
The Native Sun album is on Jakarta Records. You can find Blitz's music at blitz.mvmt.com and Facebook.com/blitztheambassador.
(Credit:http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/may/19/first-sight-blitz-ambassador?INTCMP=SRCH )
Rapper Samuel Bazawule, 29, was born in Accra, Ghana. "It's a vibrant place," he says. "Music was everywhere, big speakers blaring in the open field or live bands playing highlife and Afrobeat covers." Already a teen star in Ghana, Blitz moved to New York – having taken a bachelor's degree from Kent State University in Ohio – in 2005.
He's not your typical say-nothing rap star then?
Not exactly. Blitz – and his band, the Embassy Ensemble – pack a brilliant fusion of styles. You can hear late-80s hip-hop alongside contemporary African soukous and highlife, as well as echoes of Afrobeat artists such as Fela Kuti and Papa Wemba. "Afro-centric hip-hop can make a comeback when the people are ready," he says. "I want to make positive change happen."
He sounds like an overachiever
Spot on. Blitz has just finished writing a screenplay and is now working on directing his first feature film, to be shot in Ghana. "It's about looking in the mirror and accepting who I am," he says. "Telling my story honestly with openness and vulnerability."
Where can I hear him?
The Native Sun album is on Jakarta Records. You can find Blitz's music at blitz.mvmt.com and Facebook.com/blitztheambassador.
(Credit:http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/may/19/first-sight-blitz-ambassador?INTCMP=SRCH )
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