Namibian Sun

STAFF REPORTER



SWAKOPMUND

Lyricists set the stage alight during the fourth instalment of Rap Battle Conversations at Desert Tavern in Swakopmund recently, which was held under the theme ‘The Revolution’.

Founded by Melissa Müller, popularly known in music spheres as Scarlet Gray, the event allowed hip-hop lovers to witness epic performances by Krazy, Ay4, Uncle Woke, Meek, the host herself and others.

The event was capped off with a memorable cypher as emcees stepped on the stage to freestyle.

Audience member Twamoneni ‘Hadassah’ Andreas described the event as memorable.

“It was amazing. I could tell that it was a good initiative. It was my first time being there. It is good to know that something like this does not only happen in Windhoek, but also at the coast.

“The vibe was good and it is nice to connect with people with the same interests as me. Even though I was just part of the audience, I connected with the artists and as long as Rap Battle Conversations exists, I will always support it,” she said.

She added that it’s an inspiration to see a woman organising a hip-hop event.

Bigger and better

“It’s inspiring that a show like this is being run by a woman. The hip-hop culture in Namibia is mostly embraced by men and what Scarlet Gray is doing will inspire other women who love the culture to come out,” she said.

Meanwhile, Scarlet Gray said she is already planning the fifth edition, which she promises will be bigger and better.

“We had some new faces and we had a great ending where we cyphered on one beat,” she said.

On how the event was conceived, she said: “I am very passionate about my country as well as change of lifestyle and introspection. I see a lot of upcoming artists. I was one of those and I believe that knowledge is power and not just knowledge, but the application of knowledge.

“I believe that in Namibia we don’t read and we don’t improve on our language enough, so I was thinking how to make it more fun. “The education system is not that fun, people sit down in the class and learn, so I came up with Rap Battle Conversations. I added the ‘conversations’ part to the title because it’s not about animosity but about skill and the art of storytelling,” she said.

Much-needed platform

One of the rappers who took part in the event, Kevin ‘Uncle Woke’ Parreira said Rap Battle Conversations is a much-needed platform.

“It was comfortable and enjoyable and I even had two of my friends who usually just write lyrics and keep it to themselves step onto the stage. It was good to see them come out of their shells,” he said.

The first edition was held in Windhoek in 2020, after which the event moved to Swakopmund.