Def Jam Africa (Universal)Copyright: Def Jam Africa (Universal)
Nadia Nakai is all loved up. As her Instagram
account can testify, she is getting along very well with a certain Vic
Mensa.
She told me she’s always been a fan of the US rapper, and when he
announced on his socials he was back in the studio after a break, she messaged him
to say how pleased she was.
“I commented and said: ‘Yay, so happy you are back’
just as a fan, then he followed me and I was like: ‘Oh my gosh guys Vic Mensa
just followed me!’”
He then asked her if she had any songs she wanted him
to feature on. She sent him a couple and he chose Practice.
They decided to meet in Ghana [where his family are from]to shoot the video.
“The chemistry was popping! And then he came to visit
me in SA.”
Nadia knows that being public about her love life goes
with the territory. Hip-hop in South Africa is about much more than the music.
“They want to know who we’re dating, they want to know
the lifestyle, what are you drinking, what are you driving, there’s always a
lot more controversy around the hip-hop acts, the beefs, the drama. We’re
probably the most problematic genre in South Africa. The Amapiano guys, I don’t
think they have beef, they all get along!”
Nadia Nakai seems happy enough to acknowledge that
Amapiano is now bigger than hip-hop in South Africa, but she says hip-hop is in
her country to stay. And she’s happy about the growing number of younger female
rappers.
You can hear DJ
Edu’s conversation with Nadia Nakai on This is Africa this weekend, on BBC World Service radio and partner
stations across Africa and online.