Nneka, Concrete Jungle
Featured Album
A return to the golden age of women in hip-hop
For those of us awaiting a return of the golden age of women in hip-hop (I miss you, Neneh Cherry!), Nneka seems almost too good to be true. Nigerian born and bred, Nneka moved to Hamburg, Germany (her mother’s home) at 19, in pursuit of both musical success as well as a degree in anthropology. Concrete Jungle, her first American release, reflects the earnestness of such mixed ambitions.
Jungle’s songs range from ska on “Kangpe,” a spiritual exhortation for women to stand up to abusive men, to old-ish school hip-hop on “Walkin,” to neo-soul on “Mind vs. Heart,” but it's “Heartbeat” and “Uncomfortable Truth” that are standout tracks. The first, a jumpy and jumped-up plea to someone (a whole nation?) who has broken the singer’s heart, packs an irresistible hook: Nneka chanting “Blood, blood, blood,” at an aerobically pressing 150 beats-per-minute. “Truth” feels retro in the best way. With a rolling soul groove and gritty horn blasts, Nneka makes a sweetly optimistic case for loved-based politics.
Concrete Jungle has been compared to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, but that feels a little easy. Sure, both women are socially-conscious, beautiful singers and convincing rappers, but Nneka is a lot sweeter than Hill in tone and ambition. Even when she’s singing “Wake up Africa, and stop blaming,” on “Africans” or “They talk of elections, Nigerians, but … nothing may change,” on “Suffri,” Nneka comes off more hopeful than bitter. Maybe those good old days of hip-hop sisterhood and “positivity” are back after all.
