Dry Eye Crew, a renowned Music Crew in Sierra Leone, has on Saturday March 20, 2021 released a musical album titled Krio Hip Hop Reloaded. Many Sierra Leonean hip hop stars, old and new like: Pupa Baja, Empress P, A Klass, YOK 7, Sly Dee, Dell, Kracktwist and Samza, MDG. Speedo, Daddy Saj, Mr. One, Dovey Dovey and Funky Fred were featured.
According to Pupa Baja, the reloaded Krio Hip hop version is aimed at creating unity between old and the new artists in the industry.
He explained that “after living in the USA for some years, A-Klass and I were invited back to Sierra Leone to perform at the National Stadium last January. When home, I immediately noticed a disconnect between the veteran musicians and the emerging artists on the scene. The new musicians kept telling me that their elders weren’t encouraging them and his peers kept telling me that the younger generations are disrespectful.”
“I sensed a complete absence of unity and a lack of team spirit within a community which could be stronger if we want to put Salone Music on the airwaves globally. We cannot do that when the community is so fractured. I came to realize what was missing was the love…..Where there is love there is unity and where there is unity there is progress. Salone Music is in need of some real unity in the music industry if we are going to make that progress and impact fans internationally,” he said.
He said, Krio is the native tongue of the people of Sierra Leone and Hip-Hop is the music of the youth, adding, “‘Krio Hip-Hop’ was a song that I wrote and recorded at Forensic Records on my trip, as a tribute to Sierra Leone’s culture”.
“ It was sort of a follow up to one of my earlier hits “Grap n’ Clap” and was meant to pay homage to the musicians, new and old, that I love and respect. We made the decision to feature one of the hottest up-and-comers, Drizilik and dropped the tune late 2020. Bridging that gap between old and new got a great response from the fans. We decided we could have an even bigger impact by recruiting more MCs – young and old – to collaborate – creating some real unity, and with it, an anthem that the new and the classic could celebrate equally,” he said.
“We hope this track entertains the fans and inspires more meaningful creative collaborations in this community where there are so much raw talents,” he concluded.
By Ibrahim S.Bangura
23/03/2021. ISSUE NO: 8026