Kenny Arkana

Kenny Arkana

French/Francophone literature had many contributions to the contemporary culture of the Francophone world. Rap and hip-hop music helped the artists express their views on the social concerns of different ethnicities in the Francophone world. Successful rappers like Kenny Arkana, S Krim, IAM( a prominent group in French hip-hop), and many others set their voices in a post-colonial world. They discuss concepts like Colonization, neo-colonization, Black code, Negritude, neo-negritude, and alter-globalization.

Kenny Arkana is an Argentine-French rapper based in Marseille, France. She is active in the alter-globalization and civil disobedience movements. Alter-globalization is a social movement whose proponents support global cooperation and interaction and oppose what they describe as the adverse effects of economic globalization, such as environmental and climate deterioration. It’s protection, economic justice, labor protection, protection of indigenous cultures, peace, and civil liberties. She founded a music collectible in Marseille in 2004 called “La Rage du People.” According to Keny Arkana, ‘rage’ refers to the rage of people, which is collective, but also a state of mind, a way of time. It’s connected to a collective conscience.

The artists want to be a factor of social change through their art and music. They say to act locally while thinking globally and wish to learn from people worldwide, such as their struggles, lives, and ancestral traditions.

According to Kenny Arkana Alter- Globalization refers to Economic and Social Justice, Economic Justice, Protection of the environment, the people’s autonomy, Fundamental Human Rights, fighting against Third World Countries Debt, Against Capitalistic Economic Globalization. The artists want to be a factor of social change through their art and music. They say that they act locally while thinking globally, and they wish to learn all they can from people worldwide, such as their struggles, lives, and ancestral traditions.

The song repeats History; the artists talk about one world without discrimination. They sing about how there should be no war or problems such as poverty and starvation. In the song, History repeats itself, Keny Arkana says that people make mistakes and pay the price but do not learn from them and continue repeating them. She talks about the real terrorists, and she explains that terrorists are not only those who drop bombs and missiles but also those who sell weapons to them. There are wars because there is so much money to make from fighting by selling guns and drugs to terrorists.

Colonization is the act of setting up a colony away from one’s place of origin. The rap song “the world is Stoned” talks about how we have been fooled into believing that the world we live in is so beautiful and a paradise and but how could it be a paradise while there is so much violence, bombs, and missiles going on? We are rapidly advancing in our technological advancements, but our misery hasn’t declined. In the age in which we live, there should not be problems of hunger, violence, and peace, but that’s not the case. So many people and suffering, and today’s kids, our future, grow up in this world. Even though it has been said that slavery ended long ago, sla still exists.

Neo-Colonialism is another concept discussed by Kenny Arkana, S Krim, IAM( a prominent group in French hip-hop), and various other artists in their songs discussed in the class. Neo colonialism refers to using economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence other countries, primarily former dependencies.

Negritude is a literary and ideological philosophy developed initially by francophone African intellectuals, writers, and politicians in France during the 1930s. Négritude is a cultural movement launched in the 1930s in Paris, France, by French-speaking black graduate students from France’s colonies in Africa and the Caribbean territories.

These black intellectuals converged around race identity issues and black internationalist initiatives to combat French imperialism. They found solidarity in their common ideal of affirming pride in their shared black identity and African heritage, and reclaiming African self-determination, self–reliance, and self–respect. The intellectuals disapproved of French colonialism; they claimed the best strategy to oppose it would be to encourage a shared racial identity for black Africans worldwide.

This new race consciousness, rooted in a re-discovery of the authentic self, sparked a collective condemnation of Western domination, anti-black racism, enslavement, and the Colonization of black people. It sought to dispel denigrating myths and stereotypes linked to black people by acknowledging their culture, History, and achievements, reclaiming their contributions to the world, and restoring their rightful place within the global community.

Keny Arkana’s song “People in a Hurry” explains that People are in a hurry and forget about their existence- Earth and earthlings are suffering- people advocate for the wrong things and even go against our desire to defend the wrong sometimes. Listen to your heart and follow what it wants, not the crowd. Crowds don’t represent you.

The Code Noir or the black code refers to the terms and conditions of slavery in the French colonial empire that restricted the activities of the enslaved Black people who had been set free. This code forbade the exercise of any religion other than Roman Catholicism.

“The song Two faced vengeance” elaborates on how there is violence despite the strict law, and people end up in this cycle of vengeance. The artist explains how they escaped from such a place full of violence and where the ground was full of dead bodies. They want violence and the feeling of vengeance to stop, are tired of running away from danger, and enjoy a steady life. They don’t want to end up in jail for making mistakes like many acquaintances. They say that people need to listen to each other more.

The rap music from many artists, including Keny Arkana, S Krim, a French hip-hop group called IAM, and other artists mentioned in the class and other artists who are a part of Francophone literature, has played a significant role in the contemporary culture of the Francophone world.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

Kenny Arkana

At the end of my list, do your own exploring on YouTube. You might start with a Google search, too. Find another French or francophone artist or song you like and share it with the class. Include a live link to the video.