Gems of hip hop knowledge
‘Mo Salah’ lyrics
In early January 2018, the first well-known hip hop reference to footballer Mo Salah appeared. It quickly spread across the globe, with artist in other countries using the footballer as a reference point for excellence – most of them comparing themselves to Mo Salah in their own fields. This data visualisation shows some of the major references, and how referencing Mo Salah travels...
Alienness (MZK) – The Bronxstyle
Bboy Alienness refocused a generation through this seminal dance text of the 2000s. Inspiring a new old school, Alienness pushed the emphasis from power moves back to movement with feeling and groove: "I can teach a chihuahua to stand on one hand but I can't teach that dog to catch a groove" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-XUKDbTQAI
Little Simz – ‘Boss’
In 'Boss', Simz describes her rise to the top and asserts herself as a formidable artist in a predominantly male sphere. Inverting the masculinist language of the song title, she issues a warning shot: "I'm a boss in a fucking dress" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nobyMYOD5Bg
Spekulativ Fiktion – ‘Google’
Spek details the Local Geological Record that tracks the first animal to walk on land (and it's in Ireland, where CIPHER is based!). Dropping some intensely local knowledge, he highlights the importance of heritage: "its feckin’ timeless, like the Tetrapod Footprints on Valentia Island" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqAX-riCwCQ