In Retrospect

May 28, 2010 |

Africa, The Next Throne of ‘Hip-Hop’: I’ve mentioned this story before because it was one of those experiences that always stays with you. In December 2009, I wrote the following in a column at AllHipHop.com: “In 1996, while serving as GM of Wu-Tang Management, I participated in a private meeting with executives from RCA Records. At a certain point they brought out our sales figures from around the world. It only included totals from the Americas, Europe and Asia... [more] The Funniest Lines From Scathing SATC2 Reviews: You could grow out your bangs, or met your future husband, conceive and...

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Poem: Children of the Stars

Mar 4, 2010 | ,

This Saturday, Ghana celebrates its 53rd year as an independent nation. While I did not grow up in Ghana, I do feel a strong bond with the land of my ancestors and was raised with the pan-African ideals that Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah was instrumental in developing. I still believe in those and consider myself African above all else (without denial of my German and European roots). I sincerely believe that, if we all put aside the pettiness and individualism that has crept into our societies over the decades, we can turn ourselves in a positive and powerful continent. Three years ago, when we...

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Nickelodeon Turns 30

Feb 22, 2010 |

With a toddler in my house, what is shown on television is extremely important. Over the last two and a half years, I’ve been figuring out how it all works, what the best channels are, programmes, etc. I have always been fascinated by the psychology that goes into creating children’s programming. In his book, the Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell gives us a peek into how Sesame Street was created and the amount of creativity, research and testing that went into producing Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues. It is not about merely finding something that is perceived to be funny or educational for...

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Mohamed Aboutrika (AFF)

Jan 28, 2010 |

Sadly unavailable for the Egypt national team at the Africa Cup of Nations due to injury, 31 year old Mohamed Aboutrika is a true African football phenomenon who has been dubbed the Egyptian Zinedine Zidane. Visionary and smooth on the field, he is a joy to watch. Born into a poor, humble neighbourhood, Aboutrika joined the then-second division team, Tersana Club, at 12 and was promoted to the first team at 17. As top scorer for two seasons, he was key in their promotion to the Egyptian league. His high impact on the Egyptian League won him call-ups to the Egyptian National Olympic team as...

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Into Nneka’s World

Jan 19, 2010 |

A product of the conventional music business model, I have not always explored beyond what the ‘system’ pushes out. I am not proud of that and I have attempted to make up for it by submerging myself in the crevices of the Internet, where so much beautiful music resides. I visit music blogs & sites and interact with those in the know in spaces like MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. These recent forays have unearthed – for me – some amazing gems, one of which Nigerian-German artist Nneka. I regrettably haven’t had the opportunity to hear her debut EP, The Uncomfortable Truth, or her album...

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Yaya Touré (AFF)

Jan 11, 2010 |

The Ivory Coast, over the last decade or so, has had a number of wonderful footballers establish them on the international stage - the biggest is probably Didier Drogba. For me, one of the first names to gain prominence was Kolo Touré, who formed the backbone of Arsenal’s defense before his recent move to Manchester City. While Kolo is a great player, it is his youngest brother, Gnégnéri Yaya Touré, who stands out for me. I’m not sure where I first came across him, but it was more than likely at the 2006 Africa Cups of Nations were he formed the heart of Cote D’Ivoire’s midfield - tough,...

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