Freetown | 1st January 2024 | Vertex Media
Here’s a glimpse of how Salone old skool music Showbiz has evolved in the last two decades, as shared by Sierra Leone’s leading Cartoonist Ahmed Sahid Nasrallah aka De Monk of Ticha Lemp Lemp, current President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ): โ
NA SO AR START Oโฆen ar memba Salone Music smol!
For those who don’t know, and those who have forgotten whence we came, na ya ar start oโฆ A DE MONK PRODUCTION!!! Dem days wea we nor see or touch computer ait โฆ Lol
Wenz en d group Razz M’ Tazz na den kin get Christmas Day December 25; The Lyrical Malaika Field Marshall Huzo Rex en Dis N’ Dat na den geh Boxing Day Dec 26; (en sometimes Dunkay Sally); XCLAN Posse na den geh Independence Day April 27; The Best Squad (TBS) na den geh Easter Sunday; The Top Jammers (TTJ) na den geh โฆnor memba dis againโฆ We also b geh Royal House Production (RHP), Clued Up Clan, Yardez, Belgium Sellers, Conscious Knowledge Crewโฆen more.
Ar also memba the school clubs dem: Aldemics of Albert Academy, Edwinnix of St Edward’s, T-Club of Prince of Wales, Conwards of St. Joseph’s Convent en St Edward’s, FSSGWALEANS of FSSG en Prince of WalesโฆEn d college clubs en Students Union demโฆna me b de do all den flyers, posters en banners demโฆ
Den tem de if flyer or poster nor geh DJ Jaway, Jay C, King Fisher, Cherish Labamba, Super Morris, Quinton Bantan, Mickey Mouse, Eggarton Shabba, en later DJ Henzo, u show nor de flopโฆIf Cherish Labamba en Jay C den nor announce bot u show on dem ‘Social Parade‘ program every Saturday on SLBC Radio well u show nor geh gameโฆlol
Ar memba the MCs den bak: King Dus, AB4U, en later Huzo Rex en Mega Rap Ciza join d list.
Ar also memba the DJs crew dem: 40 Acres Production en Bodyguard. Na King Dus na b d MC for 40 Acres en AB4U de wit Bodyguard
Den tem de bak na Brookfileds Hotel, YSC, Phase II, Greyhound, Cape Sierra Hotel/Lagoonda, Ocean View, All Nations, Paddy’s, Bacardi later Rumours later Old Skool, Paramount Hotelโฆna be d popular venues dem wae be de host the jam sessions dem na Westendโฆ U also geh d smol nite clubs dem wea b popular: Count Down, Mix Point, Cocorioko, Ballister, Razz Ma Tazz, Aphrodities, Super Kays, Wendyz, Youngeez, for Eastend na Disco Traxx (wea be name Disco Storm fos), Shadows, National Canteen @ Cline Town, Changes, Taiwo Chandis,
For den one dem back wea kin mek lek den sabi bot Salone music; b4 d legendary Jimmy B cam revolutionize the music industry around 2001 ar memba say na Dis N Dat social club fos begin feature rap contest as side attraction pa den show na YSC na Wilkinson Road b4 Universal Arts Studio wea do den yone na the Great City Hall; den we geh Eggarton Shabba en TNT wae do like the 3rd rap contest wea Word Up Society end up win- word up society be composed of Shaq Gee, C-Jay Mack, en Slaize (wae be later join X-Project na Naija), Snoop Cow (now the King Kao Denero) sef b take part. The TNT rap contest b also feature rappers Chris B and Lady Mato.
Ar memba Universal Arts Studio- me, King Fisher of the legendary Bodyguard Studio, the late King Dus, ‘easy does it’ Izzi I, Judah Rankin, a cross-section of XCLAN members Kool Don Kay of ‘Salone Mi Land‘ fame, De Nazer, Jah Toby, Vicky Fazz, Charlie Hinger, Huzo Rex; AB4U of “ar sidon na me room ar jus de memba u’, Sahr Issa of Yahoo.Com en Stress Inc. fame, n more- na we organize the first East vs West Rap Contest na City Hall in 1997 b4 d rebels dem burn am down. Ar memba d Unbreakable EGG and the vibrant en promising rapper TREACH or THREAT (nor know which one correct), Egalitarians, Xtra Percentage featuring Manzu, Adel n Crew wea later become Jungle Leaders– all representing the East Coast; and we have for the West Coast guys like Sound Dragon, Kool Don Kay en the Body N Soul (by the way, Body N’ Soul was the music arm of XCLAN Posse), Mega Rap Ciza & The Rap Bandits (borbor, u yeri name ha ha ha), Word Up Society, Kao ‘Snoop Cow’ (wea e b don lef d group), Bow Wow Society, etc.
Ar memba the SLBL Guinness Competition na National Stadium bak wea feature Body N’ Soul with Kool Don Kay, Sound Dragon, Trevor, en Wahid of ‘Tin Dem‘ fame then part of d group; Kao Denero, Mega Rap Ciza & The Rap Bandits, Word Up Society, etc. Na Body N’ Soul b win am; Mega Rap Ciza & The Rap Bandits second; Word Up Society third; Kao fourthโฆ
Anywayz, mek r cut am na yaโฆ.me oda colleagues go add den yone or correct me usai ar mistake or memba me usai ar forget.
God bless the Salone Music Industry!!! Time to put Salone above all else! Salone fos!
The Struggle Continues but maintain Oneness ya!!!
ยฉ๏ธ A De Monk Production
