Autumn Leaf

This is Old School G and I’m happy to be working with the Planet Urban crew. Even though I'm living in Atlanta (ATL), I stay plugged in to what is happening internationally in Hip Hop culture.

I’ll start off with the ill happenings in Kenya. January has not been a good month for Kenyans. At the end of December, they held their democratic elections with high expectations. Unlike many of their east African neighbors, Kenya was viewed as the most stable nation and something for other nations to aspire to.

But corruption during the elections has led to violence.

“Here in Kenya, shit is really getting’ hot,” underground rapper Autumn Leaf told me via email. “Niggaz killin’ each other, beheadin’ each other, gun fire and tear gas blazin’ like muthafucker. Gas to dig the burrow cuz you know [at] any time shit can go down.”

He paints a frightening picture. And we’re told that over 650 people have died in the Kenyan riots while tens of thousands have been forced to flee.

A recent article in The Nation (Nairobi) stated that “the pool of hip-hop artists ion Kenya barely grows.” But Autumn Leaf would contest that. With his crew Trife Life – consisting of himself, Black Hockey, Sterlin, AG and Solodified – he says he represents the underground hip hop in Kenya, the street MCs, if you will.

“Here in Kenya, most MCs are underground just like us,” he said.

This street mentality gives these artists the unique perspective on government and society shared with others living in high poverty zones such as Mountain View (or MV as he calls it) in the western part of Nairobi.

“We ain’t scared of our phukin’ delf,” he said, “but for we brother to brother and sister to sister, mother and fathers. We tired of all this. Why fight black to black [or] white to white?”

Autumn Leaf and Black Hockey released their first album in 2007 entitled Berlin. It was well received on the streets he says but now they are looking for a wider audience.

“We are the underground machines,” he said. “Right now, we back on the studio recording some new tracks. Our problem is international hip hop because here in Nairobi, the album is already in the street kickin’. There is word in the street stating that we are the first underground hip hoppers wit’ real shit in their eardrums.”

As the violence plays out in Kenya – and hopefully dies down – Autumn Leaf will use this his music and his opportunity to speak for his countrymen.

But even amidst the riots, he takes time to wish us well in America.

“I hope United States of America on your on coming elections won’t be like these!”

Old School G can be found at World Hip Hop Market