Seattle-based Senegalese-American rapper Yirim Seck has been bringing activism to his rhymes for years now. It's been a decade since his 2009 debut HEAR ME OUT, and with the follow-up, he continues to celebrate his Senegalese background with the influence of the Central District. In a 2018 interview with KEXP, he stated:
I just feel like music in itself has played a role in pretty much every social movement across the board. As simple as war drums to get people amped up to go into battle. You have Woodstock, you had the Civil Rights Movement which had its music, and even more recently with the election of Barack Obama where they realize how important the youth vote was and so they actually recruited influential hip hop artists and entertainers to get the youth to come out and vote. And we can even take it even more recently with Referendum 74 and Macklemore with "Same Love." I think that was a huge part of the success that he received, was packaging this in a way that was very non-offensive and relatable to people all across the board. So, music is very powerful to which I think is the reason it's so dangerous.
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Host Emily Fox and KEXP’s editorial team talk with artists about the stories behind their songs and the experiences that inform their work. Through each conversation, we uncover the humanity behind the music, allowing us to hear it in a whole new way.
