Rebelations 2:1

The much awaited and highly anticipated album that Germany-based Cameroonian rapper and singer Bah’Ndong promised his fans since last year, is now a reality. The artist kept his word, releasing an astonishing repertoire of 21 songs, many of them produced or mixed and mastered in Germany and Cameroon by the likes of ATM Black, Phillbillbeatz, Sango Edi (LeDrae), Djamal Kelani, LLTB, and so on.

A BGC Melody protégé, Bah’Ndong was until recent a conscientious rap artist who hails from Cameroon and is based in Germany. He was a rock/hip hop lead vocalist for the group Madhouse Matodors in Germany before he made his comeback with a melodious rap on Bikutsi Warrior beats – a single titled “Gneh Gneh Gneh” produced by Phillbillbeatz and video directed by Mr. Adrenaline. The video featured two-time award-winning actress Laura Onyama and designer, Reneta Ndisang of Mareta West. That marked his transition from pure hip hop into the blend of rap and Afrobeat, Makossa, Bikutsi and Njang fusion that he does now effortlessly.

After being part of the Madhouse Matadors rock band in Germany, he decided to come back home to his native African music, but with extraordinary international blends. That formula seems to be working well for him, as the album has songs of all the musical genres from Central Africa to Central Europe.

Why 21 songs? Bah’Ndong revealed that the number 21 is equal to Seven times Three (7×3); the 7 being a mystical number representing life (the seven days of the week), and the 3 being representative of the Holy Trinity, depicting the three phases of his life as an artist. First the pure hip hop hard core rap artist that he was during his days at the University of Buea, where he was known as “The Blade” and rapped with his group CAMSELECT; the second phase being when he decided to start rapping on African beats and allowed his Africanness to shine through his music without shame; and the third phase is the current where he took the bold step towards actually singing and rapping about LOVE, knowing full well that he does not have the perfect voice for singing like many other artists, yet he believes that the power of words of love can convey feelings and emotions that even the best voice with no good lyrics cannot.

However, as he proved recently with the surprise release of the single “Freedomination” Bah’Ndong remains a hip hop artist to the core, and he is one who can rap on every beat from blues to rock, from Afrobeat to Zouk. He raps and sings effortlessly in English, French, Pidgin English, Cameroon street lingo and his native African language Limbum.

Bah’Ndong is dedicating the album “Rebelations 2:1” to his mother, who is honored in song number 5, “Mama J”, for having taught him to be able to a strong man who is not afraid of showing emotion when emotion matters. The opening song of his upcoming new album, titled “Show Dem”, is an exhortation to all men too ditch their macho womanizing ways and focus on honoring their women – a far departure from most rappers who often refer to women in mean language and encourage less than honorable behavior as a proof of manhood.

Along with the release of the album, Bah’Ndong and his record label, BGC Melody (also the record label of new female rap sensation Deenah and Congolese phenomenon Elie Solo), have also dropped a free single from the album, “Baby Love”, with a lyrics video already promoting the album on YouTube and Facebook. Click HERE to watch: