Admir Fortes, a.k.a Black Souljah, is fresh off the music oven with the first single to his EP, HustleKriol. Black Souljah is a rapper birthed from Cape Verdean rap known as Hip Hop Kriol or Rap Kriol. The single features two rappers from Cape Verde that he considers inspirational. Those two rappers are Victor Duarte and Expavi.
Of Victor Duarte he says, “Without a doubt Victor Duarte is a rapper that has influence me. When his group, KBG Squad (Victor Duarte & Perturbód), launched LABIRINTO PSICOLÓGICO it inspired and influenced me to rap. That album has a special mark on me.”
He goes on to pay homage to Expavi as well, saying, “Expavi has contributed enormously to my rap endeavors. Expavi’s song from the first album from Cape Verdean rap group Hip Hop Art, Min ê Kem Mi ê (I Am Who I Am), continues to be my favorite song from Rap Kriol (Cape Verdean rap).”
The single also features Jó Alves on the hook. Black Souljah says of the collaboration with her, “I mentioned the song to her, sent her the beat and a few days later we were in the studio getting it done.”
The single is now out on all music stream platforms, including youtube. Check it out below.
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ONE ON ONE WITH BLACK SOULJAH
How did you become involved in music, specifically as a rapper, mc?
I always liked music in general, independent of the genre. What gravitated me towards rap was the fact that I feel with it you can express your ideas without limitations. Rap music can cause great impact, whether for good or bad. That all depends on the way you make the music, what you represent with it.
In addition to Victor Duarte and Expavi, what other rap artists have inspired you?
In addition to those guys there’s others including Bairro Tubrulent, BTS, MSfam, Naná, GG, Rockus, Gól’Wayne, Dj letra, Mark Delman, Buda d’Republica among other Cape Verdean rappers.
However, in addition to the Cape Verdean rap artists I mentioned, I do listen to a lot of American rap as well. Artists like Nipsey Hussle, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, 2Pac, Biggie, among others.
What is the state of Hip Hop Kriol right now and where do you see it going for the next 5 to 10 years?
Hip Hop Kriol gained an incredible visibility when Senzala Records operated out of the island of São Vicente in Cape Verde from the town of Cha D’ Licrim. The future looks promising, but for it to be so Cape Verdean rappers/MC’s have to understand fundamental values of being a rapper. They cannot suffocate Hip Hop Kriol and limit it to social media.
Can you tell us more about your most recent single that features Vitor Duarte and Expavi? What inspired it?
My most recent single, HustleKriol, is basically my living until this point in my life. That is, my motivations, my fights, my sacrifices, wins, losses. It’s a picture of my origins.
The song was inspired by difficult realities that I was going through when producer Rockus sent me the beat. When I heard the beat I also imidiatly reached out to Victor Duarte and Expavi to guest feature on it and they did. Jó Alves contributed greatly with the hook.
What’s the future in music looking like for you right now?
My main goal right now is to finailize my EP. I believe I’ll put out another single before it comes out.
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