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Zambian rapper, Sampa the Great makes history with first BET Hip-Hop Award nomination

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Zambian rapper, Sampa Tembo, professionally known as Sampa the Great, has made history as the first ever artiste from the country to be nominated for the 2023 BET Hip-Hop Award.

The young singer and songwriter got her nomination for the “Best International Flow” category at the Awards slated for October 3 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

The feat which is seen as a “groundbreaking moment” for the Zambian music scene, according to entertainment aficionados in the country, not only puts the spotlight on Sampa The Great, but is also a “significant milestone for its entertainment industry as well as opening a new vista for Zambian music across borders and cultures.”

Announcing the nomination of the Australia-based Sampa on the website of the awards on Friday, reveals that she will battle for the category alongside other African heavyweights like Nigeria’s Grammy-Awards winner, Burna Boy, late South African rapper, Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, K.O. and Ghana’s Black Sherif.

Local Zambian media reports that Sampa’s nomination has not only “illustrated no her great talent but also underscores her role as a global ambassador for Zambian and African music.”

“Her unique style and lyrical prowess have left an indelible mark on the hip-hop genre, and this recognition on the BET Hip Hop Awards stage further cements her place in the international music scene,” Zambia Monitor wrote.

The International Flow of the BET Awards is the only category that celebrates Hip-Hop artistes from countries outside the USA which explains the high number of nominees from Africa, the United Kingdom, France, and Brazil in the same category.

Born on August 9, 1993, Sampa the Great announced her presence in the Zambian music scene with her debut solo album, “The Return” in 2019 and peaked at No. 12 on the Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (ARIA) albums chart.

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, she won Best Hip-Hop Release for her second single, “Final Form” and the following year, won the same category for “The Return”, as well as Best Female Artist and Best Independent Release.

In March 2020, Sampa became the first artiste to win the Australian Music Prize twice for “Birds and the Bee9” and “The Return”.

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Ghana’s Afua Asantewaa begins second GWR sing-a-thon attempt

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Ghanaian singer, Afua Asantewaa, on Saturday, began her second attempt at breaking the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest singing marathon by an individual.

The sing-a-thon which began in the early hours of Saturday, December 21, at Heroes’ Park, Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, will run until December 25, and will see the determined songstress perform non-stop, focusing exclusively on Ghanaian songs.

According to Asantewaa’s manager, Madam Gladys Osei Owiredu, the audacious initiative is aimed at showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Ghanaian music to a global audience.

Owiredu confirmed that preparations for the event had been extensive but expressed confidence in Asantewaa’s readiness to finally break the record.

“I can confirm that she is ready for the task ahead. It’s been challenging—by way of preparations—but I can say she is ready,” Owiredu said.

Asantewaa’s second attempt follows her first effort in December 2023, which fell short of surpassing the current record of 105 hours held by India’s Sunil Waghmare.

But despite the setback, her team remains optimistic about breaking the record this time with corporate sponsors including International Maritime Hospital, Ghana Gas, Nasco Electronics, and Zoomlion Ghana Limited rallying behind her, underscoring the importance of the attempt in amplifying the global significance of Ghanaian music.

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Ghana’s Supreme Court dismisses suit challenging anti-LGBT bill

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Ghana’s Supreme Court has dismissed two separate suits challenging the legality of one of the proposed anti-LGBT legislations awaiting assent into law by the president.

The separate suits were filed by two legal practitioners, Amanda Odoi and Richard Sky, challenging the bill, seeking to declare it illegal and prevent the president from signing it.

The two cases had challenged the constitutionality of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.

But in a ruling on Wednesday, the Supreme Court unanimously decided to dismiss the legal challenges to the new anti-LGBT legislation that has been criticised by rights groups.

The controversial bill was passed earlier this year by Ghanaian lawmakers with three years imprisonment for people identifying as LGBT and five years for forming or funding LGBT groups.

While dismissing the cases, presiding judge, Justice Avril Lovelace-Johnson, who delivered the ruling on behalf of the seven-member panel, said the cases were premature.

“Until there’s presidential assent, there is no act, the two cases were “unanimously dismissed,” she said.

The ruling is the latest blow to the LGBTQ community in Ghana and paves the way for the president to sign into law what many say is one of Africa’s most restrictive piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, whose term in office ends on 7 January, had delayed signing it pending the outcome of the Supreme Court challenge but the judges said the case could not be reviewed until it had been signed it into law.

It expected that incoming president, John Mahama, will sign the bill into law as he had always expressed his support for the bill during his electioneering campaigns.

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