THROW BACK : REGGIE ROCKSTONE feat M3NSA & LORD LUST – MAPOUKA
One interesting feeling music provokes is the stirring up of memories. These memories could be good or otherwise. However, the scale of these nostalgic feelings remain priceless. Music has the magic to transport you to a time and place with ease.
That was exactly my experience hearing ‘Mapouka’, one of the many memorable tunes from Reggie Rockstone, when he was at his supreme best. Mapouka, was one of the singles off Reggie Rockstone’s Me Ka (I Will Say It) album released in the year 2000. The song featured an 18 year old M3nsa (half of the FOKN Bois) and French spitting Ghanaian rapper Lord Lust. Found on the 9 song cassette (yeah, it was that era) were songs such as
Me De Bɛ Bom, Me Ka Ama N’ahye Wo, Mensesa, Sɛ Wompɛ No A..
Mapouka is an ode to the very famous posterior wiggling dance found in Francophone Africa. The dance, has overtime, evolved into many forms including the well know Jamaican daggering and yes, twerking. What Reggie Rockstone, M3nsa and Lord Lust did, was to pay homage to a mapouka dancing diva.
What Mapouka did to me this week, upon hearing it, was to transport me back to the early 2000s, specifically Mfantsipim School. I was in second year, when our Maths tutor mad a comment about the song and Lord Lust in particular. I recall that moment whenerver I hear the song.
Around the late 90s to early 2000s, there was a music lyrics magazine in circulation. The magazine featured lyrics of popular songs and interesting articles. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the name of this magazine (could it be Radio & TV Magazine?). So, it happened that, a few students were flipping through the magazine which had Obrafour on its cover page. The teacher’s comments upon taking the mag from the students was about Obrafour’s bloodshot eyes and his dreadlocks. The next comment came after he chanced on the lyrics of Mapouka. He insulted us for being ‘stupid’ reading lyrics of a ‘stupid’ song which featured an artist called Lord Lust when we should be reading our notes. I could hear his question to us: do you know the meaning of his last name LUST? The man was definitely incensed.
Back to the song Mapouka. It carried a typical New York boom bap beat with pieces of turntable scratches from the set of DJ Rab (Bakari). A little knowledge, the scratch was pioneered by Mean Gene, a partner of Grandmaster Flash (the latter popularized it). After Reggie Rockstone’s introduction of ‘his’ guests, M3nsa’s voice appeared with the hook: Money makes the world go round/ But, I believe, imma go round for you/the way you do that dance, the mapouka dance/Ma, imam give my love to you’.
For Reggie, not only does the power of Mapouka breaks all man’s weakness, it’s an inspiration to rap: the power your body generates make me wanna rap/ You making the Jamaican women look wack’. Truth spoken by the Regg. Often, Jamaican women are credited as the best ass-shaking folks out there. But, the real deal is found here in Africa.
M3nsa picked up from where Reggie Rockstone left, waxing eloquently about the beauty of the dance: how many times, do I have to remind ya/Baby that you have a great future behind ya/…shaking the waist straight from the under/about to blow up like a banger.
Lord Lust, who took the last verse dropped some hot French lines about the dance too. Lust is a Ghanaian who had stayed most of his life in France and Mapouka probably was how Ghanaians came to know him. Prior to adopting the name Lord Lust, he had released music under the moniker Quakes.
Mapouka, thanks to its arresting beat and still super rap flow, is a hot tune. It has aged with the times. And definitely set the crowd alight when the DJ drops it either in the clubs or parties. Reggie, ‘Fokn boi ’M3nsa and Lord Lust indeed dropped a banger.
