On Friday evening, the Hip Hop fraternity once again met under one roof in what we might not be wrong to call the biggest night in the Ugandan Hip Hop music industry.
Abbreviated as UGHHA, the Ugandan Hip Hop Awards have for the past six years been celebrating achievements within the Ugandan Hip Hop culture as well as giving artistes a stage to showcase their craft, and this is what happened at the Old Port Bell road, Kampala based Motiv Uganda.
Just like the name, it was nothing but a night of Hip Hop and Rap that brought together some of the big names in that space.
The Club Pilsener powered event saw different winners win accolades in 20 different nomination categories with artistes like veteran rapper The Mith and Flex D’paper walking home with two each, that is Song Of The Year and Video Of The Year and Album of the Year and Collaboration Of The Year respectively.
Canadian based Ugandan veteran rapper Babaluku, one of the greatest and celebrated rappers who didn’t only pave a way but also inspired many youth into the rap culture was given the Life Time Achievement Award in his honour.
“Growing up as young people we loved Hip Hop before the money game, and we chose specific paths according to our capabilities and capacities. I see a lot of young people struggling with identifying their path and being able to know the worth within their gifts,” Babaluku said in part in his acceptance speech.
When they said I was to be given the Life Time Achievement Award, I didn’t say it was more of a do I said it was ancestral aligned. I have been serving young people for the last 15 years. I am one of the young black people who can say I have invested in my generation without corporation,” he added.
Baba also took the same platform to remind young people that the investment within what he called the ‘gift currency’ is an ultimate builder of billionaires before expressing his utter disappointment in this generation that is focusing their ideologies on capitalism than the foundation of their indigenous wealth.
Meanwhile, still about winning, some of the night’s notable winners were MC Yala, another veteran rapper who won Female Rapper Of The Year while Fik Fameica and South African rapper Nasty C won Male Rapper Of The Year and African Act Of The Year in that order.
The awarding ceremony celebrated Hip Hop artistes as it ought to have, right from the host, media personality MC Olo who is also a budding rapper to performances between interludes from other artistes like Babaluku The Homie, Timcence, Fakil Tushi Nabakyala, Flex D’paper, Big Tril and rap groups BMG, and Bavubuka Squad.
This year round, the accolade came with a new look from last year’s and for Fenon Events who produced the event, it was yet another time to prove their expertise in that game with near to perfection production and lighting.
The one thing that kind of looked kind of awkward was, most of the winners weren’t in attendance to receive their accolades which leaves unanswered questions whether they weren’t informed in time or if they just failed to make it to Motiv. Also, the accolades seemed not to have cases to be carried in.
Here is the full list of winners
Album Of The Year
“Kampala Boy” by Flex D’Paper
Song Of The Year
“Welcome To Ug” by The Mith
Female Rapper Of The Year
Yala MC
Male Rapper Of The Year
Fik Fameica
Central Rapper Of The Year
Kracbone – “FIRE” ft Santana Karma, Sliq Teq, Play01, Jhay Efekt, Roman Jazzy and LS Andre
Northern Rapper Of The Year
Timcence – “Unthinkable”
Western Rapper Of The Year
Eshata Lookhassle – “Kiga Flow”
Eastern Rapper Of The Year
AJ Stylz – “That’s Who We Are”
Collaboration Of The Year
“Cheptegei” by Flex D’paper ft Navio Fik Fameica and Mozelo Kidz
Inspirational Song Of The Year
“Taasa Omuwala” by 2o7
Lyricist Of The Year
The Hommie – “Diet Coke Cover”
African Act Of The Year
Nasty C
Sweet 16 (Verse of the Year)
“Quit The Game” by Timcence
Video Of The Year
“Welcome To Ug” Remix by The Mith
Mixtape Of The Year
“Ghost In The Machine” by Ghost Lord
Producer Of The Year
Baru
Rap Fusion Of The Year
“Ebyange” by Lukas Blacc ft Kohen Jaycee
Rookie Of The Year
Kizzy Rulez
DJ Of The Year
DJ Victor256
Media Personality Of The Year
Frank Ntambi
Lifetime Achievement Award
Babaluku
Hip Hop Give Back Award
2 A Few Good Friends
