Blog on groupthing

Groupthing caught up with award-winning hip-hop star Akala, just before he played at the first of his special, invitation-only gig for young people at Toxteth Library.The tour is in partnership with the national charity, The Reading Agency, and Akala's Hip-hop Shakespeare Company: it is part of a major drive to fire up young people about reading and transform the way we think about libraries.

Interview by Lara Akinnawo

You’ve said in an interview that you refuse to be put in a box, so how would you describe your music?

I would describe it as hip hop. To me hip hop is all about chopping up, looping, reinterpreting, and taking ownership of any type of music that you want and putting it into a reflection of your consciousness. To me hip hop is about not having boundaries, hip hop is revolutionary music, that knows no boundaries, that refuses to be told what to do, and to me hip hop is also a tool for education and uplifting people.

What would you say to people who say that hip hop is not real music?

Tell me what real music is? I think there is a certain snobbery that comes from a lack of understanding of how hip hop culture came to exist.  But when you begin to understand, you understand that it is an offshoot of a long standing African oral tradition that has existed for hundreds - if not thousands of years.

You clearly have a love of literature, how relevant do think that reading is today?

Reading is everything. There’s the cliché that says that leaders are always readers, but it’s very true and I think that anyone who is trying to feed young people the idea that somehow reading is not cool, is trying to keep young people from realising their potential. Reading is an absolute necessity, after breathing, eating, and tied with music, reading is right up there.

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…in the Summer Reading Challenge! This year why not help children across the country to take part in the Challenge. Check out vinspired or contact your local library to see if they are offering opportunities for you to volunteer.

Last year 725,000 children took part in the Summer reading Challenge throughout the UK, so you can imagine it gets pretty busy in libraries. Volunteers will work alongside library staff to help run the Challenge. This will include talking to the children about their books, running activities, promoting what’s happening and helping to recruit other volunteers.

Visit vinspired to find out more.

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