Didier Awadi’s electronic beats showcase the traditional music and instruments of Senegal, and his raps blend humor, wordplay and biting political commentary: “The president forgot that it's you who gave him the power / It's weird, the way the guys in power get amnesia / The president forgets you, so forget the president.”  The Senegalese rapper began his musical journey as a teenager on the streets of Dakar, Senegal.  Immersed in the sound of American-inspired hip-hop that flooded his hometown in the mid-1980s, Awadi first made his mark on the Dakar hip-hop scene with his group Didier Awadi Syndicate.  Armed with a positive message of African unity, Awadi honed his skills with the Syndicate, but soon left the group to collaborate with long-time rival Amadou Berry (Doug E Tee).  Despite their past animosity, Awadi and Berry found that they shared a common message of “Africanism” and respect; both revered African cultural leaders Amadou Hampate Ba and Cheikh Anta Diop.  Together, they formed the group Positive Black Soul. 

After hearing one of their tracks in a 1992 French Cultural Center compilation, French rapper MC Solar invited PBS to open for him on tour.  Two years later, after a successful tour, PBS recorded their first album, Boul Fale, winning the duo international praise and a deal with Mango records with the help of internationally-renowned Senegalese singer Baaba Maal.  Following their second release, Saelem (Mango) and an even broader international tour, PBS was signed to WEA by American producer Van Gibbs in 1997. With Jamaican stars Red Rat, Bob Marley’s son Ky Maal Marley and Cameroonian singer Princess Erika lending their voices for PBS’s next album, Run Cool (WEA), PBS reached the pinnacle of their career. 

In 2000, Awadi and Berry parted ways, each pursuing independent careers as MCs and producers.  After two solo albums—Parole D’Honneur (released only in the Senegalese market) and Un Autre Monde est Possible(Sankare)—Awadi toured extensively through 2005, winning, among other honors, the Ministere de la Culture award of both Senegal and France, RFI’s World Music Award and Tamani Mali’s Best African Rapper prize.  While Awadi continues to devote himself to music, he also runs numerous production companies, a recording studio and a security company, juggling his various occupations while championing the issues that have defined his music from the beginning. 

Contributed by: Miller Nuttle