Akala has long since woven his legacy into the fabric of Hip Hop. The Shakespeare-studying, eye-opening MC has demonstrated himself to be humble, knowledgeable and most certainly worth listening to. He’s mainly used his music as a means to express his views on the disenfranchised sectors of society and ills of politics, but elsewhere he’a also shared some really interesting information and history on Hip Hop – in fact, via Akala I posted the ‘first rap record’ from the 30s, and I also posted another Akala lecture on the similarities between Hip Hop and Shakespeare. Anyway, here is Akala sharing his knowledge on the evolution of the MC and Hip Hop culture in his latest Ted Talk; it’s origins, how it developed and where it’s at now. It’s really worth a watch if you’re interested in the history of Hip Hop. Have a listen to Akala’s music too.

Akala is a renowned English rapper, poet, and journalist. Emerging from London’s hip-hop underground, in 2006 Kingslee ‘Akala’ Daley) won the MOBO ‘Best Hip-Hop’ award for his debut album “It’s Not A Rumour”. Since then he has released his second album “Freedom Lasso” and toured extensively in the UK and around the world. He has also found the time to take his own energetic and original workshops all over the country working for clients such as the BBC, London Metropolitan Archives, Times BFI London Film Festival and various schools/youth clubs around the capital.Breaking down the culture of cliché and stereotype that smothers the genre he loves is a major part of the mission he’s taken on, and gives impetus to this third album of pointed, perceptive hip hop music from the convention-defying emcee. Akala has performed at various UK festivals including V Festival, Wireless, Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds Festivals, Parklife and Isle of Wight.