A shout-out to Liberia from refugee; Hip-hop hopeful gives global spin to local sound

By: Shelia M. Poole (Staff)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
September 21, 2006

The music blared as Romeo “2C” Mulbah grabbed the mic and began to serenade the stately woman in traditional dress seated on the Georgia Tech stage.

“Whassup! Whassup with y’all? This shout-out goes out to the first female president of Africa. The nation of Liberia. President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.”

The U.S. Secret Service’s plan was to usher Johnson-Sirleaf out of the auditorium before “2C” performed, but instead she decided to stay.

It was a dream come true for Mulbah, who lives in Clarkston with his family.

“It was a big thing for me,” said the 19-year-old Liberia-born aspiring hip-hop artist. “I’ve never heard of a rapper performing for any president.”

“This goes out to my Liberian girl

“Home grown, now she’s all over the world

“People wonder who you are

“Ima show ‘em you’re a shining star”

Mulbah is adding an international twist to the Dirty South sound.

Mulbah and manager Charles Dunbar, who’s also Liberia-born, penned “Liberian Girl” about a year ago to tell people about their native land, a nation slightly larger than Tennessee that was established by freed U.S. slaves in the 1800s.

The “Liberian Girl” or “titi,” as she is affectionately called in the song, is not about a flesh and blood woman but a metaphor for their “mother” nation.

It’s a country that over the decades has seen its share of troubles. In 2003, Liberia emerged from a brutal 14-year civil war, characterized by the sight of children toting AK-47s and victims with their limbs cut off. It was a war in which more than 250,000 people died and nearly a million were displaced.

In “Liberian Girl,” Mulbah raps about the high loss of life and hearings “shots even on Sundays.”

But the song also tells Liberians to keep their heads up and “don’t let nobody put you down.”

Mulbah said he admires Johnson-Sirleaf and feels she is the one person who can rebuild Liberia.

But Mulbah, who works for Home Depot, doesn’t remember much about Liberia. He and his family fled the war, settling temporarily in neighboring Ivory Coast. He learned about his country by talking to relatives about prewar Liberia and watching films, he said.

“Before the war, my parents told me that it was peaceful,” he said. “Although the people were poor, they were happy. That’s what they always tell me. ”

Mulbah and some of his siblings came to the United States in 1998 to join their father.

He lived in New Orleans for a while before moving to metro Atlanta. Their mother remained in Ivory Coast and joined the family later.

He decided on the moniker 2C, which means Too Crazy, “not mentally ill but crazy about the music because I love it.” Mulbah has performed at various Liberian events around metro Atlanta, in Washington and Philadelphia. He’s working on songs for a debut album that he hopes to complete soon.

“We’re trying to put our country on the map,” he said.”Liberia is like a mother, but when the war started, everyone moved. Now she’s all over the world.”

Annie Mulbah, his mother, said she has heard from friends and relatives back home that “Liberian Girl” and a second single, “Liberian Dreams” are being played on the radio there. He’s been featured on Internet blogs and African music Web sites.

And Scholastica Doe, the country’s assistant tourism minister, said her office is considering bringing 2C to Liberia for a national cultural festival later this year.

In a telephone interview from the capital city of Monrovia, Doe said she has shared Mulbah’s sample CD with members of the United Nations mission in Liberia, which has used local artists to promote various campaigns.

Rap and hip-hop music can be especially effective in reaching Liberia’s youth, many of whom have lost parents and older relatives in the fighting.

During her campaign, Johnson-Sirleaf promised to bring young former combatants back into society’s fold and end a cycle of crime and violence still threatening the country.

Education is also a big priority in Liberia, where more than 43 percent of the population is under the age of 15 and many have never set foot in a school.

“I think it has prospects,” said Doe. “It has a message for the people, and the tune is the type of music that is being played now.”

Mulbah said he doesn’t want to follow other rappers who mostly talk about the bling, women, fancy cars and piles of cash.

“Right now we want to come to the music industry with something different,” he said. “We just don’t want to rap about what we have. We come from a struggle.”

A graduate of Druid Hills High School, Mulbah plans to attend Georgia Perimeter College in January to pursue a career in music and telecommunications.

Annie Mulbah said her son has always been a performer. Back in Ivory Coast, he often danced and sang. “He’s gifted in music,” she said.

But she and his father have always emphasized the importance of an education.

“Education must come first,” said Mulbah, a mother of five. But she also knows he cannot forget the music.

Or his dream.

Source: ajc.com