Gigi Lamyane is dismantling the patriarchy, one bar at a time
“Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.” – Bertolt Brecht
In every generation, artists have lent their voices and talents to the fight for liberation and the conscientisation of the masses, mobilising people to contribute towards dismantling unjust systems. Seldom has there ever been an artist who has rested on their laurels while injustice wreaks havoc in every corner of society. Africa’s revolutions have always been accompanied by song. When I think of artistic activism, names such as Miriam Makeba, Fela Kuti, Hugh Masekela and Lady Smith Black Mambazo come to mind. Award-winning rapper and poet Gigi Lamayne is no exception to the legacy of artists using their musical prowess and influence to speak truth to power and hold space for the most disenfranchised group in society.
With a career that spans over ten years, Gigi Lamayne, born Genesis Gabriella Tina Manney, has worked hard to build a solid career as a remarkable rapper. Her lyricism is both smooth and impactful, characterised by lines that leave in you in awe, so much so that you can’t help but listen to her songs on repeat. Unlike many hip hop musicians whose focus is mostly on getting people to dance to the beat of a catchy verse, Gigi’s mission is to empower and inform. “I’ve always been rooted in activism and having an opinion,” says the 26-year-old, who describes herself as an academic with an affinity for gaining new knowledge every day. She wants to make the kind of music that “builds a nation,” this is why she agreed to take part in Stand Together, ONE Africa’s solidarity anthem against COVID-19 anthem. “Being part of a song that is aimed at uplifting people’s spirits has been a blessing to me.”
As a musician and entrepreneur, Gigi impacts society in a myriad of ways that are uplifting, which is much-needed in a time when society is faced with many ills, especially the disempowerment of women in many violent and non-violent ways. To be a woman in South Africa is to occupy an anxiety-inducing space. Whether it is in the boardroom, the stage or the street, ours is an existence that requires a type of vigilance and fear that men have the privilege of not knowing. To borrow the words of James Baldwin: to be a Black woman in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be frustrated and in a rage almost all the time. Gigi takes this rage and makes music that creates awareness around issues such as gender-based violence, the tragic hallmark of the South African society. Her song Koze Kube Nini (how long will it be?) laments the violence that is meted out against women.
In every industry, women are forced to shatter the proverbial glass ceiling to be successful. The composition of this glass ceiling includes unfounded bias and a baseless inability to take women seriously. As a woman in a male-dominated industry, Gigi faces many challenges, especially in the South Africa context where, unlike in the US, female rappers are an anomaly. In South Africa, female rappers are invisibalised, even though they are just as talented as their male counterparts. “My first debut single had to feature a heterosexual, male rapper who is admired in the industry. My biggest songs, to date, feature the likes of Khuli Chana, Kwesta, and King Monada – all of whom are men.” Despite her incredible talent and impactful lyricism, Gigi still struggles to be seen as a rapper who is worth receiving adulation. But she doesn’t let the politics of the industry distract her from the task at hand. Her focus is on recording history and opening up doors for other women.
Not only is Gigi an activist in song, but she is one in action as well. She was involved in the 2014/2015 #FeesMustFall movement, which was at dismantling an unequal education system that was further entrenching the unbalanced nature of the South African socio-economic landscape. “Young people shouldn’t struggle to go to school…We all should be entitled to education—especially if we’re capable and able to go through university—regardless of our financial standing.” Gigi has also started her own lingerie line which is for full-figured women. The purpose of the brand is to ensure that women feel comfortable in their skin and bodies, regardless of shape and size.
As we observe women’s month and celebrate the gallant women of the 1956 march, let’s take time to honour young women such as Gigi Lamayne who are fighting for a fair society today. Women who are taking their stand amid toxic masculinity and a patriarchal system that would have us cower in fear and subservience. There is no woman who will be struck in order for change to come. We are not rocks; we are human.
As frustrating as it is to deal with institutionalised misogyny regularly, Gigi is not backing down without a fight. Drawing on the energy of the women who marched to the Union Buildings in 1956, Gigi believes that “we cannot wait for solutions, we need to be a little bit more apologetic. We need to be a little bit more radical. There is a revolution that must take place, and it will be led by women.”