Nigeria, Liberia, Zimbabwe – Built in 2015, Voice2Rep (formerly called Rap2Rep), is a first-of-its-kind music competition searching for underground and undiscovered music artists who support greater representation, participation and accountability across Nigeria, Liberia and Zimbabwe. It gives rising stars a platform to make their voices heard, connect with socially-conscious leaders in the music industry, and build the skills they need to shape the future of the country through music.
Voice2Rep is a campaign of a local civil-society organization, Accountability Lab Liberia, which acts as an incubator for technological ideas at the intersection of integrity, transparency, and open government with a focus on supporting a new generation of active citizens and responsible leaders.
Over the years, Voice2Rep campaigns have innovatively centered on women’s inclusion in election processes, issues of gender-based violence, and anti-corruption. These issues are communicated to the public using the “Hip-co” tone, a genre that uses Liberian Pidgin English with high-BPM dance rhythms and also touches of reggae, hip hop and RnB. Dating back to the Liberian Civil War, it has been long-standing genre that tackles socio-political issues in the country and is a means for young people to express themselves in a relatable, viral way.
Each year, the campaign culminates in a large national concert where the five selected artists perform in front of the public. Live television and radio broadcasts showcase their message to a national audience, who can vote by SMS, WhatsApp and online for their favorites. The winning songs are professionally produced and shared across the country and around the world. Voice2Rep builds a network of musicians, producers, mentors, judges and fans of socially conscious music passionate about using their voices to advocate for the change they would like to see.
Voice2Rep’s first album, “In These Present Times” featuring all the musicians involved is available on all major streaming platforms Spotify, iTunes, Deezer and Amazon Music.
“Voice2Rep has proven that music artists can be actors of change by supporting reforms, while positively influencing societal behavior.”
