Form is never neutral. It is always charged with meaning. Imagine a griot in Mali, seated with a kora, his voice carrying genealogies of kings and the moral lessons of centuries. Now imagine a rapper in Ajegunle, Lagos, or in the Bronx, delivering verses that narrate survival, pride, and defiance. Separated by centuries and continents, both are united by purpose: to turn rhythm and language into living memory. Both griot and rapper are more than entertainers. They are custodians of identity, architects of memory, and interpreters of truth…