Our People, Our Spirit, Our Stories | Akala
Black History Season Exhibition
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AKALA | Voice, Vision and Social Change
Kingslee James McLean Daley (born 1 December 1983), known professionally as Akala, is a British rapper, writer and activist. In 2006, he was voted the Best Hip Hop Act at the MOBO Awards and has been included on the annual Powerlist of the 100 most influential Black British people in the UK, most recently making the 2021 edition.
Raised in Kentish Town, Camden, he emerged as a leading voice in UK hip-hop, using his platform to address issues of race, class, history and identity.
For Akala, Camden is more than a place; it is the community that shaped his political consciousness, cultural identity and lifelong commitment to education, creativity and social justice
He gained national recognition after winning Best Hip Hop Act at the 2006 MOBO Awards and has since built a reputation for intelligent, thought-provoking lyricism that challenges social inequalities and encourages critical thinking.
Beyond music, Akala founded the Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company in 2009, an innovative educational initiative that explores the connections between hip-hop and Shakespeare, inspiring young people through language, performance and creativity
His bestselling 2018 book, Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire, further established him as a respected author and public intellectual. Combining personal experiences with historical analysis, the book examines the lasting impact of empire, inequality and racism in modern Britain.
Today, Akala remains a powerful commentator, educator and artist whose work continues to inspire audiences worldwide to think critically about society, culture and history
One of the most fiercely political yet reassuringly accessible British voices of a generation
– I-D Magazine