Born to Ghanaian parents in the economically strained Athenian district of Ampelokipoi and raised in the neglected Kypseli neighborhood, Negros Tou Moria—real name Kofi Ansong, also known as Black Morris—found his voice in Greek rap alongside the iconic
Since his early days, he’s honed a distinctive sound with his record company Stay Independent, earning the Best New Artist title at the Thessaloniki Hip Hop Festival in 2014 and releasing his second album, H.E.A.L.T.H. (How Economy And Love Tortured Humanity), in 2018. Now, as far-right rhetoric surges in Greece, NTM stands among Athens’ migrant artists using hip-hop to confront injustice. Rappers like Kareem Kalokoh and the ATH Kids crew deliver English bars over booming trap beats, while Greek-Nigerian Moose uplifts Kypseli’s vibrant spirit. NTM, however, has forged a singular Greek-language path.
Since his 2012 debut mixtape, NTM has pioneered “trabetiko,” melding rebetiko—the raw, soulful folk music of Greece’s working class—with trap’s modern edge. On Mavri Ellada (Black Greece), he swaps the melodic flow of his early work for a commanding, gravelly baritone, reflecting his growth as a second-generation Greek. Often donning traditional tsarouchia shoes or a fustanella skirt, he weaves cultural threads into his art.
This album expands his sonic range. Euthinofovos cruises on G-funk vibes, An Einai Dinaton throbs with Afrobeats, and PragmatiKotita ignites with dancefloor synths. NTM’s voice anchors every turn—smooth and introspective on Euthinofovos, sharp and urgent on PragmatiKotita’s heavy kicks. His strength lies in trabetiko’s core: Oneiro pairs a 1950s Greek film sample with a punishing beat as he raps about police stops, while the title track blends rebetiko’s bouzouki trill with deep sub-bass, probing Greece’s dependence on—and disdain for—immigrants.
With this bolder, darker voice, NTM tackles xenophobia and economic hardship with unrelenting fire. Mavri Ellada is a powerful testament to identity and resilience from the heart of Athens’ underserved streets
Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmorris37/?hl=en
Source: The Guardian
