Bad Hair & Bad Decisions
by Phil Chard
Friday September 23rd was meant to be the day that marked another significant step forward in South African Hip Hop, a day that would signify the passing of the guard as a new, young and extremely talented artist who seemed to have the support and adoration of all was poised to cement his arrival and carve the first major etch of his career. Nasty C's début album Bad Hair was poised to be a seminal offering. However not everything always goes to plan.
After announcing on Thursday the 22nd of September that his album would be delayed due to clearance issue Nasty reappeared late on Friday evening to declare that the album was now available for download and streaming via audiomack - a free streaming service. The same platform that he uploaded his breakout Price City Mixtape.
Decided to release Bad Hair for free. This is for my family 🙏🏾☔️😤: https://t.co/8WqHyWg7Xu
— Bad Hair 👇🏽 (@Nasty_CSA) September 23, 2016
The response on social media reflected just how extensive the demand for this project was. At the time of writing this Nasty C has the biggest song and album on Audiomack across all genres. In just over 48 hours Nasty C's Bad Hair has generated 245,000 streams and is more popular than releases from Juicy J, Young Thug, Fabolous and TI's Hustle Gang. That in itself is an incredible achievement and a testament to how popular Nasty has become. A teenager from Kwazulu-Natal released an album that has more INTERNATIONAL appeal than releases from some of the world's biggest rappers including Young Thug who is one of Nasty C's idols. This achievement supersedes those of his compatriots who celebrate reaching the top of the iTunes chart, as that chart is limited to purchases made from users with South African Apple IDs.
This is the kind of impact that @Nasty_CSA's Free Album #BadHair (#1 Album on Audiomack) is having on his fans!
— audiosnap on the app (@audiomack) September 24, 2016
So if Nasty C managed to release his album and it basically went Diamond on Audiomack shouldn't we all be celebrating and hailing Nasty C for the Hip Hop messiah that he has clearly proven himself to be? In short- Yes and No.
This is what led us to this point.
Nasty C dropped Price City, one of the best mixtapes to ever grace South African Hip Hop in early 2015. Word of a rap wunderkind soon spread and Nasty's song Juice Back helped break him into the mainstream. He followed that up with a series of notable features, the Juice Back Remix and a 2015 SA Hip Hop Award for Rookie of The Year. In 2016 Nasty then dropped the Price City Deluxe project which was a re-release of the 2015 mixtape of the same name including 5 new songs. Nasty then announced that he had received a call from Jay-Z's Roc Nation which triggered a rumoured bidding war for the rapper's signature behind the scenes. Surprisingly the rapper opted to sign with the relatively unknown label Mabala Noise which opened a completely new set of questions. Nasty then announced that he would be releasing his debut offering Bad Hair on September 23. At this stage Nasty's position as the heir apparent to the SA Hip Hop thrown was all but guaranteed. All was left for him to produce an album that fulfilled all the promise and potential he had shown up until this point. Early reviews from the album suggest that he managed to achieve that.
[button url=https://www.africanhhb.com/2016/07/mabala-noise-just-turned-the-industry-on-its-head-we-try-make-sense-of-it-all.html target=blank icon=windows]Read More About Mabala Signing Nasty C [/button]
So where is the problem?
Well the first sign of trouble came on September 22 when Nasty C announced via Twitter that the album would be delayed due to a sample clearance issue. Clearing a sample is not a new a issue in Hip Hop, it is in fact the bedrock in which the sound of the culture was built. Since sample clearance is such a fundamental part of compiling an album it was a surprise that this would hold the project up. Surely someone in Nasty's team or Mabala Noise had budgeted for this occurrence?
Nasty C fans, myself included, took the news with disappointment. As long as Bad Hair dropped in good time we would all show support and buy it. September 23rd rolled around and Nasty then announced that Bad Hair was now available for free download on Audiomack.
Had the sample been cleared? Had the young rapper decided to release the album without confirming with the label ? Why release an album for free?
While I made an attempt to contact the relevant parties to get some answers I speculated about the details of the album release on Twitter. On early Saturday morning I got my answers from an individual intimately acquainted with the situation.
According to him, Universal Music South Africa had partnered with Mabala Noise on a Production And Distribution deal with Mabala Noise for Bad Hair. What this means is that Universal would pay for the pressing of CDs and distribute the album across various physical and digital outlets. Once those costs had been recouped it would then share the profits with Mabala Noise dependant on whatever deal they struck. Track 10 of Bad Hair titled A Star Is Born features a sample from Grover Washington Jr. This sample failed to be cleared on time and Nasty, possibly overcome with frustration or a desire not to disappoint his fans (probably both) decided to release to the album for free.
There are several reasons why this was short sighted. Firstly, Nasty C is no longer an independent artist. He is now signed to a label that is rumoured to have given him a more than a substantial signing bonus to secure his talents. One of the ways Mabala would get a return on their sizeable investment would be via album sales.
Secondly, Nasty C circumvented the distribution deal with Universal Music who signed onto distribute a paid album based off the demand they estimated it had. Now that the album has been released for free this demand is no longer as high as it was a day before the album dropped. According to this report from Rapport the cost to produce and distribute a Bad Hair CD without royalty considerations is approximately R19 a disc. Based off recent sales and the demand for this album as displayed by its high stream count, let's say Universal printed 10,000 CDs of Bad Hair for a first run. If that math holds up Nasty C cost his label and universal R190,000 just off the top in input costs for CDs that were printed but may no longer be purchased. No to mention costing himself a potential R83,000 in mechanical royalty payments.
A brealdopwn of revenue splits from a R100 CD via Rapport SA Music Report
There is no way to tell how many of the fans that have generated the 244,000 streams or the thousands of direct downloads of the album would have actually bought the album . But it is hard to imagine a scenario where a casual fan who might have purchased Bad Hair legally had it been released via a store, still opting to spend $10 on it, when they can download it for free with Nasty C's tacit consent.
The Real Cost
But all these costings are hypothetical. Let's look at the real costs here. Firstly Nasty C still went ahead and released a song with a sample in dispute. Even though he released it for for free, as we've seen with lawsuits filed against Kendrick Lamar and Mac Miller he could still find himself in court for using the sample. Nasty had so many other options available to him with regard to that sample, such as getting a Jazz musician to recreate the Grover Washington sample and produce what is called an interpolation or sourcing another sample altogether. Releasing the album while the song was in dispute was the worst option.
Nasty C could also find himself being sued by Universal and even his own label if they fail to recoup the expenses incurred on this album.
The biggest cost caused by this disastrous release however will be felt by the music industry at large. Particularly the South African Hip Hop community who are looking to build a sustainable industry that pays its members. Without a doubt Nasty C's album was the most commercially viable South African Hip Hop release in recent years. Possibly ever. Nasty C was and still is Sa Hip Hop's chosen one in many respects. He represents the nexus of intricate, skilled lyricism with commercially viable hit making. That is a rare skillset that few artists before him have possessed.
Nasty has built a throng of fans who were clamouring to support him and buy into his brand. I personally feel Bad Hair was poised to go double platinum within 6 months of release. It's hard to argue with that when Nasty C is generating more streams than established American artists who have marketing budgets that far exceed that of Nasty. When the most commercially viable artist in an industry who is loved and revered by a whole new generation who are poised to become the next wave of Hip Hop fans, releases the most anticipated project in recent history history for free, he is essentially devaluing the whole market. What Nasty C has done is tell his fans that an album that takes untold hours to make, with 16 solid tracks and a hit single, is essentially only worth the megabytes it costs you to download/stream it. As it stands the cost of a good album is free ninety nine according to Nasty. If you are a rapper looking to break into this industry or feed your family this does not bode well for you. When the rapper who is literally at the top of the totem pole releases work for free what message does that send to young fans when another artist tries to charge them for an album that is not as popular?
Some might argue that releasing the music for free doesn't affect Nasty because he could easily make back these losses on performances. That is true. But what happens when Nasty is 40 and tired of touring? Or when his music isn't as commercially viable? It is at those times that royalty cheques for PAID releases help sustain an artist. Long after their career has had its time.
There are others who might point to other artists who have released free albums that later found their way onto paid platforms. However in those instances those artists did not violate existing distribution deals when releasing their work. You will also find that artists release free projects to help build interest and awareness in their brand. This interest is then converted into demand which then justifies the release of a paid project. There is a long list of artists who started by releasing free mixtapes before offering a fully commercial debut. With Nasty C, his Price City projects were the appetisers, the streams on Bad Hair prove he created incredible demand, enough to justify a paid release.
Releasing this album may have helped appease Nasty's fans and display his incredible talent to the world. But this was a highly short sighted decision that could prove to be very costly in the long run. There is no way Nasty will sell as many copies of Bad Hair as he would have had the album dropped first for purchase. Ultimately, the streaming numbers may look incredible but NBasty was in ooaition to achieve much more and possibly smash a number of records in the process. He still do it, but we may also never know.
Nasty is only 19. He is young, handsome and talented. Every weekend he goes out and performs to thousands of adoring fans screaming his name and reciting his lyrics. Everyday I'm sure his phone is filled with messages from fans expressing their appreciation for his talents in various ways. That alone is a powerful drug, sometimes it can prove to be too much for someone that young. Therefore I don't expect Nasty to know any better. He is a kid. His job is to enjoy life and produce good music. He fulfilled his end of the bargain. However, his team and record label SHOULD know better. Where was his manager and legal advisor to detract him from going through with this idea? Why didn't someone call him immediately after he initially released the project and instruct him to delete the tweet and album? Why is it that a whole two days later the project is still available for streaming and free download? Even though Universal has scrambled and managed to get it into stores for purchase, Mabala Noise is losing revenue every minute it remains up for free download or streaming? There seems to be a real lack of leadership in Nasty's camp and my biggest concern is if the people who are paid to protect his interests actually have Nasty's interests at heart.
Reggie Nkabinde Of Mabala Held A Press Conference But We Still Have More Questions Than Answers
by Phil Chard
After the serious allegations mounted against them by Julius Malema on Friday afternoon, Mabala Noise owner and ANC Youth League Treasurer General, Reginald Nkabinde decided to get out ahead of the scandal and convene a press conference of his own where he addressed a number of issues regarding the allegations laid against him and his company.
In response to how Mabala Noise is funding it operations and the allegations of an illegal relationship between the government , the ANC and the record label, Mr Nkabinde has this to say
“Mabala Noise is not doing business with any government.You are all welcome to go to the departmewnt of water affairs and seek a report about Malabla Noise. Malaba noIse is not doing any tender[s]”
In response to where the Mabala Noise gets its money, Mr. Nkabinde was defiant and openly declared that he has never received any funds directly from the ANC to fund Mabala Noise . He openly expressed that he was a businessman and he used the proceeds from his other businesses to fund Mabala’s operations.
“Mabala is an independent black owned company. It is not getting funding from anywhere else [besides Mr. Nkabinde himself]”
Major League G-42
Riky Rick at Major League Gardens
When asked about the potential conflict of interest that could occur if Mabala artists are booked to perform at ANC Youth League events (an organisation where Mr Nkabinde is the Treasurer General) he expressed that he was in business and running Mabala Noise long before he was elected into current position as the Treasurer General , yet he failed to actually answer the question. Whether he has been running the company for 5 weeks or 5 years the fact that he holds an active position within the company will present a massive conflict of interest if the man responsible for overseeing ANC Youth League funds is paying artists that work for his company.
In response to the insinuations made by Mr Malema about Mr Nkabinde's relationship with Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, Mr Nkabinde described it as as a mother and son relationship.
However when asked asked to address one of the biggest questions we have all had about Mabala Noise, a question I have had from long before Malema's accusations - about what Mabala Noise is offering these artists, Mr Nkabinde once again failed to provide to concise answer. He also kept referring to Riky Rick as Riky Riky which I found very amusing.
“Riky Rick[y] it's a public knowledge that he charges R65,000.[per performance] . There’s never been a weekend where Riky is not working . Just in a weekend Riky Rick[y] maybe he has 2,3 shows. When you calculate that in a month, it tells you that Riky Rick[y] as an individual, as an artist he is able to make R500,000 to R600,000 . And that on its own suggests that Riky Rick[y] can live a comfortable life as artist so why go and sell yourself for 5 million when you can live to live comfortably and he has been an independent .”
Major League G-15So let's use the figures provided by Mr Nkabinde and use some rough calculations and estimations. Please note these are not based off any actually figures. If Riky is doing 2 shows a weekend at R65,000 that comes to R520,000 a month in gross revenue. Riky doesn’t have a band , so let's assume that his tour DJ is taking 20% and a manager/ booking agent taking another 20%. That estimation leaves Riky with R312,000 a month. Which is R3,744,000 a year. That's a pretty decent living wage. So the question remains Mr Nkabinde. By your own admission, Riky was earning upward of R3.7 million a year (we have not factored in brand endorsements), so why would he sign onto your label for anything less that what he was already earning? Even if you subsidise the costs of music and video production. Why would he sign onto a label when he was doing pretty well for himself as an independent ? (those are also your words)That R5,000,000 figure does not seem so far fetched now that you have given us a glimpse into Riky’s earning potential. (Sidebar; get your paper Riky)
This press conference seems to have left more room for new questions rather than addressing the ones raised on Friday. I am still wondering about the conflict of interest if Mabala artists are booked for ANC gigs . I am still wondering how lucrative these contracts are and what their details are; does Mabala own all the publishing rights? Is it a 360 degree deal? Do artists have signing bonuses and album budgets?
Juju The Magnificent
While we ask these questions we should not let Mr Malema distract us from the fact that this whole incident might have been inspired by sour grapes. Besides what you may think of him or how the media paints him, Mr Malema is a very intelligent man who has used smoke and mirrors on a number of occasions to twist the narrative in his favour. Throughout his conversation on Friday Mr Malema continued to reiterate that his small upstart of a political party could not keep pace financially with the ANC and their main opposition the DA. According to Mr Malema the ANC spent R1 Billion where the DA spent R350,000,000 and the EFF pledged to spend no more than R10,000,000 on their campaign budgets. We should also not forget that artist like Cassper Nyovest, Riky Rick and Major League seemed to have aligned themselves with the EFF as well performing at EFF events.
We Used To Be EFFriends - Curated tweets by PhilChard
Now every artist has the right to be compensated for their work and they are free to perform at events organised by any political party , even if that means performing at a party they may not necessarily support. But in all honesty, South Africa might be free a country but it is not THAT free. Just ask iFani about the fallout after he accepted a DA cheque. We also have the tweet spectacle AKA made on about Cassper , Riky Rick and Major League returning to ANC from the EFF. The timing of their return, just before the elections and just after signing their deals at Mabala is more than curious. (as far as we know Cassper is still independent and has he has no affiliation with Mabala) .
There is clearly more to the Mabala story that meets the eye , whether or not all these questions will be answered remains to be seen. At the very least I hope this results in an incredible record label versus political party musical beef that is on levels we have never seen before.
Riky just dropped his new FAIRFAX freestyle where he declares “when you see me going up you wanna see me going down, every time I need you , you never come around “ . Considering the fact that the video dropped just 4 days after Julius’ statement sit is high likely that this song was recorded before the allegations. But we can always speculate can’t we ?
We Spoke To Gigi LaMayne About Her New Deal With Mabala Noise
by Phil Chard
Soon after Gigi LaMayne announced that she would be singing with Mabala noise I got hold of the young rapper via chat to discuss her new deal and why she decided to take it. The normally outspoken and talkative rapper played it very coy and refused to share much beyond what was absolutely necessary during our conversation.
HI Gigi , can you tell us about your recent signing to Mabala Noise?
Gigi LaMayne: I'm so excited to be a part of a stable i can call home. I needed a lot of guidance on an A&R level and because of that, I had to make the switch to Mabala Noise. Please trust that this is the beginning of an African Music Empire.
What made you decide to sign with them?
I needed a record label. A home.
I'm sure they weren't the only label looking to sign you. What did they offer you that other labels cannot?
Unlimited support musically. I didn't have to focus on anything else other than music
What do you mean by unlimited support?
Studio, PR [Public Relations], distribution, etc all in one.
Are you able to share any details on the contract you signed?
No unfortunately. Not yet
Mabala Noise also do event promotion, has their been talk of a tour for these new artists as yet?
I can't say yet.: 😂
What about iGenesis? Any updates on its release now that you are signed?
It's gonna be sooner than people thought
Oooh. How many songs have you recorded thus far?
18
Wow. How many are you hoping to keep on this project?
Not sure. We are still to decide
At the press conference there was talk about elevating local acts to a point where they could demand R1,000,000 booking fees locally and abroad. How does Mabala plan to do that?
I think you need to speak to a representative of Mabala Noise. Not an artist. Lol😂
Gigi LaMayne was also interviewed recently by AfroPop Worldwide for their new podcast series. During the interview Gigi discussed #FeesMustFall and why so few rappers of her generation are speaking out against political issues .
Mabala Noise Just Turned the Industry On Its Head. We Try Make Sense Of It All
by Phil Chard
In a surprising press conference called earlier today South African Entertainment stable Mabala Noise brought out 12 new acts who were all dressed in some snazzy Mabala Noise varsity jackets to announce that they had all signed to the label. The new additions to their roster include
Malabala'ss new artists are
Nasty C
Gigi LaMayne
Zakwe
Zola
Pro
Major League DJz
DJ Finzo
Letoya Makhene
Jay Spitter
Kay Sibiya
Khanyi Mbau
DJ Finzo
The news that the relatively unknown label managed to snag the most sought after artist in South African Hip Hop - Nasty C was a massive surprise. I managed to call Nasty C’s publicist Pierre Ball who had this to say on the signing.
“Mabala Noise is trying to do something very amazing with these artists...they're trying to create platforms where artists in South Africa [are given] a chance financially and support wise to allow these artists to become artists that can compete on an international level. Being one of the flagship artists on Mabala Noise Nasty C is very excited, we have people like Gigi LaMayne, legends like Zola and Major League DJz, we're very excited to see what's gonna happen in the future. “
Mabala Got The Juice
Nasty’s signing comes on the eve of his highly anticipated debut album and months after the highly speculated links between him and Jay Z’s Roc Nation. Granted he did spark those rumours with his tweet.
Got a call from Roc Nation recently to schedule a meeting 🙌🏽.. I owe it all to you! 🇿🇦 for believing in me. Thank you 🙏🏾
— Bad Hair (@Nasty_CSA) May 1, 2016
The Roc Nation meeting is still in the plans. I haven't met anyone from the label, I haven't signed any deal.
— Bad Hair (@Nasty_CSA) May 14, 2016
Gigi LaMayne who also signed to the label still has a management deal with Refiloe Ramagose’s Dreamteam South Africa imprint following her Jack Scouts win in 2014. After graduating from Wits, Gigi had also announced the formation of her own digital media agency - Hart Roc Entertainment, which she says is “aimed at eradicating youth unemployment in the arts sector “. How she will handle these 3 separate business arrangements is still unclear at the moment.
Zakwe who made his name under Sipho Sithole’s Native Rythms Label where he released his self titled debut album and 2015’s Impande now departs for the upstart label.
Pro and Zola who are both highly respected veterans in South African Hip Hop are clearly intent on releasing new music. The legends will. Also be joined by socialite cum presenter cum general Queen of Slayage Khanyi Mbau. But can she rap tho? My only introduction to her Hip Hop offerings was her verse on the Shabang Remix.
The most intriguing thing about all these signings is the question of how incredible the value proposition that Mabala is presenting to these artists. Nasty C was the bell of the ball and could pick and choose his destination. Major League DJz and Riky Rick (yeah don't forget they signed him too last month) were both successful independent artists. The Banele twins are also successful event promoters in their own right. Though new to the Hip Hop arena, Khanyi Mbau is a powerful brand on her own that should be able sell a few tickets on that alone and Zola has been very outspoken about his disdain for the industry and the role labels play in them.
All these artists join a roster that includes Ms Jones, Lvovo, DJ Chynaman and Du Boiz..
What Is A Mabala Noise?
So who is running Mabala Noise and how have they been able to progress from general obscurity to forming one of Africa's formidable labels in just a few months?
Well the company Mabala Noise (Emabalabala) is co-owned by Bongani Dlamini -Ngcobo more affectionately as DJ Bongz (who has the best dance ever) and Reginald Nkabinde. Mr Nkabinde is a flamboyant businessman, politician and philanthropist who has been known to throw a killer party or two. His 31st birthday party lasted three days. Mr Nkabinde is also a director at Urban Dynamics -a Joburg based construction and housing development firm. In 2015 Mr. Nkabinde was also appointed as the Treasurer General of The ANC’s Youth League.
Yes, this one is different. It IS better than suchnsuch. Plenty of sit downs were had. Da papers shoulda been made outta candy if u ask me
— Bad Hair (@Nasty_CSA) July 21, 2016
To whoever even cares. Yes I'm EXTREMELY happy with the deal. Back to work it is. ✌🏽️😊
— Bad Hair (@Nasty_CSA) July 21, 2016
Aside from acting as a label Mabala Noise is also an events promoter, they were behind the recent concert at the Durban July that brought Chris Brown, Eve and Tinashe to South Africa. They have also organised events such as the Donalds Dam Picnic Explosion.
It is very clear that Mabala has a vision and and an expense budget impressive enough to convince all these artists to sign up en masse. Whether or not they will be able to fulfill their promises or achieve their lofty goals is yet to be seen.
We live in very interesting times and I for one can't wait to see how this all unfolds