AKA’s Video For The World Is Yours Shows His Intent To Build His IIIRD WRLD Brand
Words By Phil Chard
The Supa Cala Fragilistic Mega just dropped his new video for his single The World Is Yours. Shot in Phuket, Thailand during his baecation with Bonang (who also makes a cameo) the video features scenes cliff side villas with infinity pools overlooking the sea, night time to shots of the country's famous markets and boat tours that have me looking out my office window solemnly.
The biggest takeaway from this video is how AKA has begun to make a concerted effort to develop his IIIRD WRLD brand. After attempting and failing to get out of his contract with Vth Season, AKA has been making an effort to establish his personal and company brands separate from his label.
In April last year long before the tweet trades aimed at Benza and Co, AKA launched the audio slide for his Dreamwork on IIIRD WRLD . Up until that point IIIRD WRLD had been something of a forgotten asset. The platform had launched about three years ago with much hype from AKA and Da L.E.S but quickly became a blog that merely reposted content from international sites. Eventually the site just stopped being updated and it no longer seemed to be a priority for the artists anymore.
However in 2017 AKA seems more focused on building his brand. the website now contains all of his music and even had banner ads for an energy drink! He also has his own cameraman who not only supplies AKA with high quality images for his Instagram page but has also been producing mini behind the scenes documentaries of AKA which are now being hosted on his IIIRD WRLD YouTube page.
Right now it is all speculation as to whether or not AKA is still intent on leaving Vth Season. I've been given a lot of information on the issue but until it's confirmed it is merely hearsay. What I do know is that this is the right direction for AKA and his brand and other artists should take note. AKA has also been building his Supa Mega clothing line which he sells at his SUpa MEga branded shows. Always look to build your brand on your own. Don't rely on anyone to do it for you.
African Hip Hop Blog Chart Watch January 30 2017
Words By Phil Chard
The team here at the African Hip Hop Blog are obsessed with numbers and trend analysis. To satiate our desire to figure out where urban and hip hop music is headed on the continent we have decided to start watching the charts and trying to see if we can read the tea leaves and see where consumer behaviour is trending..
We initially began #AHHBChartWatch on Twitter - where we would analyse the iTunes charts from the continent's three major markets ; South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. However we soon realised that daily updates were not necessary because the charts are pretty stagnant. For example the iTunes Nigeria album chart has been frozen for the past week.
For now we will be using Soundcharts to monitor iTunes charts and Myplaydata.com for the Nigerian radio charts. We do have plans to start collating data from Kenya and South Africa with details from other regions to follow soon after that.
SOUTH AFRICA
Singles
The South African charts are the most active charts in the region with a fair amount of churn in the top ten. As of today Monday the 30th of January 2017 - Migos train smash of a hit is number one. The song has been firmly rooted St the number one spot for a week now. The song appears on the list twice (No. 1 and 10). This is because the single version of the song and the album version of the song are now available since the release of Migos new album Culture.
The first local entry on the chart is OKMALUMKOOLKAT at number with the Gqi taken off his highly anticipated solo debut album.
The next and final entry on the chart is AKA with The World Is Yours. Expect the video for that on February 2.
Albums
The album chart is once again dominated by Migos. Okmalumkoolkat is at number 2. Mlazi Milano has been hopping around the top 3 spots daily for the last week peaking at its current position.
Nasty C's Bad Hair Extensions is currently at three. It too has been hopping around the charts. It peaked at number 2 within the last week before falling out of the top 10 completely only to surge up to number 3 on the 25th of January.
Once again the rest of the chart is dominated by American acts. Special mention must go to Drake and J Cole who have had all three if the km their last respective projects floating in and out of the tip ten.
Nigeria
SINGLES
The Nigerian chart is a little more stagnant when compared to the South African. Missy Elliott surged to number one today with her comeback single I'm Better. The only other appearances from African artists are from P-Square with Personally at 5 (released in 2014) and Caro by Starboy, LAX and Wizkid at 7 (released 2013).
Album
As mentioned before the iTunes album chart in Nigeria has been frozen for a week. M.I's Chairman is still number despite it being over 2 years old.
Kenya
Singles
The Kenyan singles chart has been dominated by Americans, particularly Wiz Khalifa. His song See You Again has been at number 1 for a month. Darassa's Muziki has been hopping around the top 3 spots over the last week. With A.Y's Zigo at 7 still holding strong over a year after it was released.
Album
The Kenyan album chart is dominated American albums and catalog albums like 2Pac's and The Notorious B.I.G's Greatest Hits compilations.
Myplaydata
Wizkid's Daddy Yo has jumped to number 1 and is now the biggest song in Nigeria a month after it was first released just before Christmas. Dammy Krane's and Davido's collaboration Izzue comes in at 2 while Runtown's Mad Over You has dropped from number 1 to 3. Tekno's Pana has now spent 27 weeks on the chart and jumped back into the top 5.
AKA’s Supa Mega Show Rocks Cape Town
Words by Sabelo Mkhabela
Last weekend, South African rapper AKA brought his Supa Mega Show concert to Cape Town, his city of birth. On the bill were his allies Kwesta, Da L.e.s, JR and Yanga. AKA kicked the weekend takeover with a pop-up shop of Supa Mega Show merchandise on Thursday and a meet-and-greet on Friday.
Lost Property shop, Cape Town, Friday 16 September
Two young women are having a conversation with AKA at Lost Property, a sneaker shop in Cape Town, where the rapper’s pop-up shop is held. They are telling him they flew all the way from Joburg for the show happening the following day. AKA is flattered. However there’s a small problem. “But I told you guys on Instagram: I said, ‘Guys, it’s going down.’” he retorts when they tell him they don’t have tickets, and the show is now sold out.
T-shirts and sweaters hang on racks in the small shop, where only about four people are allowed in at a time. His crew is in there, so it’s busy and crammed. “Let me sell you guys some clothes,” the rapper says to a group that has just walked in. He goes through the racks, taking the fans through the merchandise. There’s a pink long sleeve sweater with a line from his song “Dreamwork”: “Dollar sign got me in a good mood”. There are black and white Ts and sweaters with a low-light image of AKA on stage, facing up, arms open wide.
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AKA is a down-to-earth sweetheart today, far from the asshole everyone thinks he is, because of his relentless Twitter persona. He makes conversation with and thanks and hugs everyone who buys something as he signs their shopping bags. While I was in the queue earlier, a group of girls asked me if AKA is in the shop, to which I said yes. One of them couldn’t contain herself; she screamed and jumped up and down, her face gleaming with excitement. The queue is long; fans have come out in numbers.
Shimmy Beach Club, Saturday 17 September
I’m late for the show – I’ve missed performances by Kwesta, JR, Yanga and Da L.e.s, and it’s all good. I’m only here for AKA, and I walk in a few minutes after he takes to the stage. He is Him and the crowd are performing “Composure” as I walk in. it’s the savagery that follows that cracks me up. When he gets to that “I’m the reason everyone had ‘The Saga’ on repeat/ Now you wanna go and charge me 80 000 for a beat,” line he repeats it over and over, and his band transitions to “The Saga”.
The energy is insane. The trendy cool kids in the crowd are rapping and singing along to every word of the rapper’s array of hits. The beach sand outside Shimmy, where the stage is, is not allowing me to be great as it finds a new home in my Chucks. I catch a few elbows as I make my way to the front row to film and take pictures – my efforts don’t yield the result. No one is willing to retreat from the front row. It’s a difficult event to document, but I persevere.
Da L.e.s, Yanga and JR come in and out to join Supa Mega on stage for songs they are featured in. One thing I don’t like is that AKA’s mic is on autotune throughout his set. So even when he speaks or raps, it sounds like he’s singing. But the band, though, is the meaning of life. Master A Flat’s face contorts as he strums keys on the corner. DJ Fanatic is on the wheels of steel, and doubles as the hypeman. There’s a drummer and an electric guitarist. So, when you are told the Supa Mega Show is a production, believe it.
The sound quality could have been better, but AKA is bringing it, with a never waning energy.
I catch the Holy Ghost when he performs “I Want It All”, one of my favourite AKA songs, a song which he said he was performing for his day-one fans. Not many of them here, judging from the response.
Bottom line: AKA is still one of the best hip-hop performers in South Africa, I’m just really not sure about the autotune..
Submissions For The SA Hip Hop Awards Are Now Open
by Phil Chard
Submissions for this year’s South African Hip Hop Awards are now opened. As announced on Saturday the SA Hip Hop Summit, the theme for this year is “Who Wants To Be A Billionaire” and Osmic has promised that this year’s edition of the SAHHA will be the biggest and most inclusive yet. Artists now have the option of submitting their work via drobox as well as posting it to the organisers or using the physical drop box located at the Africa Museum in Newtown.
Any SA Hip Hop album/mixtape/video/event/song/that was released or impactful or effective during period of 15th September 2015 to 15th September 2016. The nominated art form must be released or occur in South Africa.
The artist/group must be South African, if not then they must have a South African work permit and their work must be produced and released in the Republic of South Africa.
Outlet Submissions: Only 1x correctly labelled envelope with hard copies of material will be accepted per entry. Include 2x CDs, artist profiles, and press releases.
Dropbox Submissions: Only 1x correctly labelled ZIP file will be accepted per entry. Upload digital copies of material, artist profiles and press releases.
Courier Services: Only 1x correctly labelled envelope with hard copies of material will be accepted per entry. Include 2x CDs, artist profiles and press releases.
Submissions end 21st October 2016! [/toggle]
[toggle title='Submission Outlets']
SAHHA Dropbox Folder
Museum Africa; Lilian Ngoyi St, Newtown, Johannesburg, 2033
Courier Deliveries
4 Pritchard Street,
1801 The Franklin Building,
Johannesburg, 2001
GENERAL ENQUIRIES
Drop an email at ritualstores@gmail.com or call 082 073 2109
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
* Originality, popularity, quality, visibility, sales, impact, melody and composition.
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
* Number of singles, quality, quantity, arrangement, innovation, impact.
HUSTLER OF THE YEAR
* Endorsements or any other achievements acquired through Hip Hop.
BEST HIP HOP RADIO SHOW
* This award will go to the nominee that gets most votes from the public. The voting will be conducted in various mediums of communications.
KING OF THE PROVINCE
* This is for anyone making major moves that benefit the Hip Hop movement in the province. 9 awards, 1 for each province.
• KING OF EASTERN CAPE
• KING OF WESTERN CAPE
• KNG OF MPUMALANGA
• KING OF NORTHERN CAPE
• KING OF NORTH WEST
• KING OF FREE STATE
• KING OF KWAZULU-NATAL
• KING OF LIMPOPO
• KING OF GAUTENG
BEST INTERNATIONAL BRAND
* This is for an international corporate brand that is playing a role in the development of SA Hip Hop.
BEST LOCAL BRAND
* This is for a South African clothing brand that is strictly Hip Hop.
SONG OF THE YEAR
• Airplay, popularity, quality, relevance, originality.
BEST DANCE CREW AWARD
* The Hip Hop dance crew that achieved the most in the past year.
HONORARY AWARDS
* This is a lifetime achievement award for those who contributed in the development of SA Hip Hop and are still active.
BEST COLLABO SONG
* The most popular rap song collaborated by 2 or more artists
DJ OF THE YEAR
* This is for the DJ who contributed immensely to SA Hip Hop in the past 12 months, be it on radio, clubs or sessions.
BEST FRESHMAN (NEW COMER)
* this is for a rapper who emerged and blew up the scene in the past 12 months.
MIX-TAPE OF THE YEAR
* popularity, quality, visibility, impact.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (MVP)
* this is for the most bankable artist in monetary terms through achievements.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
* Quality, storyline, relevance, airplay, YouTube hits.
BEST GRAFFITI ARTIST
* Pieces done in the past 12 months, originality, creativity and message relevance.
BEST MALE
* Male rapper consistent in the past 12 months with radio singles, videos, performances and a solid album.
BEST FEMALE
* Female rapper consistent in the past 12 months with radio singles, videos, performances and a solid album.
LYRICIST OF THE YEAR
* Consistent lyricism throughout the past 12 months, solid lyrical album.
PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
* Consistent promoter with most impactful Hip Hop events in the past 12 months.
MILESTONE AWARD
* This is an achievement award for those who accomplish remarkable things within SA Hip Hop ( 12 month period)
BEST DIGITAL SALES
*This award goes to the best-selling digital release.
BEST REMIX
*Airplay, popularity, quality, relevance, originality
WHO DOES THE JUDGING?
Preliminary judges come from a pool of local music industry professionals including musicians, songwriters, producers, recording engineers, music publishers, booking agents, program and music directors, talent coordinators and music marketing professionals. Final judging is done by music industry professionals who are not related nor connected to the nominees or their record labels.
These awards are not for the underground or commercial but for South African Hip Hop.
Event | The Supa Mega Show Cape Town
by Phil Chard
AKA will be taking his signature Supa Mega Show Cape Town this weekend. Supported by : Kwesta, Da L.E.S, JR and Yanga and hosted by Bonang and Kapital K , the event will mark the first time AKA will be performing in his hometown under his Supa Mega Show brand.
The Supa Mega Show will be held on Saturday, September 17th and doors open at 2PM.
Simon & Phil List Their Favourite South African-Nigerian Hip Hop Collabos
by Phil Chard
Nigeria and South Africa are undisputedly the two biggest powerhouses in the African music scene and, by extension, the African hip hop scene. Both countries are home to some of the biggest names in African hip hop, and when the two nations collaborate, it often produces some amazing work. With that in mind here are some of our favourite South African - Nigerian collaborations:
Undeniably the biggest SA-Naija collabo team right now is The A-Team, consisting of Da L.E.S, AKA and Burna Boy. The team has 5 singles in varying combinations since their formation- Special Someone, All Eyes On Me, Baddest, Birthday and Paid. Da L.E.S had discussed his interest in doing a full A-Team project in a few interviews, but noted that scheduling conflicts were hindering its completion. .
The two biggest beneficiaries and the South African – Nigerian Hip Hop Trade Scheme are undoubtedly AKA and Ice Prince. The two have mad enough songs that fit the criteria to fill an album.
AKA has manged to secure a number of big SA-Naija collaborations, the Super Mega was one of the first South African rappers to see the massive potential and benefits with the cross continental collabs. From working with Ice Prince on the N Word remix to the massively catchy Same Shit with Wande Coal to his current single with Nigerian Dancehall star Patoranking titled Special Fi Mi, AKA has been playing his part in facilitating the cultural exchange. AKA’s ear for new sounds and “no fee for collaborations” policy has also resulted in the Super Mega working with a number of upcoming artists and providing them with a much needed boost to their burgeoning careers. This was very evident when AKA got on the remix for one of the biggest songs of 2015 – EmTee’s Roll Up alongside Wizkid.
Since 2015, the youthful duo of EmTee and Nasty C have presented the most formidable threat to the dominance held by the old guard of successful rappers like AKA and Khuli Chana. In 2015 Nasty C cemented his arrival on the scene with the surprise commercial hit Juice Back. On the remix, the Durban ‘ute manged to rope in Nigerian superstar Davido and Cassper Nyovest.
The Motswakoriginator, Khuli Chana has also began looking further afield in recent years , working with the likes of Victoria Kimani and Muthoni, his two most impressive collaborations with Nigerian artists have come via E-Kelly’s production. The first of which was his massively popular No Lie that saw him working Patoranking. The second was the remix to YCee’s Condo which also featured KidX and Pato once again
South African DJ Dimples and his brand are synonymous with partying and party anthems. The DJ gave his turn up anthems the West African treatment when he enlisted Ice Prince and Emmy Gee for Bae Coupe and Burna Boy on the high energy Clean In This B.
Emmy Gee’s Rands and Nairas could be the poster child for South African - Nigerian Hip Hop collaborations; on the original he enlisted the help of AB Crazy who delivered one of his most impressive pieces of writing to date. On the remix for the massively popular song he upped the ante and recruited Cassper Nyovest & Anatii from South Africa and Ice Prince and Phyno from Nigeria to lend their verses to the hit single.
In 2014 Ice Prince was undoubtedly the biggest rapper on the continent. At the time he boasted over 500,000 followers on twitter (unheard of at the time) and everyone and their mama was clamouring for a verse from the Jos rapper. One of the few artists that managed to secure his services was L-Tido who got Ice to lend a verse to his song Fresh And Clean which was the fourth single off his sophomore album All Of Me.
Around the same time Ice Prince parlayed his massive popularity to get verse Sarkodie, Wizkid, M.I, Khuli Chana (Mercy Johnson dropped half a line. Her feature was window dressing)
Tweezy has had one of the most eventful careers in recent years. After producing three of the biggest songs on AKA’s album Levels, the producer has also been part of a few song writing controversies, awards show ticketing snafus and then a successful rebrand and transition from producer to performing artist. All within the space of two years!
His first singles as a solo artist was the song Ambitions. After receiving a positive response from critics and the populace alike Tweezy linked up with Khuli Chana, Victoria Kimani and Nigeria’s Ice Prince on the massively impressive remix.
In a recent conversation, M.I Abaga revealed that he just recorded a song with AKA and was keen to work with Nasty C. Long before talk of these high power collaborations floated across our timelines, the Chocolate City CEO did a song with Hip Hop Pantsula titled Superhuman that appeared on his Illegal Music II project.
And finally, the last song from this collaborative list of some of the best South African and Nigerian collabs is a song that has been my ringtone for close to a year now. Possibly one the of the best dance tracks to ever be released. A song by a Nigerian Rap/Pop star and a South African outfit more famous for their contributions to House. Banger by Runtown and Uhuru shall be taught in schools one day
There are also a number of impressive collaborations that appeared on albums that were not released as singles such as the only Doc Shebeleza remix we acknowledge featuring Burna Boy and Anatii’s Proper featuring Tiwa Savage. There is also Dreamteam’s Talk That Shit featuring AKA and Ice Prince.
Event | The SA Hip Hop Summit
by Phil Chard
Ritual Media Group, the same people behind the Sa Hip Hop Awards and Back To The City will be hosting a Hip Hop Summit that will be held on Saturday the 17th of September 2016 at the Museum Africa in Newtown.
“The aim of the summit is to address current issues relevant to the local Hip Hop scene, with topics ranging from music distribution to drug abuse, in efforts to finding workable solutions.”
Event Details
Date: 17 September 2016
Venue: Museum Africa - Lilian Ngoyi St, Newtown, Johannesburg, Gauteng 2033
Time: 08h00 - 18h00.
The Programme
There will be four sessions at the summit, each will have a panel of industry experts deeply engaging public participants on the following topics: The Music Business, Sponsorship Opportunities, Entrepreneurship and The Future of SA Hip Hop.
Jidenna in Joburg
by Phil Chard
The Swank Daddy Jidenna recently lit up the stage at The Good Luck bar in Johannesburg. We managed to catch some of the best shots from the night in the gallery above.
in my opinion The Good Luck Bar was not the best venue for a strictly musical show. The venue's design and galvanised steel sheet finishing look great for the "New Age Rustique" aesthetic is was trying to create that appeals to the Hipsters, but it does not lend itself well to the acoustics inside or outside the venue. The stage is also situated in the corner so there is a limited viewing angle that had everyone bunched up into one corner. Despite that Jidenna gave a great performance delivering songs that we were familiar with like Classic Man and Little Bit More including a few songs from his upcoming album.
Let’s Meet | Yeoville Radio
by Tseliso Monaheng
“Yeoville Radio is Kwela and his imaginary pirate radio station that plays whatever music we wanna play. On the real though, it’s Kwela and whoever is keen to work and make boundary breaking music”
Kwelagobe Sekele hits up my Facebook inbox a few hours after I'd sent him an e-mail. He wants to know whether I've received the reply, which I have, but have yet to acknowledge receipt. He's fresh off a weekend performance at the Soweto Theatre, which saw him collaborate with former Sankomota drummer Sello Montwedi. It was also a mini-reunion of Kwani Experience, the influential band he fronted throughout the 2000s. The gig turned out amazing, if the photos and video evidence are to be trusted.
Kwela's been involved in other projects since Kwani went on hiatus -- because friends who make music together don't really split up. The last one was the PO Box Project's Maru EP. "The title is also an indirect homage to Bessie Head who wrote a book by the same title. This is my little 7 chapter book," he'd said, shortly after the project was released.
Kwela had been PO Box since his Kwani days, so maybe he thought to switch it up altogether. Address him as Yeoville Radio henceforth.
How would he describe this new project, I ask via e-mail.
"Yeoville Radio is Kwela and his imaginary pirate radio station that plays whatever music we wanna play. On the real though, it's Kwela and whoever is keen to work and make boundary breaking music," he says in response. A few months earlier, we'd kicked it on some lo-fi tip one off-beat day in Jozi. He'd broken it down to me like this: He was tired of the city; of Joburg. He sought to be elsewhere, some place where he could practice his art freely. Or maybe he'd said he needed to breathe, I can't exactly recall.
Whatever the case, Kwela -- or Yeoville Radio -- is now stationed in-between North America ("Mostly in Canada, to be precise") and Mzansi Afrika. He's a traveller at heart, and Mzansi's quick to renege on its promises to honour its heroes. It forget its travellers.
Kwani Experience, the 8-member outfit which consisted of did a lot for the brown band scene in Joburg and its surrounds during their run. They -- alongside bands like UJU, Blk Jks, Tumi & The Volume, early BCUC and Impande Core, and others -- carved a space in South African music, then dominated by Kwaito, and by House music. Their space was pan-African, and militant, and filled to the brim with pride. Their live shows were righteous riots.
Kwani was also hip to their forebearers, the likes of Sankomota, Harari, Batsumi. When Pops Mohammed wanted to do electronic music (he produces under the name The Fucharist), he reached out to the band. This was around 2007. Kwani's debut album The Birth Of Mudaland Funk (Sheer, 2005) had fucked with the brains of a youth craving for something that wasn't speaking down to them, for one, and wasn't Kwaito or House music either -- though elements of the two could be infused in the resulting experience, to stretch the pun.
The sophomore Live After Birth followed in 2007, but not after a lineup change which saw a radical shift in the band's direction.
A shit-load of dope things have happened since then. Through it all, Kwela hasn't lost the militancy, the urgency of Kwani Experience. And his politics have percolated, too. Following a recording session he organised to respond to the 2015 xenophobic attacks, he said the following: "I feel like it's more Afrophobia, because whatever happens -- all the attacks and all the violence --is directed at Somalis, Zimbabweans, Zambians, and other people from the continent. This song is the voice, and it's the voices of all those migrants experiencing that Afrophobia in a city that was built by migrants; in a city full of immigrants."
Besides travelling and creating anew, Yeoville Radio's been awarded a grant by the live music development initiative Concerts SA's Mobility Fund programme, "a touring platform funded and administered by Concerts SA which offers opportunities for South African musicians to undertake live music tours" according to their website, Says Yeoville Radio of the grant: "A program like this needs to be sustained because it benefits our SADEC live music circuit and develops future audiences."
He's also currently promoting the project's first single Pfukani, an homage to "the nine-to-fivers, the Afroprepreneurs, and the low-wage earners working to earn their bread in a continent of stark disparities."
Going back deeper in our Facebook interactions, I find a gem of an unpublished interview excerpt where Kwela shares his Jozi rap story.
When did you fall in love with rap music? What ended the relationship? What's the current status of that affair?
I discovered rap music in the 1900s. Mid-90s, listening to Snoop Doggy Dogg etc and watching BOP TV. It was only later around '97 that I fell in love with rap and rapping when a high school friend who was older than me handed me a copy of KRS One's 'I Got Next'. I wish I had discovered KRS earlier though but the township happened to me. My first rhymes were for a rap battle, which I won. Silly, huh?! The relationship never really ended. I still appreciate rap although personally as a musician, rapping is a chore I like to avoid as I feel like we've outrapped ourselves. I'm more interested in music, being a vocalist and exploring infinite possibilities with the voice. And I just keep going in deeper and deeper, like my name Kwelagobe.
And emceeing: besides the need to sharpen your English language skills, what drove the passion to spit? Who were you bumping? Who were the 'influential' names in and around Jozi rap circles then? Did you ever attend the Le Club sessions? And what about the ciphers at Ghandi?
The concept of rap, the idea of rapping, had me hooked from day one. I was like, "I can do this". I attended Le Club, then Metropolis, a lot. Wrote a lot, smoked Mandrax, drank Crystal & Black Label, kissed girls, smoked weed and discovered Biddies, many talented rappers and hated fancy rappers like Jub Jub and Infinity Players. Was at Van Der Bijl Square (Ghandi Square) every other Friday with Osmic, Cybernetic, Movice, Asylum Trybe etc. Also Kine Centre on Commissioner, back when Mak Manaka was Slow Poison. Used to look up to Robo, because he's one of the leading cats who gave me attention, back when Pro Kid didn't lift weights. Hung out with Asylum Trybe and my crew then, U.R.O (Unidentifired Rhyming Objects) and used to admire Skwatta Kamp (when Slikour was Phantom Slick), Victim (Vikinduku), Slingshot, Dot Com (the real Dot Com), Shugsmakx Smaxx, Young Weapon (Waddy/Ninja aka "I was born in the year 2000 and 6"), DJ Bionic, DJ Blaze, Snazz The Dictator, DataBase (with Tumi playing FatBoy). All these cats were influential in some way. Pre that, I was bumping Bophuthatswana (BOP) TV at home and they had Das Efx, WuTang, Craig Mac, Tupac. I was listening to Snoop before a high school friend came to me and said, "You are listening to crap" and gave me KRS. That period was the foundation. It's all in the past now.
King Lutendo- Electric Jungles Review
by Mayuyuka
I don't know how to describe this. I play the track back and push my earphones in to catch the line I missed. As I watch the train majestically glide by, I'm simultaneously enticed and disoriented. This project feels precisely like a train ride actually, it's got stealth and motions steadily... then jumps at you in sudden clunks of unexpected musical trickery! This only serves to keep you in suspense through the silence between each track though: not knowing exactly what the next cut offers. It's much of the same feeling between each of King Lutendo's projects. Sifting through his music reveals the artists knack for exploration, in the eclectic sounds found on Melancholy, Genesis Of Seeking and his Soda EP. For now, we're jamming to Electric Jungles.
It's a ten track offering by the Venda rapper who spreads his time between Venda, Cape Town and Joburg. It's a weirdly engrossing journey with no clear destination; but that's a huge part of the appeal. I love the fact that this offering has me engaging with it intensely! I hate the fact that I don't think I get it though. It's like bumping into an old friend you've never met: it's progressive yet has all the qualities I'm nostalgic for.
“The versatility here is reflective of a multi-faceted artist who is unafraid of experimentation.”
From the traditional instrumentation infused on Room For Angels, to the garage Hip Hop of Line One... this EP wraps the best of him into one.It's easy to get into Electric Jungles for it's audacity to stand out. It flies in the face of any trends you might have been exposed to yet. In fact, the title is exactly what the sound represents: an immersive experience with equal parts “how did I get here?” and “I'm glad I got lost in this”. It fits that the artist asks you to “leave anything beneath you... in the lair of his new jungle”. It's definitely left of field, boasting the palpable strains of electronic music working in tandem with the punch of raw Hip Hop.
Apart from maintaining a steady output of music, King Lutendo oozes originality in spades. A combination of trippy beats, progressive melodies and an unpredictable flow separate him from the rest of the pack. Oh, and I'm a sucker for imaginative basslines; you get that too here... particularly on the Rabbit Hole Interlude! The stand-out joint has got to be Gasps though; so dope... the hook, the off-beatness of it, the vibe! The versatility here is reflective of a multi-faceted artist who is unafraid of experimentation. That's precisely why this EP resists description, and I don't know if that's for everyone. It's a perfect soundtrack, perhaps, for the wayfaring stranger who's “been lost for a while now” as expressed In The Forest Part 2.
lutendoTowards the close still bewildered and barely escaping my trance-like state, his lyrics on the more heartfelt Winter 010 ring in my ear “hope you find somebody, deep down I wish you don't... I really hope you forget me, deep down I wish you won't”. Well, musically it's a memorable effort from an artist so comfortable in their uniqueness. Although I don't know if I'll find myself back here particularly, I'll definitely be looking out from now on... so wish granted! In the meantime explore the Electric Jungles for yourself and find out what King Lutendo had to say when we caught up with him.
“I like for the overall sound to be as expressive as possible, almost like the music version of Basquiat.”
AHHB: Who's King Lutendo and what does he represent?
King Lutendo: I'm a 23 year old custodian for the arts. I'm a rapper, producer, illustrator and designer. I was born into a musical family so I was taught from a young age to stand for expression and creativity... that has always influenced my approach to life and music
How's the music industry for Venda artists, especially in Hip Hop?
KL: When I had initially started around 2005/6 there was pretty much no platform for us rappers from Venda, but as soon as I started getting national radio play it not only helped create a mark for Venda hip hop but also inspired a lot of younger artists too.
How would you describe your sound?
KL: Well I approach the way I make music the exact same way I paint, I like for the overall sound (and not just the lyrics) to be as expressive as possible, almost like the music version of Basquiat. If I had to put it into a word I would describe the sound as cinematic. I like to imagine I'm creating art film soundtracks when I make music, with the story already told in the lyrics.
Your ear for beats is petty unique, what do you look for specifically?
KL: I produce all of my own beats from scratch, that may explain why the sound on a lyrical basis and on a instrumental basis are almost synchronized. There are two things that are my personal favorites when making music: synth keyboards as well as drums. I also like having beats that switch in between if I feel like the song can carry more than one story under the same theme.
You put out a lot, I mean.... a lot of music. Is it easy for you to be so expressive?
KL: I spent so much time in my younger days at cyphers, freestyling and battling. I worked so hard at that skill that writing lyrics and songs has become just a slightly more structured form of freestyling. I literally discover a new sound every other day, so that way I'm able to put out a lot of music. I find that the less afraid you are to run out of ideas... the more you can do.kl
In one of your lines you say you're “time traveling in a DeLorean”. Do you think you might be ahead of your time in relation to the sounds in the Hip Hop scene at the moment?
KL: I definitely think so... I'd rather contribute to the movement of the culture as a whole, than the culture of the current trend. I'm making music that people will still be able to jam to even after the trap wave has passed. So when I get into the studio I make sure I have no mental reference to any songs out there; so whatever ideas I come up with are completely new. Also I feel like most artists and producers are playing by a guideline that is too safe... it makes for good music but nothing memorable! I like to make music that might not even fit this year or the next, maybe the year after that.
Do you think people vibe with your unique sound?
KL: Yes they do, at first when I started I was always worried about whether people would vibe to the sound based on how different it is to everything else, but I learnt later in my life that all art has fans. As long as you make the art... people will want to see it. Also people have always respected how versatile my style is as every project sounds like a completely different version of me.
Local musicians are often described as sounding 'international'. Do you get that often... like your style might fit better overseas?
KL: Yeah I get that a lot, I mean when people make descriptions of things they've never heard or seen they reach for the closest reference to compare it to, even if it's not similar. I think based on the fact that the genre itself is western that makes people automatically make the link. Even though this has been said about me, I know for certain the sound is different to any sound even out there. Just based on the fact that people out there are more accommodating to new sounds; it may fit better there... but I feel like such a lane can be created even locally.
Lastly, is making or listening to music more important to you. What do you listen to?
KL: I'd say listening is more important, I learnt a lot of the technical side of music production just by listening to how international artists arrange their instruments. I'm a big fan of synth-based alternative rock bands like Miami Horror and MGMT. As far as rap, I listen to a lot of Aesop Rock, Kanye West, Childish Gambino and Big Boi from Outkast. Basically the guys who are never scared to push the envelope!
Major League Gardens Line Up Announced
by Phil Chard
Major League DJz have just announced the lineup for their upcoming Major League Gardens event in September. If the last edition is anything to go by, then this iteration should be just as incredible. The venue for this edition will be the FNB stadium , which is literally a stone's throw away from their last venue. View the lineup and ticket prices below;
ARTISTS
Riky Rick, Kwesta, Nasty C,Emtee and A-Reece ,Shekhinah, Da Les, Okmalumkoolkat
Babes Wodumo, K.O, Stilo Magolide, Mzekezeke ( Throwback Hour), Maraza,Nadia Nakai, Gemini Major, Du Boiz, Tshego, uSanele, Priddy Ugly
DJ’s
Major League Djz, Black Motion, Shimza, DJ Dimplez, Kent, Tira, Sphetacula and Dj Naves, DJ Bongz, Speedsta, Sliqe, PH, Maphorisa, Hudson, Mr x, 2Kza, Snow Deep
MCs
Somizi and Carpo
VENUE: Nasrec Expo Park
TIME: 12pm until 2am
DATE: 17th September 2016
THEME: Amusement Park
PRESOLD: R200
DOOR: R300
VIP: R550 COMPUTICKET
DOOR: R650
COOLER BOXES ALLOWED BEFORE 5PM! R100 A COOLER BOX
pH – Treats Featuring Proverb & Kabomo (Official Video)
by Phil Chard
Not only is pH a dope producer and burgeoning performing artist, but he is also a pretty amazing brother it seems. The South African artist just dropped the video for the third single off his debut album From Giyani With Love. The vid for Treats that features Kabomo and Proverb and also doubles has a home video that catalogs pH surprising his sister on her birthday with a live performance of her favourite song off the the album.
Submission | TRAP$TARLORDI – SUPER
by Phil Chard
South African rapper TRAP$TARLORDI felt like showing off in a major way so he hopped into the studio and wrote a song in 10 minutes Surprisingly it is not Basura. Riding over a high energy trap beat TRAP delivers a set of verses that sot perfectly into the song's momentum.
Submission | Mohay10 – Four
by Phil Chard
Mohay10 is Cap City Records' newest signing and the husky voiced rapper just dropped a track titled Four. The uptempo, tounge in cheek jam features the synths and deep sounding digital samples of the early Kwaito sounds of South Africa.
Submission | EMz – African Roots
by Phil Chard
EMZ's African Roots will not be winning any lyrical awards this year. I am willing to stake my reputation on that. The sing is basically a repetitive ode to a shaking ass in the "jungle" where EMZ repeats the phrase "look at that bum go" at least 50 times. However, what it lacks in lyrical complexity it makes up for with an incredible instrumental that fuses tribal elements, progressive house and electro. As DJ Khaled says "its a vibe" . EMZ could have just hopped on this song and recited the 2016 Budget and the beat and hook would have made it bearable.
Submission | Zorch – Music
by Phil Chard
South Africa's Eastern Cape is where rapper and producer Mziwoxolo Linda aka Zorch calls home. The young rapper just sent in his new single Don't Know. The electronic/dance inspired instrumental instantly caught my ear and Zorch delivers a fairly capable set of rhymes. At times he does find himself going off beat or struggling with the flow as he delivers rhymes about his first forays into the music industry. He does however rescuer the song with a very decent chorus.
So which blogs aren't you "seeing eye to eye" with fam?
WItness The Funk – Sbusiso Featuring DJ Tira (Official Video)
by Phil Chard
Posting about WTF since the news of a rape allegation against all three members surfaced has been a hard decision to make. Not because I have made a judgement on whether or not they are guilty but simply because the story broke and dominated social media only to disappear into the ether a few days later. No follow ups, no comments, just silence. Since the trio are still releasing music it's fair to assume that the case is either ongoing or has been dropped. But surprisingly no statements have been released by the group or the alleged victim's lawyer since the story first broke in April. While I gather the information on the case it would be unfair to punish the artists for a crime they have not been charged with as yet, especially in a case we know so little about.
That being said the GQOM / Hip Hop trio linked up with fellow Durbanite, DJ Tira on their Blesser anthem Sbusiso. As you'd expect with such a title the video features luxury cars and women that the likes of me will only ever witness digitally. Just to add an additional level of baller the visuals also features a Yacht..
#SubmissionSunday | Charlie Macc – Easy
by Phil Chard
South African rapper Charlie Macc just sent hi single release,audio and visual titled EASY. The song and video provide insights into the life of a young black man in Soweto hustling to achieve their dreams.
Lwandile Radebe ( born 24 february 1986) better known by his stage name Charlie Macc is a South african rapper, songwriter and dancer from Diepkloof,Soweto. He's a former member of the alternative Hip Hop duo Spaza Boyz, which rose to fame in 2012. Its not easy to separate Charlie Macc from recent trailblazers because of his capability of grabbing the audiences attention, not only through his music, but from his electrifying personality. He first received recognition in 2015, following the release of his debut single Kumnandi uk'phila. he recently dropped his 2nd single Easy with a video to go with.
#SubmissionSunday | Chro’thaGnostic – The Omen
by Phil Chard
Seasoned South African battle MC Chro'thaGnostic believes that his reject tracks are better than the songs on your album. As the West Rand MC gears up for the release of his upcoming EP he will be dropping a number of singles that did not make the cut. The first of these is the lyrical song The Omen.
Watch Anatii’s Video For Hours
by Phil Chard
Fresh from his trip to the USA where he was finishing up his highly anticipated debut album Anatii has dropped his new video for Hours. The video for the R&B-Pop fusion song was directed by BLK Angelz Film and features beautiful tropical scenery as Anatii pursues the stunning leading lady through the shrubbery.
It looks like Hours will be the last single release before we finally get his album. According to recent tweets the album will be titled Artifact and the title The Electronic Bushman has been scrapped. Considering that we've been waiting years for that effort the name change could signify the evolution of Anatii’s music.
Dearly beloved I hope you're ready #ARTIIFACT SOON COME! ⚡️⚡️⚡️
— ANATII (@ANATII) August 18, 2016
Anatii also announced that the will embarking on a nationwide tour when the album drops with none other than Omarion himself. We look forward to seeing how this a unfolds and stop pulling a Frank Ocean and just give us the album man.
To celebrate the release of #ARTIIFACT I'm bringing my brother @1Omarion out to SA for the #ARTIIFACTTour! It's about to be a wave!
— ANATII (@ANATII) August 18, 2016