#SubmissionSunday | Twizz Alfa – Clouds Above

by Phil Chard

New introduction to Cape Town's 18 year old rapper Twizz Alfa who just dropped the surprisingly impressive song Clouds Above. Twizz dispysts a proficient level of potent punchlines and wordplay in this release.

#SubmissionSunday | Asaph & MH1 – Arakani Jackets

by Phil Chard

Asaph, Boi B, Kingsley, MH1 and Yiso are 5 Bulawayo artists collectively known as the BurgBoiz who are collaborating on the 7 track #DeepInTheBurg project. They plan to release a song every Friday and the accompanying video every Monday.

The song Ara Kani Jackets gets its name from a Bulawayo designer brand and is a metaphor about how the rappers are ”cut from the finest fabric”

Cassper Nyovest – Mr Madumane (Big $pendah) [Official Video]

by Phil Chard

If you were paying attention to Cassper Nyovest’s social media lately, particularly his Facebook page you would have noticed that he was posting number of anomalous posts that showed Cassper buying food on bulk, renting out his beloved Kyalami home to prospective Airbnb guests and emphasizing the importance of using all htd ketchup in the bottle

I could tell the posts were sponsored by someone but it wasn't until yesterday that it was revealed that Cassper and his good friend Pearl Thusi had been recruited by the Sanlam Group to be part of their National Savings Month Campaign.

Earlier today Cassper invited a number of media and guests to a private Joburg launch of his single and video Mr Madumane (Big $pendah) a song tied to that campaign where the Maftown rapper speaks about the dangers of conspicuous spending. The video follows that motif as Cassper uses recycled and retro items throughout the video.

In the past few months as Cassper has embarked on his album tour we've seen him evolve his social media and content release strategy , engaging more with fans via live video streams and dropping more “rappity rap” type songs. This shift could possibly be a result of his partnership with Red Flag Marketing.

I'm not a particular fan of brand commissioned songs but if this release at least gets Cassper's fans to rethink their spending habits and save up more then I'm all for it. I'm also all for the brand Cassper is evolving into. It seems the Maftown rapper is understanding how to better navigate his celebratory and music as he plans on filling up Orlando Stadium on the 29th of October.

fuos

Kwesta – Mmino Featuring TLT (Official Video)

by Phil Chard

To celebrate his his DAKAR II double album going gold Kwesta has just dropped a video for Mmino featuring his new label signings TLT. The song is the fifth video off his highly impressive album that has already become his most commercially successful release in his decade long career.

MI & 2Baba Dropped Babylon and I Got Very Excited

by Phil Chard

My fandom for Jude MI Abaga is no secret. So when MI teased us the photos with him and fellow Nigerian legend 2Baba earlier in the week I was literally bouncing off the walls with excitement. A few days later MI and 2Baba unleashed Babylon - a powerful and poignant song that speaks of the political and social ills in Nigeria and expresses the level of frustration and hopelessness felt by the Nigerian populace. Sadly this song's lyrics resonate well with so many other citizens of African states.

There is a possibility that Babylon could be the lead single off a collaborative project . I can only hope and pray that this happens..

See proof of fandom below.

@MI_Abaga speaking to me on this song. You are a continental treasure.. One day we shall enshrine your lyrics in museums and marvel

— Phlynt Phlossy™ (@PhilChard) July 21, 2016

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

The AHHB Podcast Featuring Rushay, Phlow & GZE

by Phil Chard

The best podcast relating to all matters African of the Hip Hop variety has returned once again. This week Phil gets hold of a true Hip Hop OG - Mr. Rushay Booysen of South Africa to discuss the state of the rap nation and track how far things have progressed over the years.

Phil also speaks to 2 #FeatureFridays winners GZE and Phlow. Where the former shares details of his upcoming album Hustlemania abs the latter shares the details of her introduction into Hip Hop.

We also have music from MarazA, KLY, Flo Dee, YCEE, Ice Prince, Jnr Brown and Well$

Be sure to like and comments on the podcast via soundcloud or iTunes.

Part Time Cooks – Keep Cooking (Official Music Video)

by Phil Chard

Despite promoting their latest release 7:30 Part Time Cooks just released a video for Keep Cooking. A song that appeared on their last project Baker's Dozen. Its a very Lo Fi video which holds alot of sentimental value to the group.

This is the last video we were able to shoot with the whole Part Time Cooks team before we had to part ways. The ball was really rolling after our first project was released and then, out of nowhere, our vocalist Joe Rollins was re-assigned and had to move back to America and our DJ, Que, went through some bullshit and abruptly had to leave the country we call home without much notice. Shot by Peter Burns with a go pro and probably a lot of beer

SK Baleni on Working With Gabi Le Roux, His Debut Project, Hip Hop In Worcester & More

by Sabelo Mkhabela

A few years ago, Sakhile Baleni had a regular 9-to-5 for three years. But he realized it wasn’t for him. “I wasn’t satisfied,” he says. “There was a big hole I had to fill.” He wanted to make music professionally. Typically, his family wasn’t impressed. “One day it will make cents,” he told them. Which became the name of his debut project, which he just released.

Sakhile raps as SK Baleni. He reps the small Western Cape town Worcester. He worked with mostly artists from there, on One Day It Will Make Cents. He produced most of it, under the moniker Six Eight.

SK is a dope rapper, and his talent, a few years back, caught the attention of South African veteran producer, Gabi Le Roux (the man behind Mandoza’s “Nkalakatha”).

Things didn’t work out in that contract. He decided to go the independent route. We haven't heard the whole album, but the few tracks we've heard (including "Stronger", the lead single) tell us the project is something worth your time and money.

Listen to an interview with SK Baleni, below, where he talks about his debut project, his deal with Gabi Le Roux and his ambitions, among other things. He showcases three songs from the tape, and does a breath-taking live wire, which you can watch underneath.

Get at SK on Facebook and Twitter for a copy of One Day It Will Make Cents.

Deejays Are Keeping Lyricism Alive in South African Hip Hop

by Sabelo Mkhabela

Posse tracks seem to be making a comeback in South African hip-hop. The mid-2000s were replete with posse cuts curated by rappers, like Zubz’s Heavy 8, Slikour’s Eights, Mothipa’s If You Want To and many more.

In the 21st century, such tracks are few and far between. They mostly come in remix form – Riky Rick’s Amantombazane, Reason’s No Sleep, Optical Illusion’s Watch What You Say, among a few others. Most of these tracks feature a predictable array of rappers – usually rappers in the original artist’s circle.

Towards the end of 2015, Youngsta and Nasty C traded bars with Tumi Molekane, an accomplished lyricist. The youngins held their own on DJ Switch’s Way It Go single. It became one of the most talked-about rap songs of the year. No one saw that combination of rappers coming.

“Who had the best verse between Shane Eagle, Reason, ProVerb and Kwesta (all rappers featured on DJ Switch’s latest single Now Or Never)?”, became a topic of discussion on social media a few weeks ago. The song is based on lyricism and rappers’ technical know-how – from penmanship to delivery. It’s another unpredictable combination. I like Reason’s verse, by the way.

DJ Switch then decided on a remix. It just came out, and it has 12 emcees on it. The likes of ProVerb, Pro, Priddy Ugly, Reason, Zakwe, Siya Shezi make appearances. Titled Now Or Never CallOut, the song was premiered on DJ Fresh’s breakfast show on 5FM. It’s a great feat for a rappity rap song to be premiered on a morning show on a national radio station, knowing how mainstream radio has always shunned away from that type of hip-hop.

The discussions on who had the best bars are still on-going. Rappers evidently broke their backs trying to come up with the best lines and flows, without worrying about catchy hooks and “radio-friendly” what-whats. Reason, for instance, took a risk when he spat his verse mostly in vernacular. BigStar Johnson put aside the sing-songy flow he uses on most of his singles, and rapped like his life depended on it.

An unofficial remix by hip-hop activist TTP followed. It featured verses from 16 rappers from across South Africa and Lesotho. The rapper Priddy Ugly also put out his own version of the track. There should be more unofficial remixes coming (hopefully with more women)

Lyrics are the focal point of South African rap songs, once again, after a long time since the mid-2000s. Mostly kwaito-sampling, melodic, high-tempo songs -- Cassper Nyovest’s Doc Shebeleza, AKA’s Jealousy, K.O’s CaraCara, Kwesta’s Ngud’ among others -- have been the ones getting playlisted. Which is not a bad thing at all, except hip-hop heads have been feeling betrayed by South African rap. There’s no lyricism; the beats aren’t hip-hop enough; there’s no originality -- they lament.

DJ Switch is not alone in “saving” the culture. In 2014 DJ Vigilante’s God’s Will was one of the most talked about rap songs. He assembled AKA and K.O to feature on the song, and hearing them sparring lyrically (though they wouldn’t admit it) was a delicacy for hip-hop heads. Bang Out, Vigi’s latest single, also brought out the best out of Nasty C, AKA and K.O, the lineup itself another unpredictable combo. Once again, heads feasted on bars.

Yes, there have been rapper-centric songs which focus on lyrics, more than anything, but it’s mostly deejays who are serving the lyrical posse cuts to hip-hop heads. Think Miss Pru’s Ameni DJ City Lyts’s Washa DJ Sliqe’s Do Like I Do and more. Whether those featured rappers all dish out lyrical excellence is a topic for another day.

And it’s not just on a mainstream level. DJ Azuhl’s Follow Us Home featuring the likes of Youngsta, Ill Skillz, Jean Pierre, EJ Von Lyrik and Ben Caesar still remains one of South African hip-hop’s hidden gems. Gimme That Gem, his latest song with EJ Von Lyrik, Ben Caesar and Teba is also a great combination of wordsmiths over a raw instrumental.

Songs by groups like Skwatta Kamp, Optical Illusion, who were popular in the mid-2000s, had a cipher feel. Every song was a posse cut of some sort. There aren’t many rap groups in 2016. It’s the deejays who gather the best rhymers to go toe-to-toe over a beat.

So, what happened to rap? Rappers stopped caring about competing with each other on wax, and deejays stepped in. As EJ Von Lyrik says to deejays on Gimme That Gem: “Hip-hop would never survive without you.”

The Femcee Conundrum In South African Hip Hop

by Mayuyuka

Last month served as Women's Month in South Africa. One of the biggest leaps South African Hip Hop has made in recent years is the attention to artists on the fringes and the resultant highlighting of women who rap in the industry. In a country where gender dynamics are pervasive in many fields; and contribute to the relative disparity in exposure and compensation, hip hop has played a great role in countering that narrative as of late.

From Fifi Cooper winning Metro Awards to the remixes of Baddest by AKA and Dj Switch's Now or Never... the industry has been able to pave a way for up and coming rappers, who happen to be women. Judging by Nomuzi Mabena's growth... one would venture to think that the structural barriers are now also falling. The fact that she owns her own record label is a great step ahead for any artist (of any gender) who seeks to take their destiny into their own hands.

The breakout star 0f 2016; Rouge has appeared on both the Baddest and Now or Never remixes, cementing her place in the industry in the process. It's encouraging that Rouge's performance on both tracks is notable, but also begs the question: should she have been on the original versions of these tracks just by virtue of being a rapper. Rouge herself states that she turned down the chance of being on the original Now or Never track, eschewing the tokenism she felt was at play. This is loosely what the conundrum of the femcee entails. The term itself boxes people who practice an art they love, but also regulates how they are perceived.

Although we must applaud them and can't take nothing away from male artist's who recognise the need to utilise their respective platforms to shine a light on female artists; I suppose what's at stake is the idea that gender specific remixes are the only way to do it. Exposing fans to new music is always great, as new artists can capture the attention of a new pool of fans. It's a noble idea but has its limits.

The next step, I suppose, is considering women who rap as peers amongst the rest, instead of them having a complementary appearance on a remix cut. Rouge's Wichi 1080-produced track Sheba Ngwan O, for instance, is a great advertisement  of her skills. In the interest of this of this article at least, there are a many more solo tracks that convey 'femcees' talents without having to be considered in relation to a previously recorded (male dominated) track.

The question is, if Hip Hop is genuinely about the gender equality we so crave for... are the efforts that separate womens' tracks (in the form of remixes) enough to counter tired narratives of skill, talent or broad appeal? Well, right now it seems to be working! With the Now or Never femcee remix,a combination of artists from different cities in South Africa proved that, perhaps, the concentration of the industry is as much to consider a who gets eventual representation. The remix included artists from Durban, Joburg and Cape Town. Interestingly, or perhaps, because of Cape Town's relative differentiation from the Joburg scene, a lot more female artists seem to thrive in the fabric of the city's musical make-up. Artists such as the duo Phresh Clique, Dope St Jude, Andy Mkosi, Patti Monroe, Kanyi  and Obz Mavuso all call the city home. For its part Gauteng lays claim to the likes of Bk, Ms RBK, Nadia Nakai and Gigi Lamayne who recently signed to Mabala Noise.

Banking the Cents makes Sense

by TNGlive

Are you aware that people who want your music for free, are not necessarily the only people who want your music? If you don’t care about this, who’s the one really playing themselves?

The narrative that people in Africa do not have access to online transaction facilities, has been the backbone supporting the reason why some rappers release music for free, at least when one is starting out and trying to build a fanbase.

What happens when the music you first release is so good, you have made an instant fan? It’s logical that if this new fan wants to take things further, she’ll seek out more of your music and may be willing to part with her cash as a way of saying, ‘thank you and I believe in you.’

In a world in which we’re fast progressing towards, or arguably already living in, this process needs to be as frictionless as possible because, we all have stuff to do. You either really have to have nothing to do, or be a full time curator to go chasing through pages and pages on the internet to find more of a new rapper’s music. Alternatively one could weed through a list of songs on a poorly designed free platform to try figure out which music belongs to which body of work, all in order to listen to it in the way it was supposed to be experienced. Trust, the average consumer does not have the patience for all these steps.

There are services that are maturing in making this next step even less painful for the consumer.

Streaming services are providing a platform which your new, willing and able to pay fan is already acquainted with navigating around, allowing her to easily find more of your music.

You the rapper, get’s a central platform that is presenting your work the way you intended it to be experienced. Your new fan can play your music to her heart’s content, and so further strengthening your new relationship. You the rapper, receives royalties for the number of times your music is streamed.

One could argue that as a new artist you may only succeed in generating enough airplay to only earn cents. Well, if you simultaneously release your music to streaming services for those that want to pay, and ‘leak’ to your usual channels for reaching your ‘fans’ who want it for free, then what are you losing?

A handful of cents will always be worth more than a handful of nothing. If you need to ask why, think about it this way. There is a proposal underway to increase payments to USD 0.09 per 100 plays. So hypothetically, if your new fans collective play all your songs 100 000 times, that 9 cents becomes USD90. That's USD90 better than the 100 000 free downloads that generated a handful of nothing. In the bigger scheme of things, you'll be prepared for the unpredictable runaway viral hit that'll generate USD900 for every 1 million streams. Wait. What?

These numbers do not include actual individual song sales that may happen. And the opportunity to license your music to a third party who discovers it on the playlists some these platforms create.

Kiss From A Rose: Nigeria's History With The Billboard Charts

by Mayuyuka

Wizkid's meteoric rise over the past couple of years finally culminated in a feature with the biggest rap superstar of the moment, earlier in April this year. Drake's One Dance features both Kyla and the Nigerian prodigy; and has been sitting atop the charts for a steady run, now past 11 weeks. The success of the song is testament to both Wizkid's talent and an affirmation of how African artists have the ability to capture the imagination of a global audience.

The impressive chart dominance of One Dance has a range of people crediting Wizkid as the first Nigerian artist to be featured on the Billboard Charts. This serves as a great opportunity to revisit chart history and gain some much needed perspective on whether this is accurate. To delve into Nigerians' success on the charts requires us to ask an important question: Do we consider artists in the diaspora as representative of the continent's achievement; or do they owe their success to their adopted homes. This is essential because there are a string of artists either born in, or of Nigerian descent who have graced the charts before this momentous run.

Wale, The Washington, DC. born rapper was birthed by Nigerian parents and is a self identifying Nigerian. He even had a scheduled appearance at The One Africa Festival that was recently streamed through Tidal. He unfortunately had to pull out owing to the birth of his daughter though. His tracks such as the Rick Ross and Meek Mill featuring Motivation (81 on Hot 100), Lotus Flower Bomb ft Miguel (70 on Hot 100) and most recently the Usher-assisted Matrimony (70 on Hot 100) have all been successful on the US Billboard Charts.

On the other side of the pond Joseph Junior Adenuga, popularly known as grime artist Skepta, was also born to Nigerian parents. Skepta's rise as leader of the grime artists trying to break the American market is well documented. His album Konnichiwa has served that purpose well with a feature form A$AP Nast on Ladies Hit Squad and production from Pharrell Williams on Numbers testifying to his cross-over appeal. His album entered the US Billboard 200 at Number 160... notching up another accolade for an artist of Nigerian descent. His association with Drake has also increased his following and their relationship was the catalyst behind Drake's involvement in Wizkid's Ojuelegba Remix. That collaboration eventually sprung into the creation of the dominant One Dance that has been atop the UK Billboard Hot 100 for over 11 weeks.

From one certified classic to the star of the 2015 breakout hit Classic Man; Jidenna managed to top the US Hot 100 at number 22. The American-based Nigerian crooner also recently held his first performance in South Africa to much fanfare. Tinie Tempah, another Wizkid collaborator on Mama Cita... is perhaps the most successful crossover  artist from the UK of his generation. The artist, also of Nigerian heritage, peaked at number 12 on the US Hot 100 with Written In The Stars. In the same year his Wiz Khalifa-featuring Till I'm Gone reached number 90 on the charts, capping a great 2011 off for him. From the commercially succesful, to the more soulful and socially conscious come singers  Nneka and Asa.

Based in Germany and France respectively, they have both also seen their names on the Billboard Charts. Asa's album Beautiful Imperfection of 2011 peaked at number 3 on the World Album Charts. Her self-titled release of 2009 marked a splendid debut by also reaching number 3! In between these two releases Nneka's Concrete Jungle, of 2010, touched an impressive number 57 on the R&b/Hip Hop charts. 

Moving onto one of Wizkid's fellow countrymen by birth: in 2014 2Face Idibia was featured on the World Music Chart making it at number 12. D'banj also had a stint on the charts with his contribution to Kanye West's posse cut Mercy that featured Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz and peaked at 13 on the US Billboard 100. D'banj had minimal input in the production of the track and doesn't make a lyrical appearance though. Coincidentally, much has been made of even Wizkid's negligent contribution to the final version of One Dance. An army of Nigerian fans took to social media to express disappointment in the artist not showcasing his talents with his own verse. For D' banj that solo moment of glory came when he charted with the energetic Oliver Twist. This song made onto the The Official U.K. Singles Chart, peaking at number 9.

Just in case this list of Wizkid's peers doesn't prove the relative success of his fellow countrymen on the Billboard Charts, harkening back is worth the effort. Seal was born in the early sixties to a Nigerian mother and Brazilian father in London, England. Fast forward to 1995 and his song Kiss From A Rose became a chart-topping sensation after featuring on the Batman Forever Soundtrack. This was definitely worth the celebration, but also left room for a specifically Nigerian-born artist to eventually make it to Number 1 on the Billboard. And if you're thinking that's where Wizkid comes in... yes, you're right. A glance at previous generations of artists also shows a long history of Nigerian-born musicians featured on the charts. Neither of these artists reached the summit of the charts though. The oft forgotten case of Dr Alban further cements Nigeria's long relationship with the Billboard Charts. Although born in Nigeria, he gained success in Sweden and later had  his songs making waves in the UK. His cult classic It's My Life reached Number 88 on the UK Billboard Hot 100 in 1993 for example. There was someone who had paved the way even before this breakout hit though.

Sade first graced the Hot 100 charts in 1983 with her sultry Sweetest Taboo, since then she has had repeated success with tracks such as No Ordinary Love, By Your Side and most recently Soldier of Love, which peaked at number 52, off her last album by the same name. Also debuting the same year as Sade; King Sunny Ade gained popularity and a steady following through the release of his debut album Juju Music. Incidentally, he is also responsible for the original track that serves as the basis for Moelogo's rendition of Penkele. This song came off Ade's album Synchro System, which peaked at number 91 on the UK Billboard 200... jointly setting the tone for artists from the West African nation to follow suit from 1983 onwards.

The Kuti family has also held a proud place on the charts with appearances across two generations by Fela, Femi and Seun respectively. Fela Kuti initiated the musical dynasty by appearing on the World Music Chart in 1986 with Live In Detroit. Femi Kuti followed suit firstly with his 2011 project Africa for Africa, and subsequently with 2013'S No Place For My Dreams peaking at number  12 and 7 on the World Album Charts respectively. Seun, the youngest son of the legendary icon Fela, made his debut on the same charts as Femi with his 2011 Egypt80-assisted release From Africa With Fury: Rise. The passing of the baton in the Kuti family is a blueprint with which Nigerian music can continue to thrive, without sacrificing its very essence.

The capacity for Nigerian artists to push boundaries in terms of musical accolades and crossover appeal is commendable. Wizkid's success is a timely reminder of the depth of talent the nation possesses. Though there have been several appearances before, Wizkid can be accurately credited with being the first Nigerian-born to go Number 1 on the Billboards. Hopefully more names will be added to this list in the coming months and years. With Tiwa Savage's recent alignment to mogul Jay Z's Roc Nation and the emergence of artists such as Moelogo and Tunji Ige, we're intrigued to see what the future holds!

Will You Put Me On? A Guide for Artists Looking For a Platform

by Phil Chard

This is a guest post by Silas Beats

Sometime back, I got asked why I hadn't built a platform that would help upcoming artists to be "put on" as it were. I told the guy that asked that there were platforms he was already using, but wasn’t taking full advantage of. A lot of musicians that I come across are of the opinion that there are gatekeepers that they need to suck up to or impress in order to get to the top. This is the story that upcoming artists have been fed for ages. They get told that if they make the correct connections and get placed on the correct platforms that they will blow up. Musicians then seek out record labels and managers to find the platforms that will bring them success. There are other ways.

People tend to tell you that you’ll get similar results to everyone else’s, but only if you take what they say as law. For instance, that if you're looking for a label to release your music, you have less of a chance of scoring it big regardless of how much you believe in your craft. Sometimes it pays to go against the grain.

Colour-social-media-icons-squareImagine you owned various platforms on which to express yourself. You could post a picture of your cat on one or a video of your music-making process on another. With time and effort, you'd get a sizeable audience to interact with across these platforms. Wouldn't this be ideal? Owning your own platform/s has so many benefits that it would be silly of you to overlook this method totally.

To build a following on these platforms, get on-line and grind for 4 hours every day. Spend an hour making videos on your phone and taking pictures and then start posting and commenting. Spend time on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube trying to build a community by posting and interacting with other people's content on a deeper level. Talk to people with similar interests. Make an effort to reach out to new people every day. You don't need huge numbers of views to start off with. You're most probably going to get 10 to 20 views on your videos and 1 or 2 likes on your pictures. When you do written posts you may not even get a single interaction. This is how things start, but they won't remain this way forever. You need to reach out to people daily. It's a tireless job that can leave you (very) frustrated at times. The rejection you'll get will be disheartening and you'll want to quit, but should you persevere long enough with building up these online interactions, you'll start to notice something...

Do’s And Dont’s

Do not spend hours tagging your friends on social media. You'll be left frustrated and you won't want to continue past the first week because you won't get the interactions that will build your platform. A technique I believe musicians should adopt is jump on any social media platform and search hash tags related to their industry eg. #rapmusic #studiolife #musicproduction and comment on the content that pops up. Get stuck in for 30 minutes to an hour and just comment on everything that relates to remotely. Say something about the speakers or the program the person is using to record. Comment on the fishbowl in the background or on the artist's cap or hoody. A few days of this should do the trick to start seeing any sort of results. When people react positively hit them up via private message or get their e-mail address and start the conversation. Repeat.

If you're a musician and you're in need of a platform to showcase your talent and hard work, why not try build your own via social media and let your profile or account become the platform. Let me know what you come up with and whether you gain any new insight by following these steps. I'd love to know what results you get.

Silas Beats is a blogger and music producer. You can follow him here

Tweet Review | Milli – Don’t Ask Me What Happened EP

by Phil Chard

Nigerian rapper Milli just released his highly anticipated and, in a sense much delayed project Don't Ask Me What Happened. The 7 track EP is his first release under his own imprint Up Next Universe after his highly publicized and somewhat contentious split from Chocolate City Music. We managed to get an advanced copy of the project and gave it a review on twitter.

Note: Don't Ask Me What Happened is not a prelude to the Childish EP as incorrectly stated in the review. According to Milli's team the Childish EP may never drop at all.

Milli - DAMWH Review - Curated tweets by AfricanHHB

Von Intellekt – Mama Made Me (Prod Chabi Mas)

by Phil Chard

South African rapper and producer Von Intellekt collaborated with Chabi Mas on his latest release Mama Made Me. The song utilises a mellow looped funk sample as Von raps about the trials he has endured and overcome in his short life and his positive outlook for the future.

Well$ – 98 Juvie Featuring Deniro Farrar (Official Music Video)

by Phil Chard

The gravely voiced Congolese-American Well$ has just dropped a gritty video for his equally hard song ‘98 Juvie. The song was was produced fellow Immaculate Taste members Sipho The Gift and Alec Lomami.

Directed by SummitCollective the video paints a vivid picture of life on the other side of the tracks in America’s South that are bolstered by some incredible aerial shots.

This song bangs.

Watch Reason Break Down The Science Behind #ReasonSeason & His Upcoming Project

by Phil Chard

Reason recently dropped by Channel O’s live show Turn Up for an interview where he broke down the mentality behind #ReasonSeason and the current state of the South African Hip hop game. Reason also shared that he will be dropping a new project titled Girls later in the year and his plans to push his new single Molly Cyrus.

Album Review | KLY – KLYMAX EP

by Mayuyuka

The Klymax EP explores several themes as Kly “wanted this project to be a representation of a 22 year old navigating love, pain and the joys that come with life”

Kly, an acronym for Keep Love Young, is a South African Midrand-based artist who infuses trap, r&b, afro and electronic influences into what he terms urban soul. The talented artist is a triple threat as a singer, songwriter and producer who recently got the chance to sharpen his skills at Anashe Media Group's writing and production boot-camp.

The Klymax EP explores several themes as Kly “wanted this project to be a representation of a 22 year old navigating love, pain and the joys that come with life”. The impressive production credits include Brian Soko, Dj Maphorisa and Ray Kola with a majority of the project helmed by Wichi 1080. We've written about Wichi's impressive partnership before and in his latest musical team up; he lays down a lush landscape strewn with intricate basslines and unfettered TrapnB beats, upon which Kly can grace us with his vocals.

The track 5AM In The East features Wichi's frequent collaborator Priddy Ugly as well as fellow rapper Frank Casino. The title and aural aesthetic of the track are a strong signal of Kly's musical influences in the dark, overarching bassline and the simple hook. Soul Touch and Start Over more especially are indulgently romantic and perfect for anyone in their winter feelings. Wake and Bake is probably my favourite joint though, it's the best representation of a well sang, stripped down beat that still gets the speakers knocking. The EP is mellow throughout with standout tracks like Direction keeping the energy up midway through.

Direction is a superbly constructed cut and brings out the best in both producer and vocalist, with the infectious hook perfectly complimenting the catchy beat. Towards the closing, the Dj Buckz-featuring Ain't Done Yet shows a lot more bravado and the ambition in Kly shines through. It's the closest song you'll get to a straight up rap banger with sprinklings of vernac. Impressively, despite the switch up in mood and tone, the pace is well maintained: another sign of a well constructed listening experience.

Wichi 1080's uncluttered production can't be overstated and he deserves as much credit as Kly does for filling the TrapnB gap, strangely unfilled, in the local music scene. The dreaminess of the production is perfect for a laidback, bae'd up chill or the perfect accompaniment for the come down after a night out. There's enough to showcase Kly's vocal range and at 50 minutes long, it's a generous offering too.

Joh Makini Featuring Chidinma – Perfect Combo (Official Video)

by Phil Chard

Perfect Combo is the collaboration between Tanzania’s Joh Makini and Nigeria’s Chidinma. The song relies heavily on well worn formulas for R&B and Hip Hop with a pinch of Soukous and rock. In the end it's makes for a nice collaboration even if it is predictable. The video was directed by Justin Campos