Win Tickets to See Jidenna in Johannesburg
by Phil Chard
The Nigerian-American rapper Jidenna will be performing in Johannesburg tomorrow night at the Good Luck bar for his first ever South African performance and we have partnered with Sony Music Africa to offer our readers 5 sets of double tickets to the event. To win and see the dapper "Classic Man" live on stage all you have to do is head on over to twitter, follow @africanhhb and then tell us where Jidenna's father is from. Its that simple.
36Swagga – Loss Daai Dang Feat Devious Dee & Kay-E
by Phil Chard
The South African trio of 36Swagga, Devious and Kay-E have linked up on the tongue in cheek and easy listening Loss Daai Dang - a song that looks to advocate a less violent way to enjoy the Summer's festivities. Apparently there is also a verse from Griffy Griff or this track floating around somewhere on the interwebs.
Four Hip Hop Tracks Straight Outta Botswana
by Mayuyuka
Despite having a national population smaller than most African Capital cities, Botswana has always proven to be one of Africa's cultural gems. (no pun) Checkout these four dope tracks from a new generation of Hip Hop artists in Botswana. In their own ways, all these artists continue to carry the torch from local legends like Stagga, 3rd Mind, Zeus, Kast and Scar amongst others.
VEEZO - AMAZING
K-WILLIE FT YANNICK - ONE HUNNID
BAN T FT FADED GANG - WHY SO FADED
LUZKAT FT EDISON MATHEWS - TILL I REST
MayjC – Lost In Your Music Featuring Kid Tini
by Phil Chard
Jermaine George aka MayjC is a name i had only come across once before- on V-Way's ode to Queen Twerk (which I loved). After hearing his debut single as a performing artist Lost In Your Music which features Kid Tini, I hit up his team to get more details on him. It turns out that I am more familiar with work that I thought, MayjC has been working as a producer for quote sometime, responsible for Kid Tini's Shay'weyi and One In A Milli as well as the production credits for artists like J. Smallz.
The song Lost IN Your Music is slow tempo seductive offering that sees MayJC switching between silky R&B vocals and rap lines that are complemented by Kid Tini's impressive verse.
Jermaine George, stage name MayjC, is something our generation hardly comes across. With an ear for music, and an acute in-depth knowledge of his craft, he is highly skilled in various aspects of
writing, producing and providing insight in to both film and music realms. His ability to also play the piano comes handy for both vocal consultations and productions his involved in. Not only is he skilled
in the music making, but in various aspects of the pre and post production process as well as an acute ear for mastering and shaping any kind of audio.
Growing up as a visually impaired child, Jermaine had to shape the world around him as he grew in order to make sense of what he could not see. It is this very circumstance that lead him towards his
calling, music. He used technology to innovate and create inventive ways of breaking boundaries between the visually impaired and sighted world. His goal is to have blind or partially sighted individuals have equal opportunities on a level playing field with the rest of the world through the use of both physical and technological advancements in the music industry.
Some works MayjC has been involved in
Production:
Coming From the 90’s
Shay’wei - Kid Tini
Inferno - J.Smallz (production assistance)
One in a Milli - Kid Tini
MayjC ft Kid Tini - Lost in her music
Falz – Chardonnay Music (Official Video) Featuring Chyn, Poe
by Phil Chard
Falz aka FalzTheBhadGuy has just released the 7th video off his breakout sophomore album Stories That Touch. The aptly titled song Chardonnay features a slow Jazz lounge instrumental that allows Falz, Poe and Chyn to wax lyrical about women, the Lagos hustle and sophisticated life that they all aspire to. The video also features a nice cameo from Nigerian actress and TV host Dorcas Fapson.
Watch Fifi Cooper & Riky Rick on The Season Premiere Of Coke Studio Africa
by Phil Chard
Coke Studio South Africa is back for its second season and the show that focuses on bridging the gap between genres and forcing unlikely collaborations that go from conceptualisation to performance and live recording all in just two days.
In the first episode of the show Fifi Cooper and Riky Rick appeared to produce some truly impressive Hip Hop /Pop fusion tracks. Fifi Cooper linked up with vocalist Ryki on a track titled Stop that sees Fifi opening up about her relationship with the father of her child and Riky Rick collaborated with Sketchy Bongo and Scales with the uptempo quasi rap ballad Sunday.
Shout out to Trey from Dreamteam who is now hosting the show with the recently married Nandi Madida (fka Mngoma).
New Rap City – New Jack City featuring Delite
by Phil Chard
South African rappers Chron Burgundy and Huck Finn have decided to join forces on a collaborative project and group both named New Rap City. The full EP which is set to drop before the end of 2016 will feature 9 original tracks that will reference movies form the early to late 90s.
The EP's production was handled by OB-1, except for the bonus track New Jack City - also the EP’s lead single, which was handled by Lenin. In their press release the group tries to position Lenin as some mystical new and unknown beat smith. My guess is he a new pseudonym for one of the group members.
Hennessy Cypher Featuring Ill Bliss, Jesse Jagz, Holy Field, Yoye, Slash, Steeky
by Phil Chard
Hennessey has been releasing a number of cyphers with Nigerian MCs over the last few weeks. However their latest edition with Ill Bliss, Jesse Jagz, Holy Field, Yoye, Slash and Steeky is by fat their best release yet. Holy Field, Slash dropped some incredible verses, up until Jesse Jagz took the mic and Mr. Abaga mutilated the mic like the lyrical savage that he is.
You can view the earlier iterations of the cyphers below,
Jaywo – Memories Featuring Ninja Lipsy
by Phil Chard
Jaywo is a Zimbabwean rapper currently based in South Africa. The young artiste just linked up with Dancehall songstress Ninja Lipsy on the reflective and acoustic song titled Memories. As the title suggests it is a nostalgic trip down Jaywo’s Memories as he reflects on growing up in Zim and the early influences music had on his life.
Octopizzo Talks About His New Music & Potential Rap Beefs
by Contributor
Octopizzo had planned to release an album every year on August 8th, a pattern that he started with his last album, LDPC. Unfortunately, this year he’s been a caught up assisting the United Nations with the refugees crisis in Kakuma. Pizzo says that he hasn’t really been able to put together an album although he did promise to release something of the 23rd of August.
That release was his new video for Utanisho, (slang for what can you tell me?) a song that many feel was taking shots at Khaligraph Jones. I think he definitely did. He starts off by saying some rappers are still releasing cyphers (I assume he's referencing The Khaligraph Jones Cypher Presents...) and from my interview with him where he mentions the same cypher, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to join the dots.
Earlier in the month, soon after the release of his latest track Butere which is a celebration of the Western culture and initiation of young boys into adulthood through traditional circumcision, I caught up with him to discuss a couple things, starting off with a QnA session from fans.
On Butere, he says the idea actually came from video director Enos Olik and his fear of releasing the track because it was something totally different from what he usually does so he wasn’t sure if the fans were going to embrace it.
He also talks charging for features, working with the female artists in the game, how he met Vicmass Luodollar and how the hit song Bank Otuch Remix came into existence.
He talks beef in the rap game and how “everybody out there beefs with me. I don’t have that time” He also airs his opinion on Khaligraph, saying that he’s always taking jabs at him and how he’s on such a higher level than Khali is because he [Octopizzo] has performed abroad while Khaligraph hasn’t.
Octopizzo also speaks on a possible collaboration with Kristoff and on family life, how different he is from his parents as a father now, how tough love from his folks shaped him as a person (he had lost them both by the time he was 15 years), getting his siblings out of Kibera and re-uniting them after not seeing any of them for seven years, between the period of 2003 and 2010.
He airs his opinion on what he terms “cheap rappers”and how they aren’t strict enough.
On a lighter note, he talks his favorite meal by his wife, exotic locations for vacation with her, what he drinks these days, the kind of car he drives (and since he used to fix cars before his rap career kicked off, does he fix his own?)
We wrap up the interview with the million dollar question (literally, I might add): How much money do you make?
GZE – Boyz DzeTonaz
by Phil Chard
Zimbabwe's GZE has been upping his work rate in a major way this year as he preps for the release of his upcoming Hustlemania album scheduled for release before the end of the year. When I interviewed him last month GZE spoke of his plans to release a single titled Boyz DzeTonaz. Now as August draws to an end the Take 5 single has arrived and features the raspy voiced Harare rapper detailing the lives of unemployed hustlers who roam the streets of Zimbabwe's capital city looking to make money any way possible.
GZE also released the video for his single Imhandu earlier in the month , the video also follows a similar hustler theme with a slight twist.
M.I Abaga At A’friquency
by Phil Chard
Nigerian rapper/living legend/Chocolate City CEO M.I Abaga performed last night at the second edition of the A'friquency live events in Carfax, Johannesburg last night.
The event was marred with a few snags, from DJ Lambo and the rest of the Choc City entourage not getting their VISAs in time to a disappointing crowd turnout. DJ Speedsta, DJ Slique, and Waje who were also on the lineup did not perform for unknown reasons.
Despite all this, M.I still delivered an incredibly impressive and high 1 hour set, performing songs from his 8 year long career.
The highlight of the night was when he was joined on stage by Hip Hop Pantsula. The two performed their collaboration Superhuman before a delivering a remix to M.I and Flavours African Rapper Number One.
You can view some of the photos from the night above.
AHHB R&D | Producing Your Own Music Video – Part 2
Words By TNGlive
In part 1 we discussed the preproduction process. We saw how scheduling and budgeting is central to your role as producer, as well as recruiting and securing the services of the team and cast that will help you execute your vision.
In part 2 we’re looking at what to expect during the production stage, as well as what you should be working towards as the producer to ensure you're getting the best possible value for your money.
The Director
Storyboard example.
What to expect: As producer, it is imperative that your director has a shot list or storyboard for the planned shoot day. In an ideal situation you would have ample experience behind you to be able to spot an over ambitious plan, allowing an opportunity to make immediate adjustments before the shoot day. If it’s your first time, you’ll be relying heavily on your hired director to be realistic about of how much can be executed on the day.
Goal: Your most important goal as producer is to make sure you ‘make your day.’ That is to say whatever is on the shot list or storyboard, will be successfully shot within the allocated time of your shoot day. Pick ups, the term used for previously unscheduled time to shoot what was supposed to have been shot, are a danger to budgets. Sometimes you have to be the one who keeps an eye on the importance of all the shots that need to be captured in order to have a cohesive product at the end, instead of just the one magnificent glory shot. So nudging the director to move on accordingly may be necessary from time to time.
Camera Crew
What to expect: Your Director of Photography, his camera and lighting team should be experienced with the equipment that they’ve selected. This is not the time for trying out new gear because it wastes time during the shoot, which ultimately comes out of your pocket. New gear experience is something they can personally arrange with a chosen gear house.
Goal: It’s best for you to familiarise yourself with various classifications of film lights, e.g. Red Heads, HMIs, KINO-Flos. Don’t stop there, also think about the type of music video you’re shooting, and research what type of camera within your budget would be best for the job. A good source is Philip Bloom, a renowned cinematographer who does extensive but easy to follow reviews of different camera technology. These steps could save you a fortune in executing works with high production value when you consider that your concern is the best picture at the best price, whereas camera crew are usually concerned with the latest and most expensive equipment the maximum budget can afford.
An Illustration.
If scheduling of your music video shoot leaves you with night shoots as your only choice, you could hire an ARRI Alexa because of its ability to film dark areas well, an HMI and red heads to light your set. Or alternatively you could hire a significantly cheaper Sony A7s, which is unmatched when it comes to low light performance; just look at Philip Bloom’s Now I See below for an illustration.
General Administration
What to expect: The buck stops with you. If anyone wants to know where the toilet is, you have to have an answer. Someone wants to know what time the set is breaking to have a meal, you have to know. Police arrive and they want a permit to show you have permission to shoot there, you must have it with you.
Goal:You must make sure everything else that has been booked for the day is available at the time you require it, before you require it, in order to allow yourself time to make necessary alternative plans should it be needed. This could mean access to a location, collection of props, etc.
You need to make sure all personnel are on schedule to be where they’re needed at the times they are needed.
Ultimately, your personally designed Call Sheet, derived from your scheduling, helps in communicating your expectations of everyone. This means making sure at least 24hrs before the day, your call sheet has been received by every crew member and cast.
What is a Call Sheet?
It contains all the information everyone needs to have for the day. This includes call times, addresses for the shoot, what is being shot, who is needed for each scene, what wardrobe needs to be prepared for whom by what time, closest emergency service incase of any accident on set, your contact number incase anyone needs to get in touch.
It’s A Warp, But Not Quite.
The end of the shoot day is almost the end of the shoot for everyone on set. After gear is returned and checked in the next morning, the DOP’s crew can also call it a wrap. At this point, it’s now you the producer, the director, the editor and ideally the cinematographer who will deal with post production. More on why follows in part 3.
The AHHB Podcast Featuring M.I Abaga & AYAT
by Phil Chard
The African Hip Hop Blog Podcast is back once again with 60 minutes of some of the best news, music and interviews from the African continent, and this week is a special show. Just know, just know. SPECIAL EPISODE ALERT! (Khaled voice).
This week Phil discusses Yung6ix getting shot at, Reminisce’s management situation, the 2016 MTV Awards and The AFRIMAs as well the best content from www.africanhhb.com.
He also interviews our #FeatureFridays winner Ayat to discover that he's not that new of an artist after all as well interviewing his personal Hip Hop hero - none other than the African rapper number 1, M.I Abaga. M.I is currently in South Africa preparing for his first major showcase and Phil suppressed his screams long enough to discuss M.I’s plans for new music and collabs as well as his outlook on African Hip Hop.
We also play music from Nadia Nakai, Cassper Nyovest and Octopizzo.
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!
Submission | PG18 – Dhamiri
by Phil Chard
PG18 is a Tanzanian duo comprising of George Gavin and FreshLikeUhhh. The two rappers have just dropped a song titled Dhamiri that matches their band name perfectly . On the slow tempo song produced by Kenya's P+A the two use their lyrics to provide a detailed and graphic description of how they plan to pleasure a woman.
I was just listening like ....
Martin--Notes
This Is What Was Announced At the MTV African Music Awards Event
by Phil Chard
MTV Base Africa just held a lavish event at Emoyeni in Johannesburg where they made a number of announcements regarding this year’s MTV African Music Awards. However, they did not announce any of the nominees for the ceremony, so it was essentially an announcement that was announcing when the actual announcements would be announced.
Despite all that there was still a lot of valuable information shared at the event. We have managed to compress all of that information into a few bite sized factoids;
The 6th MTV Africa Music Awards will be held in Johannesburg 2016 at The Ticketpro Dome on 22 October 2016. This is their first time in Joburg.
Nominees will be competing over 17 different Award categories. Nominees for these categories will be revealed in September. The first batch of nominees will be announced in Johannesburg with a second nominee’s announcement to be held in Lagos, Nigeria.
The run up to the event will include Road to MAMA events featuring MAMA nominees to be held in Durban and Lagos. As well as a music industry workshop for aspiring musicians held on the day prior to the awards (21 October).
The MTV Africa Music Awards 2016 will broadcast live on MTV Base (DStv Channel 322) and MTV (DStv Channel 130) on Saturday 22 October at 21:00 Other partner stations will start airing reruns after the event. There was no word on whether the event will be streamed, which would be a nice touch considering other Viacom events like the BET Awards are streamed live.
At the event it was also announced that Khuli Chana would be working on a collaborative album titled One Source in partnership with Absolut Vodka. The album will feature collaborations from across the continent.
This year’s #MTVMAMA2016 will be held at the TicketPro Dome in Joburg pic.twitter.com/XbFkCvBzE4
— African Hip Hop Blog (@AfricanHHB) August 23, 2016
@KhuliChana and Absolut partnering up on the release of his new album One Source. Khuli will be Exec Producer. #MTVMAMA2016
— African Hip Hop Blog (@AfricanHHB) August 23, 2016
Announcement of nominees will be done in two cities. Johannesburg and Lagos. #MTVMAMA2016
— African Hip Hop Blog (@AfricanHHB) August 23, 2016
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
The Nominees for the 2016 All Africa Music Awards Are Out
by Phil Chard
So much to my surprise, chagrin, perturbation and general befuddlement, there are two very different awards with the same name, that both celebrate African music. Why it took me so long to piece this together, I do not know. But the nominees for the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) have been announced. These however should be confused with the African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA). The AFRIMA awards will be held in Nigeria once again from the 4-6 November. A team consisting of 5 regional directors and 54 country directors came up with nominees for this year's awards show.
You can view all the nominees in the slideshow above. Hip Hop nominees include;
Franko and Jovi who are both nominated in the Best Male Central Africa category.
Navio is nominated in the Best Male (East) Category but faces steep competition from Diamond Platnumz and recent Sony signing Alikiba
Sarkodie and Wizkid are part of the Best Male (West) nominees list. Surprisingly Davido, Olamide and Phyno have been overlooked
No Women in Hip Hop Nominated in the West or South Categories
AKA, Anatii and Kwesta all get nods from the South. Surprisingly no Nasty C or Riky Rick . They even Nasty's name from Jump's nomination.
Victoria Kimani from The East gets a nod for Booty Bounce
Voting details will be added once they are relased by AFRIMA
SAVE THE DATE
كونوا في الموعد
ALL AFRICA MUSIC AWARDS
جوائز الموسيقى الإفريقية 2016
NOVEMBER 04-06
04-06 نونبر pic.twitter.com/JvirxViYmY
— #AFRIMA3.0 (@AFRIMAWARDS) August 10, 2016