If You Can't (Afro)beat Them... Pt 2: Drake Didn't Let Us In

This isn't a review of Drake's Views. It is, however, about perspectives. It regards the unrelenting perceptions the west has towards Caribbeans and Africans. It also isn't about whether a Hennessy wielding Drake can take someone else's girl if he wants to. Although “no one man should have all that power”; he also shouldn't receive so much unnecessary credit.

Somewhat astonishingly, Drake's One Dance gave him his first Billboard number one after years of cuts that seemed destined for that position. The track features Kyla and Nigerian sensation Wizkid with additional production work done by South African Dj Maphorisa, of Uhuru fame.

Enter Ebro Darden, popularly known as Dj Ebro, radio host at  American station Hot 97. By virtue of his profession and comparative proximity to the music industry, Ebro is automatically a cultural gate keeper. Now he recently took to Twitter to reveal how Drake “opened the door for Afrobeat, but the music should be quality”. His suggestion is that Drake has given Afrobeat artists the opportunity they've all been waiting for... he single-handedly put a whole genre on!

Apart from the condescension towards genres that are considered peripheral to the mainstream, this serves as a great opportunity to discuss the daps we all collectively owe Dancehall and Afrobeat.

Perhaps dealing with the frequent misnomers these genres are referred to by is necessary here. Labelling Dancehall as Tropical House seems to happen often and contributes to a long of history of erasure. Similarly, referring to Afro Pop as Afrobeat due merely to the geographical location of an artist is pretty lazy. Artists such as Wizkid are brilliant pop acts and make pop the same way any pop artist would anywhere else in the world: influenced by the sounds that surround them. They aren't however automatically Afrobeat because they are African.

Now to single out Drake may seem unfair here, but his tendency to ride waves and adopt lingo, flows and tracksuit-wearing from others makes him a culture vulture par excellence. His affiliation with everything from sports teams to upcoming artists seems to be done in service of his success not theirs. A case in point is Drake's use of patois in his Views album. It is both cringe-worthy and for lack of a better term; exploitative. Songs like Controlla, With You, Too Good and of course One Dance all have a Dancehall or Afro sensibility. Drake, however, didn't even have actual features of the artists that influenced these tracks. Popcaan was unceremoniously removed from Controlla whilst Wizkid is sampled rather than featured on One Dance.

Add a vocal extract of Beenie Man used on GGHHGGGJJG and such tings are hard to ignore as they mimic the historical erasure of non-dominant cultures! Granted samples of Pimp C, Mary J Blige and DMX all make an appearance on Views; but Drake isn't credited with opening a door for RnB or growly-voiced rappers. It is simply regarded as a sample. Now I have nothing against sampling: I'm a fervent supporter of it actually; but it looks like something else is going on here.

It seems Drake wants to use the pulling power of these artists and their respective genres for his sole benefit.

From where I'm standing being associated with a Wizkid or Popcaan gives you a certainn level of authenticity whilst your appropriation takes place. Drake seems to want to appeal to demographics that are represented by Afro and Dancehall artists without offering them an actual feature on his album. In short, they have supporting roles in Drake's masterful act of being multi-cultural. Apart from hanging Drake out to dry regarding this, it would help Dj Ebro to have a less patronizing approach to peripheral genres because they represent real people who are excluded from society in more ways than just musically. To try and reinforce a false superiority complex based on your predilections is not just careless, it is harmful by design.

Bongo Maffin Triumphantly Announce Their Return At Delicious Fest

Words by Phil Chard

Since 2014 The DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival has been trying to celebrate the marriage between food and music in a more sophisticated manner than most of us may be used to as we return home from a concert in wee hours of the morning.

The festival is a truly unique experience for food and music lovers. It's family friendly environment encompassed within the spacious outlay of the Kyalami Race Track that offered a full assortment of food stalls - from American style burger trucks to Belgian waffles and churro stands. It was commonplace to see a celebrities like Zwai Bala or Warren Masemola walking around and enjoying the festivities on offer like the rest of us mortals. The festival also offered a fully kitted out Kids Zone play area that allowed mommy and daddy the opportunity to drop off their little bundle of joy while they explored the festival.

The music line-up was also highly impressive, it featured old school legends like Leee John (Imagination) & Alexander O'Neal,  and coupled them with contemporary stars like Black Coffee and Common. Being held on the same weekend as Oppikoppi, Rock The Daisies and Spring Fiesta the timing of the festival felt a little curious as they would be battling 3 of South Africa's biggest annual festivals for attention.

However Delicious Fest has angled itself to appeal to an entirely different audience as the other festivals mentioned above. Despite the competition and the bad weather Delicious still attracted quite a substantial crowd over the two days it ran.

The rain interrupted the program on both days. Forcing the delay of performances as we were forced to wait out the showers under shelter. The interruptions certainly affected the momentum of the program and forced several attendees away from the main stage area as they sought shelter. On Sunday after the rains returned immediately after Bongo Maffin's set some called it a day and a visible queue of vehicles could be seen leaving the venue while those that remained patiently waited for John Lee's performance.

The biggest draw card for me on the schedule was the return of TKZee and Bongo Maffin. Both acts delivered incredibly enthralling performances as they rifled through a set filled with hits of yesteryear. TKZee have "reunited" on stage before, but they still displayed the energy and cohesion of an act that has never stopped touring even through their debut album dropped 21 years ago. The group was given the 3pm time slot and were the second acts to take the main stage. Despite the early set time they still managed to get everyone off their lawn chairs to enjoy the performance.

Bongo Maffin's reunion however had a more captivating narrative. The group who broke onto the scene as teenagers had since gone their separate ways a decade ago after a monumental rise to success. Since the breakup all 4 members have managed to find success outside of the group. Thandiswa has enjoyed an accomplished solo career - she also performed at the same festival a night earlier as a solo act. Stoan now hosts a music show on TV, Jah Seed helped run the highly popular Reggae Nights as well as his show with Admiral, and Speedy has also enjoyed solo success and is constantly touring - with his trusty towel not far behind.

What Bongo Maffin lacked in a polished and refined live set that is achieved through meticulous hours of rehearsal and performances, they made up with chemistry, nostalgia, and an undeniably powerful back catalogue of music that had the crowd fully engaged.

A particularly touching moment was when Thandiswa invited all the children of the band members on stage to dance to Brave, True and Strong - a song she revealed was written for her daughter Malaika.

Due to the rain delays the band had to truncate their performance which resulted in us only getting a minute of Mari Ye Phepha before the set ended as Stoan announced that the band were reuniting to work on a new album. Almost poetically, just as their set drew to a close the heavens parted once again and we all clamoured for shelter.

The entire delicious festival musical line-up is akin to a legends all-star roster. As a result every performer was highly accomplished and delivered in their own way. Common displayed his skills and dexterity as he rifled off hits from his 2 decade long career while also inviting a woman on stage to be serenaded via a freestyle. Black Coffee put together an engaging set that featured live instrumentation and vocals. Leee John & Imagination also surprised the crowd by inviting HHP on stage to deliver their hybrid version of Music and Lights.

It's hard to blame a festival for something as unpredictable as the weather but the only dampener (see what I did there) to the event was the rain. Everything else made for a truly incredible experience.

AHHB R&D | #MusicUnscripted: How to decide if you need a manager

Words By SpokenPriestess.

Edited By TNGlive

There’s a misconception that once you start recording your music, you need a manager. In most cases, you only really need a manager once you can no longer handle matters regarding your brand by yourself. A measuring question for this is, “What exactly do I need managed?” The answer can range from submissions, to hustling interviews and even securing bookings. Although every artist at every level may require these things, some can do it themselves in the beginning, until it gets too much to keep track of. So, how do you know when it’s time to secure a manager?

In the beginning all you need to do is focus on improving your sound and producing better music. The crucial activities are getting your songs recorded, mixed and mastered as perfectly as possible. If it means mastering a single song three times for it to come out clean then so be it. The most important asset for an artist manager is your music, not you as such. The manager speaks for the artist whose story is told through the music, which will eventually help shape the artist’s burgeoning brand. If your music is not up to par, what will your manager sell to buyers?

Once you feel you’ve worked your craft hard enough, get a head start by doing your own exposure. Start small with your immediate social media tools, but be tactical on these platforms. These days everyone has links shoved down their mentions and Facebook walls. Be creative in your strategies of how you’re going to get your music genuinely heard and not just retweeted without being listened to.

Next, try to develop even just one relationship with a gatekeeper.

“Gatekeepers include publication writers, music compilers, promoters and even presenters.”

Get yourself a slot somewhere on a relevant platform. Your best bets are usually the community and campus radio stations and you should never overlook these platforms, they really build careers. You have to be realistic, you can’t start recording today and land on Metro FM or Ukhozi FM tomorrow. It’s a building process.

If you’re already doing the above, you’re making progress. You have built a healthy repertoire no matter how small it is. Once you start losing count of your interviews and start having so many things you have to do or submit, you now then qualify for an artist manager or booking agent.

3 Things to Consider in the Pursuit to Find Your Match.

Firstly, be careful of people who approach you asking to be your manager because they see “potential” in you, and “can take your brand to another level.” These are usually people who want to take advantage of the work you’ve already put into your brand. Do your research on them, and request concrete case studies of their previous work as proof of their capabilities. Don’t be so desperate for help that you can’t see when someone is selling you dreams.

Secondly, don’t pick a friend. Unless your friend has entrepreneurial skills or a business background that you have witnessed. Money and friendship are a disastrous combination, especially if you’re not mature enough to differentiate between business and personal opinions in your discussions. You will fight, and may possibly sabotage each other.
Don’t do it.

Thirdly, don’t pick people that are not passionate about music (in general), marketing, branding, as well building your career. Being a manager is a combination of business, people skills, branding and music knowledge along with knowing how to tip the scales for a perfect balance. Usually, you’ll come across people who’ve done Public Relations but don’t possess artist management skills or experience. This is a safe bet on the basis that what they do have, is theory on how to propel a brand. You could therefore grow together, with them handling matters you’re unable to.

One More Thing

Be careful not to rush into signing yourself to a big talent management agency, just because you think you stand a chance at getting exposure that is similar to the big names on their roster. It’s not guaranteed. Those big names have a head start on you, and chances are you won’t get the same focus that the big name is already getting from the agency. This is simply because of the fact that your careers are at different levels. Don’t put yourself in compromising positions.

In essence, be patient with yourself. Don’t rush into contracts that you don’t understand. Don’t be quick to feel judged. This industry can be testing, and if you’re the type of person who always takes things personally, it may not be for you. Listen to your mind and not always your heart. Always be rational, and remember to treat your music and your brand like a business from the start.

You can follow SpokenPriestess on twitter here: @spokenpriestess

R2Bees – Talk Talk (Official Video)

by Phil Chard

Padae's upcoming solo mixtape Victory Through Harmony is set to drop in 2 days on Friday 30th September. In the build up to the release of the project Padae has linked up with the other half of R2Bees , Mugeez on a new the trippy song Talk Talk. Shot in London the video beautiful shots of of the city's skyline such as 30 St. Mary Axe as the two rappers speak on their indulgent lifestyles.

Genii Blakk – Kaba

by Phil Chard

Kaba is a new offering from Malawian rapper Genii Blakk produced by fellow Malawian producer DMG. Over the hard hitting beat Genii recruits the chants of 2 year old children as they recite the chorus akuchera kaba as the beat drops. The song is set to appear on Genii’ upcoming effort The Music Man which will drop in November.

Olamide – Owo Blow (Official Video)

by Phil Chard

Nigerian rapper and Best Hip Hop nominee at the 2016 MAMAs, Olamide just dropped a video for his song Owo Blow. In the video directed by Clarence Peters the YBNL head recruits a number of dancers who all share camera duty in various capacities as Olamide drops his bars in his signature voice and dialect. The effects,set design and costumes in the video are all very reminiscent of the flashy Hip Hop videos of the 2000s.

Navy Seal – Ammara Brown

by Phil Chard

Naming a Hip Hop song after a beautiful and notable women who have nothing to do with the actual song is a long standing tradition in rap. From Outkast's Rosa Parks to Hurricane Chris' Halle Berry to the more recent Queen Twerk from V-way. Zimbabwean rapper Navy Seal has now released his own submission to the historical trend with the song Ammara Brown dedicated to the beautiful Mukoko singer. Produced by Rough Music the song pays homage to a mysterious beautiful lady with thick thighs and beautiful eyes who may be from Pakistan? Could be Ammara I guess?

I am glad to hear the adjustments that Navy has made to his sound on this song. The addition of the mbira coupled with the 808s is a very nice touch.

Stream | Phlow’s – Asuai Mini EP

by Phil Chard

When I interviewed Phlow a few months ago she spoke briefly about her upcoming EP with Swedish Producer Ryko. The 5 minute mini EP Asuai represents the culmination of their work. Utilising a unique format the Nigerian rapper delivers 4 verses and choruses over 4 different beats from Ryko that form the 5 minute offering.

Asuai translates to My Year in the Igbo dialect of Ukwani. The 4 songs trace the path of a relationship from the giddy butterflies on Little Girl, Big ‘Ole World to the heart breaking The Exit.

You can listen to Phlow discussing her plans for the Asuai and how she discovered Ryko on Soundcloud in my interview below.

Stream & Download King Sweetkid’s Sugar Mixtape

by Phil Chard

South African newcomer King Sweetkid has been featured a few times on the AHHB thanks to his impressive set of production and lyrical skills. After dropping number of Sugar remixes The young rapper has now finally dropped his new effort – a 12 track mixtape titled Sugar. After sampling the project, it features impressive production consisting of layered beats and rich samples that King Sweetkid delivers some impressive lyrics over. Standout songs include Low Key 100K and Sugar King.

Bad Hair & Bad Decisions

by Phil Chard

Friday September 23rd was meant to be the day that marked another significant step forward in South African Hip Hop, a day that would signify the passing of the guard as a new, young and extremely talented artist who seemed to have the support and adoration of all was poised to cement his arrival and carve the first major etch of his career. Nasty C's début album Bad Hair was poised to be a seminal offering. However not everything always goes to plan.

After announcing on Thursday the 22nd of September that his album would be delayed due to clearance issue Nasty reappeared late on Friday evening to declare that the album was now available for download and streaming via audiomack - a free streaming service. The same platform that he uploaded his breakout Price City Mixtape.

Decided to release Bad Hair for free. This is for my family 🙏🏾☔️😤: https://t.co/8WqHyWg7Xu

— Bad Hair 👇🏽 (@Nasty_CSA) September 23, 2016

The response on social media reflected just how extensive the demand for this project was. At the time of writing this Nasty C has the biggest song and album on Audiomack across all genres. In just over 48 hours Nasty C's Bad Hair has generated 245,000 streams and is more popular than releases from Juicy J, Young Thug, Fabolous and TI's Hustle Gang. That in itself is an incredible achievement and a testament to how popular Nasty has become. A teenager from Kwazulu-Natal released an album that has more INTERNATIONAL appeal than releases from some of the world's biggest rappers including Young Thug who is one of Nasty C's idols. This achievement supersedes those of his compatriots who celebrate reaching the top of the iTunes chart, as that chart is limited to purchases made from users with South African Apple IDs.

This is the kind of impact that @Nasty_CSA's Free Album #BadHair (#1 Album on Audiomack) is having on his fans!

— audiosnap on the app (@audiomack) September 24, 2016

So if Nasty C managed to release his album and it basically went Diamond on Audiomack shouldn't we all be celebrating and hailing Nasty C for the Hip Hop messiah that he has clearly proven himself to be? In short- Yes and No.

This is what led us to this point.

Nasty C dropped Price City, one of the best mixtapes to ever grace South African Hip Hop in early 2015. Word of a rap wunderkind soon spread and Nasty's song Juice Back helped break him into the mainstream. He followed that up with a series of notable features, the Juice Back Remix and a 2015 SA Hip Hop Award for Rookie of The Year. In 2016 Nasty then dropped the Price City Deluxe project which was a re-release of the 2015 mixtape of the same name including 5 new songs. Nasty then announced that he had received a call from Jay-Z's Roc Nation which triggered a rumoured bidding war for the rapper's signature behind the scenes. Surprisingly the rapper opted to sign with the relatively unknown label Mabala Noise which opened a completely new set of questions. Nasty then announced that he would be releasing his debut offering Bad Hair on September 23. At this stage Nasty's position as the heir apparent to the SA Hip Hop thrown was all but guaranteed. All was left for him to produce an album that fulfilled all the promise and potential he had shown up until this point. Early reviews from the album suggest that he managed to achieve that.

[button url=https://www.africanhhb.com/2016/07/mabala-noise-just-turned-the-industry-on-its-head-we-try-make-sense-of-it-all.html target=blank icon=windows]Read More About Mabala Signing Nasty C [/button]

So where is the problem?

Well the first sign of trouble came on September 22 when Nasty C announced via Twitter that the album would be delayed due to a sample clearance issue. Clearing a sample is not a new a issue in Hip Hop, it is in fact the bedrock in which the sound of the culture was built. Since sample clearance is such a fundamental part of compiling an album it was a surprise that this would hold the project up. Surely someone in Nasty's team or Mabala Noise had budgeted for this occurrence?

Nasty C fans, myself included, took the news with disappointment. As long as Bad Hair dropped in good time we would all show support and buy it. September 23rd rolled around and Nasty then announced that Bad Hair was now available for free download on Audiomack.

Had the sample been cleared? Had the young rapper decided to release the album without confirming with the label ? Why release an album for free?

While I made an attempt to contact the relevant parties to get some answers I speculated about the details of the album release on Twitter. On early Saturday morning I got my answers from an individual intimately acquainted with the situation.

According to him, Universal Music South Africa had partnered with Mabala Noise on a Production And Distribution deal with Mabala Noise for Bad Hair. What this means is that Universal would pay for the pressing of CDs and distribute the album across various physical and digital outlets. Once those costs had been recouped it would then share the profits with Mabala Noise dependant on whatever deal they struck. Track 10 of Bad Hair titled A Star Is Born features a sample from Grover Washington Jr. This sample failed to be cleared on time and Nasty, possibly overcome with frustration or a desire not to disappoint his fans (probably both) decided to release to the album for free.

There are several reasons why this was short sighted. Firstly, Nasty C is no longer an independent artist. He is now signed to a label that is rumoured to have given him a more than a substantial signing bonus to secure his talents. One of the ways Mabala would get a return on their sizeable investment would be via album sales.

Secondly, Nasty C circumvented the distribution deal with Universal Music who signed onto distribute a paid album based off the demand they estimated it had. Now that the album has been released for free this demand is no longer as high as it was a day before the album dropped. According to this report from Rapport the cost to produce and distribute a Bad Hair CD without royalty considerations is approximately R19 a disc. Based off recent sales and the demand for this album as displayed by its high stream count, let's say Universal printed 10,000 CDs of Bad Hair for a first run. If that math holds up Nasty C cost his label and universal R190,000 just off the top in input costs for CDs that were printed but may no longer be purchased. No to mention costing himself a potential R83,000 in mechanical royalty payments.

A brealdopwn of revenue splits from a R100 CD via Rapport SA Music Report

There is no way to tell how many of the fans that have generated the 244,000 streams or the thousands of direct downloads of the album would have actually bought the album . But it is hard to imagine a scenario where a casual fan who might have purchased Bad Hair legally had it been released via a store, still opting to spend $10 on it, when they can download it for free with Nasty C's tacit consent.

The Real Cost

But all these costings are hypothetical. Let's look at the real costs here. Firstly Nasty C still went ahead and released a song with a sample in dispute. Even though he released it for for free, as we've seen with lawsuits filed against Kendrick Lamar and Mac Miller he could still find himself in court for using the sample. Nasty had so many other options available to him with regard to that sample, such as getting a Jazz musician to recreate the Grover Washington sample and produce what is called an interpolation or sourcing another sample altogether. Releasing the album while the song was in dispute was the worst option.

Nasty C could also find himself being sued by Universal and even his own label if they fail to recoup the expenses incurred on this album.

The biggest cost caused by this disastrous release however will be felt by the music industry at large. Particularly the South African Hip Hop community who are looking to build a sustainable industry that pays its members. Without a doubt Nasty C's album was the most commercially viable South African Hip Hop release in recent years. Possibly ever. Nasty C was and still is Sa Hip Hop's chosen one in many respects. He represents the nexus of intricate, skilled lyricism with commercially viable hit making. That is a rare skillset that few artists before him have possessed.

Nasty has built a throng of fans who were clamouring to support him and buy into his brand. I personally feel Bad Hair was poised to go double platinum within 6 months of release. It's hard to argue with that when Nasty C is generating more streams than established American artists who have marketing budgets that far exceed that of Nasty. When the most commercially viable artist in an industry who is loved and revered by a whole new generation who are poised to become the next wave of Hip Hop fans, releases the most anticipated project in recent history history for free, he is essentially devaluing the whole market. What Nasty C has done is tell his fans that an album that takes untold hours to make, with 16 solid tracks and a hit single, is essentially only worth the megabytes it costs you to download/stream it. As it stands the cost of a good album is free ninety nine according to Nasty. If you are a rapper looking to break into this industry or feed your family this does not bode well for you. When the rapper who is literally at the top of the totem pole releases work for free what message does that send to young fans when another artist tries to charge them for an album that is not as popular?

Some might argue that releasing the music for free doesn't affect Nasty because he could easily make back these losses on performances. That is true. But what happens when Nasty is 40 and tired of touring? Or when his music isn't as commercially viable? It is at those times that royalty cheques for PAID releases help sustain an artist. Long after their career has had its time.

There are others who might point to other artists who have released free albums that later found their way onto paid platforms. However in those instances those artists did not violate existing distribution deals when releasing their work. You will also find that artists release free projects to help build interest and awareness in their brand. This interest is then converted into demand which then justifies the release of a paid project. There is a long list of artists who started by releasing free mixtapes before offering a fully commercial debut. With Nasty C, his Price City projects were the appetisers, the streams on Bad Hair prove he created incredible demand, enough to justify a paid release.

Releasing this album may have helped appease Nasty's fans and display his incredible talent to the world. But this was a highly short sighted decision that could prove to be very costly in the long run. There is no way Nasty will sell as many copies of Bad Hair as he would have had the album dropped first for purchase. Ultimately, the streaming numbers may look incredible but NBasty was in ooaition to achieve much more and possibly smash a number of records in the process. He still do it, but we may also never know.

Nasty is only 19. He is young, handsome and talented. Every weekend he goes out and performs to thousands of adoring fans screaming his name and reciting his lyrics. Everyday I'm sure his phone is filled with messages from fans expressing their appreciation for his talents in various ways. That alone is a powerful drug, sometimes it can prove to be too much for someone that young. Therefore I don't expect Nasty to know any better. He is a kid. His job is to enjoy life and produce good music. He fulfilled his end of the bargain. However, his team and record label SHOULD know better. Where was his manager and legal advisor to detract him from going through with this idea? Why didn't someone call him immediately after he initially released the project and instruct him to delete the tweet and album? Why is it that a whole two days later the project is still available for streaming and free download? Even though Universal has scrambled and managed to get it into stores for purchase, Mabala Noise is losing revenue every minute it remains up for free download or streaming? There seems to be a real lack of leadership in Nasty's camp and my biggest concern is if the people who are paid to protect his interests actually have Nasty's interests at heart.

GZE – Love Song Featuring Flame

by Phil Chard

At a time when Zimbabwe is experiencing a great deal of political and social conflict, the response from Hip Hop artists at large has from my point of view, been disappointing. Outside of a few songs from a handful of artists, the majority of the Zimbabwean Hip Hop fraternity have decided shy away from the contentious topic.

Enter GZE; the Harare rapper has just released a video titled Love Song featuring Flame where the Southerton artists discusses the recent riots and flare ups of violence and his desire to find a solution through dialogue while also tackling how the economic decay in the country has turned Zimbabweans into refugees both inside and outside their own borders.

AHHB R&D | Producing Your Own Music Video Part 4

by TNGlive

In part 4 we’re looking at the various formats you’ll want delivery of, from your editor, for your music video product to be ready for distribution.

You can revisit the preproduction stage here, recap your responsibilities during production here, and review what we discussed in part 3 in regards to useful things to know in your capacity as producer during the post production stage, in order to make sure you’re getting the best value for your investment.

So, now your colourist has returned the file to your editor, and the cut is ready to be delivered to you. Let’s look at a checklist of the formats you’ll have to make sure you’ve secured, or at least be aware of. You might already know your way enough around your edit suite of choice, and you’re confident you’ll be able to open the file and churn out whichever format you need,our checklist will help you stay organized.

This checklist consists of different typical exhibition platforms you may want your audience to go to, in order to view your music video.

Youtube: The young generation’s current first preference for streaming music.

Delivery Specifications

Preferred Video codec : H.264. Recommended Video Bitrate (for 24, 25, 30 frames per second): minimum 1 Mbps for 360p, maximum 35-45 Mbps for 4K. Recommended Audio Codec : MPEG Layer 2 or Dolby AC-3. Recommended Audio Bitrate: 128kbps for mono. 384kbps for stereo. 512kbps for 5.1

Where to deliver?

Through the upload button on your Youtube page when signed in.

iTunes logoiTunes/Apple Music: An underrated platform for monetising your music videos. Remember banking the cents makes sense?

Delivery Specifications: It's important to note that all music videos must begin and end with at least one black frame.

Recommended Video Codec : Pro Res 422 HQ. Expected Video bit rate is approximately 220 Mbps. Frame rate: 24 or 25 progressive frames per second. Resolution: 1920 x1080. The HD file can be delivered matted (letterboxed), or could be delivered full frame with metadata encoded to specify the crop rectangle. The audio must be 5.1 (if available), 16-bit or 24 bit, at least 48kHz. Alternatively it must be MPEG-1 Layer 2 Stereo, 384kbps, 48 Khz, included in the same file as the delivered video.

A Music Video Screen Capture Image is required. This can be an unconstrained JPEG (.jpg), or PNG (.png), RGB Screen standard (CMYK print standard images will not be accepted). Minimum dimensions, 640 x 100.

Where to deliver? Click here for the list of content partners that can get your music video onto iTunes/Apple Music.

MTV Base: TV still matters a great deal in Africa when it comes to increasing brand value.

Delivery Specifications: Format: (SD/HD) .mov. 25 frames per second. Acceptable Codecs: Apple Pro Res 422 HQ, XDCAM HD422 1080i 50 (50mb/s), XDCAM HD720 p25 (50mb/s), MPEG IMX 625/50 (50mb/s), DV PAL, HDV 1080i50, HDV 720p25, DVCPRO 50 PAL. Audio: Stereo

Where to deliver? Contact details here

Channel O: Again, TV still matters a great deal.

Delivery Specifications: 25 frames per second. Acceptable Codecs: Apple Pro Res 422 HQ (120mbps), XDCAM HD422 (50mbps), H.264 (10mbps), Resolution: 1920x1080. Audio: For Pro Res and XDCAM it should be 24bit at 48kHz. For H.264, it should be 16 bit at 44.1 kHz.

Where to deliver? Contact details here. Note that currently their first requirement is for you to email them a Youtube link to your music video.

Trace TV: More TV exposure with more targeted audiences.

Delivery Specifications: Format: .mp4 or .MOV. Resolution: 1920x1080. Acceptable Codec: XDCAM HD422 50 Mb/s. Audio: 24bit, at 48kHz.

Where to deliver? Contact details here. Take extra note of the differentiated contacts specific to each region and language.

AHHB R&D | Producing Your Own Music Video Part 4

Words By TNGlive

In part 4 we’re looking at the various formats you’ll want delivery of, from your editor, for your music video product to be ready for distribution.

You can revisit the preproduction stage , recap your responsibilities during production, and review what we discussed in part 3 in regards to useful things to know in your capacity as producer during the post production stage, in order to make sure you’re getting the best value for your investment.

So, now your colourist has returned the file to your editor, and the cut is ready to be delivered to you. Let’s look at a checklist of the formats you’ll have to make sure you’ve secured, or at least be aware of. You might already know your way enough around your edit suite of choice, and you’re confident you’ll be able to open the file and churn out whichever format you need, our checklist will help you stay organized.

This checklist consists of different typical exhibition platforms you may want your audience to go to, in order to view your music video.

Youtube: The young generation’s current first preference for streaming music.

Delivery Specifications

Preferred Video codec : H.264. Recommended Video Bitrate (for 24, 25, 30 frames per second): minimum 1 Mbps for 360p, maximum 35-45 Mbps for 4K. Recommended Audio Codec : MPEG Layer 2 or Dolby AC-3. Recommended Audio Bitrate: 128kbps for mono. 384kbps for stereo. 512kbps for 5.1

Where to deliver?

Through the upload button on your Youtube page when signed in.

iTunes/Apple Music: An underrated platform for monetising your music videos. Remember banking the cents makes sense?

Delivery Specifications: It's important to note that all music videos must begin and end with at least one black frame.

Recommended Video Codec :  Pro Res 422 HQ. Expected Video bit rate is approximately 220 Mbps. Frame rate: 24 or 25 progressive frames per second. Resolution:  1920 x1080. The HD file can be delivered matted (letterboxed), or could be delivered full frame with metadata encoded to specify the crop rectangle. The audio must be 5.1 (if available), 16-bit or 24 bit, at least 48kHz. Alternatively it must be MPEG-1 Layer 2 Stereo, 384kbps, 48 Khz, included in the same file as the delivered video.

A Music Video Screen Capture Image is required. This can be an unconstrained JPEG (.jpg), or PNG (.png), RGB Screen standard (CMYK print standard images will not be accepted). Minimum dimensions, 640 x 100.

Where to deliver? Click here for the list of content partners that can get your music video onto iTunes/Apple Music.

MTV Base: TV still matters a great deal in Africa when it comes to increasing brand value.

Delivery Specifications: Format: (SD/HD) .mov. 25 frames per second. Acceptable Codecs: Apple Pro Res 422 HQ, XDCAM HD422 1080i 50 (50mb/s), XDCAM HD720 p25 (50mb/s), MPEG IMX 625/50 (50mb/s), DV PAL, HDV 1080i50, HDV 720p25, DVCPRO 50 PAL. Audio: Stereo

Where to deliver? Contact details here

Channel O: Again, TV still matters a great deal.

Delivery Specifications: 25 frames per second. Acceptable Codecs: Apple Pro Res 422 HQ (120mbps), XDCAM HD422 (50mbps), H.264 (10mbps), Resolution: 1920x1080. Audio: For Pro Res and XDCAM it should be 24bit at 48kHz. For H.264, it should be 16 bit at 44.1 kHz.

Where to deliver? Contact details here. Note that currently their first requirement is for you to email them a Youtube link to your music video.

Trace TV: More TV exposure with more targeted audiences.

Delivery Specifications: Format: .mp4 or .MOV. Resolution: 1920x1080. Acceptable Codec: XDCAM HD422 50 Mb/s. Audio: 24bit, at 48kHz.

Where to deliver? Contact details here. Take extra note of the differentiated contacts specific to each region and language.

That's it for our Producing Your Own Music Video series. Go forth and prosper.

MTV Just Gave Us The First Round Of MAMA 2015 Nominees

by Phil Chard

It was all glitz, glam and the regular dose celebrity posturing as we gathered at Johannesburg's Constitution Hill for the first half of the MTV MAMA announcements. Attendees got to see performances from Nathi, Shekinah, Riky Rick, Mi Casa and Lizah James while the Major League DJz and PH did their thing on the decks.

In total 50 nominees from 18 countries were announced in 9 categories

The original Starboy (cough cough… Weeknd) Wizkid got 3 nominations for Best Male, Best Collaboration and Personality of the Year. AKA (South Africa), Cassper Nyovest (South Africa) and Sauti Sol(Kenya) all got 2 nods.

The category we all care about was Best Hip Hop where Emtee, Riky Rick, Olamide, Ycee, and Kiff No Beat were nominated. Clearly the biggest omissions were Cassper Nyovest, AKA, Kwesta, M.I, Franko, Sarkodie and E.L. E.L probably has the strongest case coming off of his 5 wins at the VGMAs earlier this year. M.I had an incredible come back to music and Cassper has had an incredible year with Refiloe, coupled with #FillUpTheDome and the onslaught that is Family Tre Fridays.

Ghanaian duo and Starboy signees R2bees also got a nod in the Best Group category where they will face off against Kenya’s Sauti Sol, South Africa’s Mi Casa, Navy Kenzo from Tanzania and Togolese duo, Toofan.

The second round of nominations, comprising 7 additional award categories, including Artist of the Year, Best Female, Listener’s Choice, Best Breakthrough, Best Francophone, Song of the Year in partnership with Google, and Video of the Year,will be revealed at the Hard Rock Café, Lagos, Nigeria during Road to MAMA – Lagos 2016 (2 October 2016). No nominations will be revealed for the MTV Base Reimagined award, and MAMA Legend.

MAMA 2016 NOMINATIONS (PART 1)

Best Male

AKA (South Africa)

Black Coffee (South Africa)

Diamond (Tanzania)

Patoranking (Nigeria)

Wizkid (Nigeria)

Best Live

Cassper Nyovest (South Africa)

Eddy Kenzo (Uganda)

Flavour (Nigeria)

Mafikizolo (South Africa)

Stonebwoy (Ghana)

Best Group

Mi Casa (South Africa)

Navy Kenzo (Tanzania)

R2bees (Ghana)

Sauti Sol (Kenya)

Toofan (Togo)

Best Collaboration in partnership with Absolut

AKA feat. Burna Boy, Khuli Chana & Yanga – "Baddest" (South Africa/Nigeria)

DJ Maphorisa feat. Wizkid & DJ Bucks - "Soweto Baby" ((South Africa/Nigeria)

Nasty C feat. Davido, Cassper - "Juice Back Remix" (Nigeria/South Africa)

Patoranking feat. Sarkodie – "No Kissing" (Nigeria/Ghana)

Sauti Sol feat. Alikiba - "Unconditionally Bae" (Kenya/Tanzania)

Best Hip Hop in association with MTN

Emtee (South Africa)

Kiff No Beat (Ivory Coast)

Olamide (Nigeria)

Riky Rick (South Africa)

Ycee (Nigeria)

Best Pop/Alternative

Desmond & The Tutus (South Africa)

LCNVL (South Africa)

Shekinah (South Africa) / Kyle Deutsch (South Africa)

Timo ODV (South Africa)

Tresor (DRC)

Best Lusophone

C4 Pedro (Angola)

NGA (Angola)

Lizha James (Mozambique)

Nelson Freitas (Netherlands/Cape Verde)

Preto Show (Angola)

Personality of the Year in association with DStv

Caster Semenya (South Africa)

Linda Ikeji (Nigeria)

Pearl Thusi (South Africa)

Pierre Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)

Wizkid (Nigeria)

Best International

Adele (UK)

Beyoncé (USA)

Drake (Canada)

Future (USA)

Rihanna (Barbados)

Tickets for the MTV Africa Music Awards Johannesburg 2016 are on sale now priced ZAR 250 (standing only) via www.ticketpros.co.za, at Ticketproretail outlets or dealers at http://www.mtvbase.com.

MTV Nominayshin Parry - Curated tweets by PhilChard

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..

 Sabelo Mkhabela 

J-Lotto – Pesos (Official Music Video)

by Phil Chard

J-Lotto is a Zimbabwean born rapper who relocated to the USA while he was still a child. Now splitting his time between Boston and LA the young rapper has been steadily releasing a few songs in his pursuit of fame. I have been following his career since the beginning of the year, but the first song from him to really catch my attention and get my head bopping is his new song for Pesos. The bass heavy song has a slow and melodical instrumental that features piano key samples that play top the bass line perfectly.

The song itself , as the title suggest is another "I hustle harder than you" anthem as J-Lotto relates his story as a ZImbabwean expat and he has managed to come up with help from nobody.

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.

LayLizzy Featuring AKA – Hello (Official Video)

by Phil Chard

Mozambican breakout artist Laylizzy has just released his video for the popular trap anthem Hello featuring South Africa's AKA. The video for the motivational joint features lavish scenes of a dapper dressed LayLizzy and AKA rolling around in Maybachs and conducting deals in opulent homes while being served by severely underdressed assistants.

The emergence of Laylizzy on the South African and African Hip Hop scene has been an impressive and steady progression that was spearheaded by the success of his 2015 release Tha Crew. It also certainly helps that he has been able to align himself with AKA. Outside of Hello, Laylizzy was given the opportunity to perform at the first Supa Mega Show in Zone 6 as well as with AKA in Maputo at the Hip Hop Experience event.

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Korra Obidi – KILIBE featuring Mzkiss

by Phil Chard

Nigerian Korra Obidi is known of her vocal abilities and musical releases that don't necessarily lend the,selves to the Rap arena. However on KILIBE the multitalented artist recruits Mzkiss. as the two women deliver a hard set of lyrics on a trap beat.

Franko – Faut Pas Taper Sur Madame

by Phil Chard

Cameroon's Franko and director Na Mr Adrenaline tackle the serious topic of domestic abuse and how normalised it has become in the video for his song Faut Pas Taper Sur Madame.

Using flowing traditional shots and motion the director displays how the abuse affects it's victims from all walks of life as Franko recites his verses