Best Hip Hop Projects of 2024 So Far
We’re halfway through the year and there’s no denying that 2024 has turned out to be a year where a lot of artists have put out some of their best work. Whether it’s singles, EPs or whole albums, the hip hop audience has been well-fed. While it’s never easy to compile these kinds of listicles, […]
A Conversation With Stogie T
The perennial MC talks about his new EP Shallow, touring overseas, what hip hop means to him, his audience and the Kendrick Lamar/Drake beef Shallow is Stogie T’s fourth project in his post-Tumi and The Volume period. It comes subsequent to 2016’s eponymous Stogie T album, 2018’s Honey and Pain mixtape and 2020’s Empire of […]
Maglera Feature Verses Take Centre Stage
In the last five years, South African hip hop has seen an influx of truly exciting and talented emcees come to the fore. Most of them represent different sounds and geographic locations, adding different facets to the already diverse South African hip hop landscape. Nonetheless, in my estimation, few come close to the enigma that […]
Opinion: Drake Will Defeat Kendrick Lamar Like AKA Defeated Cassper Nyovest
The beef between the two heavyweights being touted as one of the greatest moments in hip hop is somewhat similar to our very own clash of the titans, the last great South African hip hop beef.
Where Hip Hop Meets Jazz, We’re The Better For It
The marriage of jazz and hip hop is a relationship dating back to the early days of the genre. Its modern iteration demystifies jazz to a more youthful audience. For a lot of us young music lovers, jazz has mostly seemed like a highbrow, boring and inaccessible genre that holds no appeal to most of […]
Cassper Nyovest seeks the wisdom of Solomon in his latest album, one of his most vulnerable offerings
Cassper Nyovest has dropped his seventh full length project, Solomon. Arriving without much hype or fanfare, the title references the biblical character King Solomon, who is renowned for his wisdom. Accordingly, he shot the album cover art in front of St. Johns Apostolic Church in Potchefstroom, wearing the sash that makes up part of the […]
Between Musical Shifts; Kwesta and Kabza de Small Just Want To Speak N Vrostaan
How Kwesta and Kabza De Small’s ‘Speak N Vrostaan’ plots the future by merging the sounds of the present and the past During the early noughties, Kwaito – once the creative outlet for young South Africans in the ‘90s – was supplanted by the breakbeats, syncopated rhythms and layered lyricism of Hip Hop. Fast forward […]
AKA: The Babyface, The Heel, The Underdog
AKA is in fine form. He’s released a new single and the joie de vivre that’s accompanied that release is palpable. His arrival at Sony is announced by the sound of the office coming alive as he walks through it. The air is punctuated with laughs and higher-than-usual pitched voices, replacing the stark silence that […]
Rest In Peace To The Greatest Kwaito Lyricist, Tokollo “Magesh” Tshabalala
“For me, when I write I try to keep it personal but also make it relatable. I bring the language of the streets into every verse because personal encounters are so important to me. Connections with people drive everything I do in my music, so I try to give back the inspiration that has been […]
DBN Gogo: The Meister
In so far as music experiences go, you won’t easily forget one by DBN Gogo. I call it an experience because blithely labeling it a set doesn’t quite articulate the encounter. You see, Mandisa Radebe is intimately acquainted with music because she was student of groove. Her university days saw her attend to her law […]
Riky Rick: A Supreme Reign
A star was born with Riky Rick. One that commanded the attention of every room he walked into, one that demanded the respect of every stage he filled. If his demeanour in private didn’t let you know, the intensity with which he engaged the public did. Riky Rick was undeniable. On July 13, 1987, Terrence […]
A Guide to 15 of Riky Rick’s Best Tracks
It’s been nearly two months since the passing of beloved South African artist Riky Rick. The family of Rikhado ‘Riky Rick’ Makhado shared with the rest of the world the devastation of the loss of his life, with messages of heartwarming condolences pouring in since his untimely passing on 23 February 2022. Riky Rick was […]