Op-Ed: Artists Must Be More Proactive
Words by Rouge da Rapper The exploitation of artists in the music industry has been a topic of conversation since the industry’s nascence. Everyday there’s a new story about an artist being taken advantage of either by managers, labels, promoters, venues, websites, or the Southern African Music Rights Organization (Samro). Dubious practices, musical paupers Even […]
Part 2: 20 Most Influential People & Brands of all Time in SA Urban Fashion
Words by Nick Kaoma This is Part 2 of the list of the 20 Most influential individuals and brands of all time in SA urban fashion and street culture. You can read Part 1 which consisted of individuals and brands in positions 20 – 11. 10. Trompies If you had told me in 1997 (my […]
Bubbling Under #4 – Kumnandi
Birth Name: Luyolo Ndayi Occupation: DJ/Producer Stage Name: KUMNANDI Genre: Hip Hop / Gqom Born in Port Elizabeth in 1995, Luyolo is the youngest of 3 brothers. He credits his older siblings for his love for music. At an early age he was introduced to kwaito and hip hop. At the age of 15 he […]
Album Review: Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy
Words by Ziyanda Ntloko Cardi B has had a truly remarkable rise. From the moment she appeared on VH1’s massively popular reality show franchise Love & Hip Hop, a star was born. Although no one could’ve guessed it at the time, Cardi B would catapult from the small screen to pop culture prominence in record […]
Drake’s Top 20 Best Songs To Date
Words by Ziyanda Ntloko To be a Drake fan is to never be satisfied. Since his début in 2009, Drake has meticulously crafted himself from a seemingly non-threatening Young Money rookie into a wildly successful artist and pop culture phenomenon. With a discography spanning 6 mixtapes, 4 studio albums, 2 EPs, multi-platinum singles, a bevy […]
10 Alternative Artists To Watch Out For in 2018
Words by Ziyanda Ntloko The opening half of the year always presents the exciting prospect of new music not only from industry stables but those who are also on the cusp. Here’s my list of genre-breaking acts who I anticipate to have a great 2018. BROCKHAMPTON A music group truly born out of Generation Y, […]
Bubbling Under #3 – Kennedy Green
Our entries for #BubblingUnder are getting better and better as the weeks go by. Thanks to everyone that’s sending us their work. This week’s spot goes to Kennedy Green, a R&B and Soul artist that’s shaking things up on the internet. His songs on Soundcloud already generates tens of thousands of streams. Think The Weeknd […]
Kid Tini – The Future of SA Hip Hop?
Words by Glenn Kisela My first impression of Kid Tini was that his demeanour reflected his music accurately, particularly his flow – calm, but intensely confident. He seemed sure of himself and there was no self-doubt to be detected throughout the interview. As we talked more and he opened up, there was this air of […]
Bubbling Under #2 – Hashtag Deep
Our second artist featured in #BubblingUnder is a Soweto-based artist by the name of Hashtag Deep. We are simply blown away by the maturity in his music and had no choice but to feature him. His style reminds us of OVO’s Roy Woods – the melodies and cadence. Trust us fam, this kid has talent […]
Bubbling Under #1 – Parley Wang
After much anticipation- and what many would call a long hiatus- Tembisa’s very own Parley Wang has followed the release of Four Seven which pays homage the place he and Snazzy B’ affectionately call home- with yet another song titled Check-In! Produced by Ben Rasco- the songs ooze quality and fearlessness. Please stream and download […]
Belonging: A Hip Hop Hue – An Op-Ed by Mercia Tucker
I grew up in Wentworth. A community in the South Durban basin, it’s one of the bigger areas that were allocated to coloured inhabitants in the city during Apartheid’s spatial demarcation but at just 2.5% of the eThekwini Municipality’s population, it’s dwarfed by the size of other demographics. It’s also in stark contrast to the […]
Wrecking Crew – Sound of the Youth
By Kabelo Moremi Sometimes treasure comes from a purely trash situation. The Ambitious saga of questionable deals and disgruntled artists wasn’t a pleasant thing to witness. However, that disaster spawned an avengers of young artists known as the Wrecking Crew. It’s always refreshing to see young folk create a movement and deliver on all their […]