5 Classic SA Hip Hop Albums
Words by Mercia Tucker Classic, adjective \ˈkla-sik\; judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind. In the musical spectrum there are many interpretations to this definition, some arbitrary and others rational and reasoned. The two qualifying criteria, however, have to be longevity and artistic brilliance. Forget […]
SA Hip Hop Brand Kings
Words by Mercia Tucker “The Superstar shoe was dead. The shoe was dead. And Run-D.M.C. singlehandedly brought that shoe back” said Angelo Anastasio, Marketing Director for Adidas 1984-1991. It was Russell Simmons’ idea for the group to record a track about My Adidas, but it was Lyor Cohen’s business acumen that had them pitch a […]
Can a SA rapper break into the American market?
Words by Mercia Tucker New York is to hip hop what Mecca is to Islam. The city has cultural significance that birthed and evolved the genre, and is expressed in odes to the city from Kool G’s Streets of New York, Mos Def’s Brooklyn, to Nas’ N.Y. State of Mind. The culture is pervasive, and […]
Separating the artist from their art
Words by Mercia Tucker “Can you separate an artist from their art?” is an old question but is still a relevant one. That there exists in the world a bond stronger than an exceptional artist’s with his art, I’m not convinced. A birthing doesn’t seem an adequate descriptor. It doesn’t quite capture that, unlike with […]
Interview: A-Reece
Words By Mercia Tucker You can probably remember the first time that Lehlogonolo Mataboge made you go “Whoa! This kid can rap!” You can probably remember the time after that when he outdid the first and your jaw dropped at his skill. Meet A-Reece; one of the more talented rappers in the game right now […]
i-Genesis review
Genesis Gabriella Tina Manney was too protracted a name to walk on stage with so Gigi LaMayne became the anagram of sorts that we were to introduced to this little stick of dynamite as. LaMayne being the phonetic equivalent of Le Magne, meaning ‘The Great’ in French, it seemed fitting. Gigi is no stranger to […]
Top 10 Albums of 2016
In as much as 2016 ran us through the gauntlet of political uncertainty and upheaval, and the death of some of our most beloved pop culture icons, it has been an oasis of good music in an otherwise acrid cultural landscape. We run down 10 of the best albums, locally and internationally, to come out […]
CashTime King K.O
It’s a scorching day in Fourways and I go about the business of interviewing Ntokozo ‘K.O’ Mdluli at a quaint cafe. The patron at the table next to mine – who I’d befriended to charge my phone – asked as K.O walked away, the interview now concluded, “Is he always that way?” “What way is […]
Top 10 Rap Beefs
Beef. In 2016 it’s been reduced to fastest fingers first on Twitter. Oh, the drama! (Did you see my eyes rolling all the way back to 1994 there? Did you?) But there was a time when beef brought the slickest, most creative lines out of a rapper, when diss tracks were so imaginative that you […]
Cassper Did That
Artistry seeks out greatness like a moth does a flame. One of the true marks of great artistry is the crafting of exceptional live performances that not only endear yourself to your audience but sets you apart from your contemporaries. With Fill up Orlando Stadium, Cassper Nyovest has done just this. There’s a psychological investment […]
Solo Dreams
“If ever I was blinded they sacrificed their eyes so that I could see.” Jubilee no Ligamo: an ode to sacrifice and family; vulnerability on a track. Solo’s thematically complex sophomore – .Dreams.B.Plenty – converges beautifully on this introspective gem, the puzzle piece that brings the entire album picture into focus for the first time, with a flood of emotion. Vulnerability is used almost as a […]
Anatii: Rapper, Producer, Creative
It’s a sweltering day in Sandton and the general whir and buzz that’s synonymous with the economic hub, together with the ringing in my eardrum from the chattiest Uber driver in the world, immediately dissipate when I walk into Anatii’s home and studio. It’s an oasis of quiet in the surrounding landscape of cacophony with […]