YoungstaCPT: The King
For any artist, the debut album is a fabled thing. An introduction to a mass audience, a culmination of past work, and a distinct declaration of an artist’s current creative space, the debut is a significant and infinite threshold. For an artist like YoungstaCPT, this milestone comes at the perfect time and most importantly, on […]
Nasty C: the Multifaceted
Words by Mercia Tucker Images by Jina Min In beginning the track “Another One Down” with “It’s too many different spirits within me/ a personality is constantly shifting”, Nasty C lets us in to the diversity of his character. This past Friday, he held the Music, Art, Love experience at the Kalashnikov Gallery in Braamfontein. […]
The Indelible Rise of Gqom
Words by Zee Ntloko The popularization of dance and electronic music in South Africa is heavily owed to township culture. The rise of house music and the birth of kwaito are by-products of the kasi experience and Gqom is no exception. How a little-known genre cooked up in the backyard dwellings of D.I.Y DJs rapidly […]
Op-Ed: Independence is Stifling Local Hip Hop
Words by Wiseman Ngubo There has been a notable absence of an outright viral local hip hop hit in recent times, the last two years have seen a pretty lukewarm showing from a local hip hop perspective. Given the fact that there has actually been a lot of good quality music being put out begs […]
Top 10 SA Music Video Directors to Know
Words by Sanele Mawisa “The music video is a promotional tool for the artist. It sometimes serves as a conduit to attention from a label, but more often it is a catalyst for CD sales or artist song downloads. While a hit video can do a lot for you as a director, its primary goal […]
Moonchild Sanelly – A Dream Chaser
Sanelisiwe Twisha sits cross-legged on the floor of her apartment, looking up as she speaks to me. While her physical demeanour in the moment is seemingly diminutive and antithetical to the large personality that’s a hallmark of her brand, in that moment, there’s nothing about her that doesn’t exude power. There’s a joie de vivre […]
Hip Hop – Rediscovering its Political Roots
Words by Glenn Kisela Hip hop has a long and storied history with roots deeply embedded within political movements. It has often been used as a medium for storytelling as well as a source of inspiration for the oppressed, specifically with its American origin. Hip hop has rarely strayed from delving into political issues even […]
Album Review – Shane Eagle’s Never Grow Up
Words by Joey Drumz Anyone familiar with competition as a concept would understand that history tends to favour those who come out on top. Darwinian Theory celebrates the strongest and most capable, while relegating those who remain behind to a regressive oblivion, never to be heard or seen from again. Grim as it may sound, […]
Exclusive Interview: Dreamville’s Bas
Words by Mercia Tucker Just as soon as I’d entered the Universal Music boardroom, I was engulfed in a bear hug by Bas. He’d performed in three South African cities the week before. I’d assumed the familiarity to be the residual high from his sold out show in Joburg, but as the interview progressed, revealed […]
Finding Neruda while Navigating Some Rap Songs
Words by Mercia Tucker I lost my aunt in 2018. It wasn’t the open-heart surgery that killed her, but the complications of being cut open for 12 hours on the surgical table that she grappled with for months thereafter before succumbing to the effusion on her lungs. Hers was the third death of a family […]
Budweiser Presents MUZI
Words by Misa Narrates We often forget the science to music, or rather the production thereof. For some students, the question of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” has to do with science and outer space. To the self-proclaimed Zulu Skywalker, Muzi, music is where he gets to explore concepts of […]
The Rise of Artist Owned Festivals
Words by Zee Ntloko In 2015, Cassper Nyovest embarked on the seemingly audacious task of hosting a concert at The Dome and attempting to fill up the 20,000-capacity venue. What was first met with scepticism and even ridicule, the premiere Fill Up event surprisingly succeeded and ushered in the high-profile artist’s festival in South Africa. […]