Oppikoppi – Unrivalled Revelry
Words by Misa Narrates Pics by Shellingson Msomi Now that the Oppikoppi 2018 dust has settled, it is safe to reminisce on the debauchery, fun, and good time that we experienced in Northam Limpopo. What started as a music festival to celebrate and enjoy rock n’ roll music in 1994 has transformed into a far more […]
The Plug TV: Breaking Bread with Rouge
Breaking Bread / Season 1 / Episode 2 Rouge is a rapper that is succeeding on her own terms in a super macho SA hip hop industry. In an enlightening and in-depth interview, the thespian shares her come-up story, the challenges she’s faced and her future plans. ____________ The Plug TV is a collaboration between […]
Rouge: Raising The Bar
The love story isn’t a novel idea in the hip hop storytelling pantheon. Project Pat’s “Choose U” was one such tale of ‘hood love’; a woman choosing to move on from her relationship with her baby daddy, and supporting her new beau with her child support cheques. Pimp C was in prison when he heard […]
How Missy Elliott’s Music Videos Changed the Game
Words by Ziyanda Ntloko In just over a month from now MTV will present the 2018 Video Music Awards. The list of nominees for arguably music’s biggest night after the Grammys has already been announced and include the likes of The Carters, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Childish Gambino and Cardi B. The VMA is awarded to […]
Album Review – Nasty C’s “Strings & Bling”
Words by Joey Drumz It would be hard to argue that there’s been a Hip Hop artist in recent memory that’s won over the hearts of South Africa and parts of the world at the rate and magnitude that Nasty C has done in 3 years. Since his early 2015 Price City Mixtaperelease, Nasty’s been […]
Sliqer Than Your Average
Words by Mercia Tucker To refer to Sliqe solely as a DJ would be a disservice to the musician that he has worked to become. Lutendo Kungoane has shed the title in his recent offerings and is known solely by the moniker. His evolution from playing house to learning how to play hip hop and […]
Una Rams – The Wavy Baby
Words by Misa Narrates The last thing someone expects is an “up and coming’ artist referring to themselves as a ‘pop star’. In fact, South Africa’s music industry has seen many artists disappointingly carry the title of “up and coming” for years. However, for Una Rams referring to himself as “Venda Pop Star” is both […]
20 Music Tastemakers to Follow on Social Media
Words by Misa Narrates No musical landscape stays the same forever; and with every change comes an actor thereof. From the music executives changing the way music is released, to the producers who make our summer anthems, South Africa’s music scene is dynamic. In no particular order, those featured below are 20 people whom we […]
The Plug TV: Breaking Bread with A-Reece
In the first episode of Breaking Bread Season 1 we sit down and hang out with A-Reece, one of the most prolific rappers in SA. The Pretoria native opens up on a variety of subjects incl. his battles with his former label, The Wrecking Crew, keeping up with his fan base and what it has […]
A-Reece: The Gifted One
In 1994, at the height of his legal troubles, Tupac Shakur sat down with BET’s Ed Gordon for an interview on the plight of black lives and, as he started to gain notoriety for his militant ways, his perception in the public eye. He said “That change right before you go from being eighteen and […]
Op Ed: Cancel Culture – Are We Seeking Higher Ground?
Words by Mercia Tucker Bryan Stevenson is a civil rights attorney, the executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative and the best-selling author of Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption. In his New York Times bestseller, he delivered what can only be described as a testimony. Having spent decades working to free 115 […]
The Reign of Nicki Minaj and Her Impending Legacy
Words by Ziyanda Ntloko Legacy is a focal and critical juncture of every rap career. There are those who slip through the cracks, bound to be has-beens and barely thought of. But there are those who rise to the occasion of being legends. Hip Hop is a genre that is intrinsically nostalgic in which the […]