Music and gaming intertwined
Gaming rules the entertainment industry. It has risen to become a behemoth that eclipses both music and film. Globally, music (R273bn) and film (R590bn) combined couldn’t reach the lofty heights of gaming (R2 187bn) in revenue generated and South Africa is no stranger to its rise either. Whilst the scene here is not boasting the mouthwatering […]
Cassper’s back with “Good For That”
He has a new single release and a dance challenge to go along with it. Cassper Nyovest dropped “Good For That” on Saturday and it has gone viral since. The caption of the video says “After taking a deliberate two year hiatus from hip hop to focus on South African urban dance sound Cassper Nyovest […]
Gigi Lamayne’s “Jou Stad” is a tale of three cities
Repping your city is far from a novel concept in hip hop. A genre rooted in identity presentation, it’s almost unheard of to *not* let your fans know which city you’re putting up for. In 2010, Bittereinder released “A Tale of Three Cities” off the album ‘n Ware Verhaal. With all three members of the […]
Frank Casino’s got the block hot
Frank Casino has a new project coming up, and from it he’s released his new single “Block Hot”. The name of the track is similar to the Cassper Nyovest single “Who Got the Block Hot?” off the 2018 release Sweet and Short that he featured on. In so far as the rhymes go, Frank does […]
Elon Musk (yes, Elon Musk) has a new track out
He’s a tech billionaire by day and a recording artist by night. Oh, you didn’t know that Elon Musk releases music? Let us introduce you to “Don’t Doubt ur Vibe,” the 48 year old CEO of Tesla’s latest track. The artwork features Tesla’s latest model, the Cybertruck, and Musk goes by the moniker E “D” […]
Ebro in South Africa
Apple Music’s Global Editorial Head of Hip Hop and R&B, Ebro Darden, a longtime champion of music and artists emerging from across Africa, recently visited South Africa as part of his ongoing exploration of the continent. During his visit, he spent time with some of the nation’s most gifted young artists in Johannesburg and Cape […]
The New Wave’s new normal
In its evolution, hip hop’s newer entrants are taking the genre in a different direction. Misa Narrates defines and interrogates the “New Wave” in 2020. South Africa’s hip hop community has grown in numbers over the past five years. This flood of newcomers genre-bend with ease, and wear a lofty, devil-may-care attitude towards the dysfunctional […]
Bubbling Under: Roy August
We wouldn’t be The Plug if we didn’t plug you, right? This month, we’re relaunching our Bubbling Under feature where we plug you to up and coming artists in SA that you should be taking note of. We kick it off with Roy August. Formerly known as Roy Charamba, this 20 year old has been […]
The NBA and Apple Music launch BASE:LINE
Apple Music and the National Basketball Association (NBA), together with UnitedMasters, are excited to premiere BASE:LINE, a new Apple Music independent music playlist committed to searching the earth for the best new hip hop artists. Throughout the history of the NBA, hip hop has been synonymous with the league’s culture. The teams, players and fans have […]
[VIDEO] Nadia Nakai Drops ‘More Drugs’ Video
Nadia Nakai has released the video for the second single off her album, Nadia Naked. Featuring Tshego, she explained her issues getting “More Drugs” playlisted on radio in a recent Twitter post. Taking the opportunity to be more explicit with the video, Studio Space Pictures delivered an incredibly shot piece. Along the veins of Kanye […]
Mac Miller’s posthumous album, Circles, has been released
On January 8th, Mac Miller’s family released a statement on the artist’s Instagram page on the release of his final album, Circles. Giving detail on the circumstances surrounding the posthumous album, the release comes not long after the anniversary of the rapper’s death. January 17 has arrived, and with it the album. You can find […]
uSanele’s uMvelase
uSanele has released the follow up to his January 2019 project, Gangular. uMvelase, as described by him, is “a message to self (from higher self or spirit) to return home—Buyela ekhaya as the last track title suggests, or rather to remember who we are and where we come from.” “This project is in honour of […]