Africa’s Influence on International Hip Hop
Words by Mercia Tucker Drake’s More Life was released on the 18th March and with it the revelation that South African producer and DJ extraordinaire, Black Coffee, was featured on one of his tracks, Get It Together. Black Coffee, if you’ve taken residence under a rock for the past decade or so, is one of […]
Creative Of The Month: Anthony Bila
Words by Azola Mona Images from anthonybila.tumblr.com and instagram.com/theexpressionist Artist, videographer, photographer and blogger are but a few of many ways to describe our creative of the month. From exhibitions at the Swedish Embassy in Stockholm, features in New York Magazine & The Wall Street Journal, to playing himself in films that were shown at Cannes Film […]
Breaking Bread With Avukile
Words by Sanele Mawisa Photography by Neo Baepi Avukile Mabombo is a name many people might recognise as he is one of the most accomplished marketers in South Africa. However, his most noticeable characteristic upon engaging with him is his calm, laid-back demeanor; a trait he displayed when I messaged him to meet up for this […]
Event Review: Back to the City
After a number of years of attending festivals you begin to wonder if the festival still has the same appeal or if you’ve fallen into the ho-hum of habitual patronage. Every year, however, I walk out of Back to the City gates at the end of the night begrudgingly, with a sense of wonderment at […]
10 Most Influential Powerbrokers in SA Hip Hop
Words by Mercia Tucker and N.D. Forster In the Roc-A-Fella legacy, Kareem “Biggs” Burke was one third of the trio of founders who was always present but not always in the spotlight. The man behind the line “Biggs did it first, Jay put it in a verse” was the silent partner in the label, working […]
Rihanna – Fashion’s Most Loved Rebel
Words by Kendra Hunsley Unapologetic, unfiltered and carefree, Robyn ‘Rihanna’ Fenty is the embodiment of a style trailblazer and has us all following suit, or at-least trying to. She’s the girl many of us have tried to channel in our outfits in one way or another and secretly want to have as our best-friend as […]
Hip Hop’s Love Affair With Goyard
Words by Kendra Hunsley “Goyard, the preferred choice of connoisseurs” Goyard is a brand steeped in history and exclusivity. Favoured by the aristocrats, royals, dignitaries and the Bourgeoise. The brand prides itself on its long list of affluent patrons of the 19th and 20th century such as Pablo Picasso, Coco Chanel, Jeanne Lanvin – even […]
Interview: Gemini Major
Words by Mercia Tucker Photography by @welcometoromesa “I wanna show people here it’s bigger than this. You need to think out of the box, you need to take your mind out of the gutter and shoot for the stars, there’s no limit.” He’s an enigma to most people but at the heart of the exuberant […]
Event Review: Genesis All Black
Words by Azola Mona Pegged as Johannesburg’s premium urban and bass music festival, Genesis All Black returned this year with a Black Canvas theme that was centred on self-expression. Driven by the eclectic vibrancy that their target market exudes, Ten Media Group’s event component UNTIL UNTIL invited the youth to come live out “Your Rules, […]
5 Photographers Documenting SA Urban Culture
Words by Kendra Hunsley Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie speaks of ‘The Danger of a Single Story’. When a single story of a particular place is constantly told, it becomes the only anecdote that is acknowledged and remains in the minds of the masses. Africa, with all its majestic landscapes, resplendent cultures and the beauty of its […]
Collaboration: Boogy x Chisanga x Nomuzi
Revered stylist, Lethabo “Boogy” Maboi and talented photographer, Chisanga Mubanga, have teamed up for a series paying homage to 2 prominent female figures in South Africa by one of their biggest fans, Nomuzi Mabena. Check out the collaboration below: Stylist: Lethabo “Boogy” Maboi Photographer: Chisanga Mubanga
Does socially conscious hip hop have a market in today’s culture?
Words by Mercia Tucker “It was the first dominant rap group with the most dominant MC saying something that meant something.” Chuck D said this of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s The Message. The recreation room of the apartment building at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the West Bronx is listed by the New York […]