Fresh from his first performance on South African soil, Petite Noir, is about to take his noirwave to the other side of the world, to Beyonce’s hometown, Texas. Here, he will perform at one of the biggest music conference and festival in the world – the South by SouthWest (SXSW). But he isn’t the only one repping the continent out there this month, here are a few African performers who will be joining over 2000 signed and unsigned acts as well as the 30 000 revelers at this year’s festival:

K.O

After recently touring Europe and appearing on legendary British hip-hop DJ Tim Westwood’s show, K.O has now reached another career milestone by being enlisted to perform at SXSW in Texas. K.O has been one of South Africa’s most consistent rap stars with his most recent album Skhanda Republic going gold and spawning multiple hit singles including Caracara – which was the first South African hip-hop video to reach a million views on YouTube. Let’s hope he delivers a knockout performance.

Stonebwoy

Stonebwoy is a multi-award winning Ghanaian dancehall artist. Having scooped “Best International Act” at the BET Awards, Stonebwoy has been making waves on the international stage for a minute now. He possesses a genre-defying musical style and is considered a versatile rapper by some and a reggae artist by others. This versatility transcends genre boundaries and makes him one of the most unique artists on the continent (and perhaps in the world). With his unique style set to grace the SXSW stage in March, there’s bound to be a few Texans yippee ki-yay’ing to his music.

Moonchild Sanelly

Moonchild Sanely is a singer, poet, dancer, designer. Her versatility and unique flavour has giving her international acclaim. The New York Times recently labelled her Johannesburg’s coolest resident. But it’s her work in music that has landed her on this list. After recently releasing her first full-length album, Rabalupha!, Moonchild has seen her unique, genre-bending sound travel across the world. She calls this sound ‘future ghetto funk’, a genre all on its own. She’s set on a world tour and a special visit to the world famous SXSW concert in Texas. No doubt she’ll rock it.

Petite Noir

Young rapper/producer Petite Noir will be touring Africa, Europe and USA from February 6 until March 26 as part of his Life is Beautiful world tour. He’s appeared at several festivals in Europe and dropped his debut album “La Vie Est Belle / Life Is Beautiful” late last year. Having been featured on the likes of Dazed, Pitchfork and The Fader, Petit Noir is no stranger to the world stage. Currently based in Cape Town (and occasionally London), the half-Angolan, half-Congolese artist has a unique sound that is sure to take SXSW by storm.

Read our interview with Petite here.

Dex Kwasi

Ghanaian rapper, producer and DJ Dex Kwasi is on the rise. Born in Dallas, Texas this young emcee bounces between Oklahoma City and Accra on a regular basis. He worked with Sarkodie last year on the hit song “You Mome”, which had Sarkodie calling him one of the best artists he’s worked with – and Sarkodie has worked with a fair share of big names including Ace Hood. Performing in the state he was born in, Dex Kwasi will be expected to show up in a big way.

The post 5 hot African artists to look forward to at SXSW in Texas this year appeared first on Live Mag.

A Google search for Shekhinah Donnell and “Back to the Beach” brings up no less than 1 410 000 search results. Not bad for someone who auditioned, not once, but twice for Idols South Africa, but never made it to top position. She’s definitely a winner now. “Back to the Beach”, Shekhinah’s song with Kyle Deutsch has been playlisted on many national radio stations and is on the phones of music lovers all over the country and, dare we say, the world?

And she recently killed a performance at the Metro FM Awards, which took place in her hometown, Durban, where her song was nominated under the Best Single category.

The making of a hit song

The 22-year-old, who is doing her final year as a music student at AFDA in Jo’burg, says the song came from just being frustrated. “I like to cater to people’s emotions as well as our frustrations. So when I went home for the holidays all I wanted to do was chill and stay at the beach,” she says. She and Kyle worked on the song before heading to the studio to record it with producer, Sketchy Bongo.

She says that once she wrote the hook, the music started to come together, and after a few hours, the hit was born. She says she and Kyle were also involved in conceptualising the video. “It was Kyle’s idea to have the video where the characters are switching between adulthood and childhood.”

From being on Idols to the Metros

Shekhinah first auditioned for Idols when she was 16, back in 2011. She sang “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse, which really impressed SA Idols judge Randall Abrahams, but not enough to keep her in the competition. She auditioned again the following year, this time singing Lauryn Hill’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”. She made it all the way to the top six, but still didn’t make the cut.

She says she decided to take a gap year after that before registering for school full-time to do her music degree. I quiz her about the prospect of becoming just a one-hit wonder. She says that although it would be nice, she is not too concerned about making radio hits; she just wants to write music that the youth can relate to.

Nonku Phiri, selfies and staying in school

Since the success of her hit song, campus life has been a bit strange. “It’s just awkward being on campus and having people ask about my music or asking to take selfies with me,” she says with a laugh.

Balancing her schoolwork with her music career has not been easy. In the same week she had to rehearse for the Metro FM Awards, she had an important school project to hand in.

Shekhinah rates Lorde as her favourite musician. Cape Town singer Nonku Phiri is the local artist she would like to collaborate with. “I like that she’s different. She is not a conventional South African black girl in the type of music she makes. She is not flashy. She does not collaborate with the usual South African house music DJs for example, she does her own thing.”

So does Shekhinah.

Watch the video to her latest single “Let You Know” below, and follow her on Twitter, Facebook and SoundCloud

Image: supplied

Follow me on Twitter: @BabalwaBubblezQ

The post Shekhinah feels no pressure from the success of “Back to the Beach” appeared first on Live Mag.

Popular alternative musician, Okmalumkoolkat has broken his silence after serving a jail term for indecent assault. Okmalumkoolkat, whose real name is Smiso Zwane, is reported to have walked into a fellow musician’s hotel room during a music festival and indecently assaulting her while she was sleeping. He subsequently plead guilty and was handed a six month sentence (five of which were suspended).

In an Instagram post posted on Monday afternoon, ‘Koolkat said he “…was sincerely sorry by anyone affected by this”. He further explained that one day he would hopefully “explain the events as they happened from my perspective”

Read the entire post below

Ngiyema lapho.

A photo posted by 100kMacassette Mixtape Link (@okmalumkoolkat) on Mar 7, 2016 at 8:07am PST

The post “I have served my time in jail…” – Okmalumkoolkat appeared first on Live Mag.

Cape Town rapper Youngsta claims to have “put the Cape up when they made the Cape flat”. He once released 24 mixtapes in less than two years. In 2015 he released 20 videos as part of his #VisualVrydag series. Add an album, about six EPs and numerous singles to that list. He spat one of the most talked about verses of 2015 on DJ Switch’s “Way It Go” single, alongside Tumi and Nasty C. This was nothing new; Youngsta has been writing impressive verses, alongside some of South Africa’s best. We bring you, in no particular order, some of the rapper’s best guest verses.

Priddy Ugly ft. Youngsta – “Come to my Kasi”

Priddy Ugly’s verse on “Come to my Kasi”, off his latest EP You Don’t Know Me Yet, is great. He probably had Youngsta’s murderous ways in mind when he wrote it. Youngsta’s verse, intimidating especially combined with producer Wichi 1080’s trap beat, achieves the opposite of the song’s title. Judging from such brutal bars as “Fuck a social life, on the corners is where I chill on/ Rappers want beef, I hang them up like biltong/ You just a [?] man and pussy with granny panties/ Don’t call me fam or family, keep it clean like Handy Andy”, delivered in an intimidating vocal projection, who would want to go?

Youngsta ft. Reason and Tumi – “What Have You Done, My Brother?”

Youngsta proved he was good enough to hold his own alongside greats, Tumi Molekane and Reason. On 2012’s “What Have You Done, My Brother?”, all three rappers have impressive verses. My favourite is Reason’s but Youngsta tells his story so coherently it’s hard to not acknowledge his verse, especially because he wasn’t even 21 at the time.

DJ Switch ft. Tumi, Youngsta and Nasty C – “Way It Go”

On one of 2015’s most impressive lyrical songs, Youngsta spat what was arguably one of the best verses of that year. That Cape Coloured slang, high-precision flow, conviction in his voice, and how about those simple yet clever lines: “2015, hanging in the taxi, haven’t got teeth/ Wolf on Wall Street, looking for a sheep/ Sacrifice lamb, you’d think it was Eid”?

E-Jay ft. Youngsta and Tweezy – “Day Ones”

On E-Jay’s “Day Ones”, a Tweezy-produced banger, Youngsta lets us in on growing up with his friend, E-Jay, and some of the issues they have faced. “People say I changed, I believe I’m still the same one/ ‘cause I’m lamming with ouens I knew when I was in grade one/ it’s primary, me and E-Jay’s like Ebony and Ivory/ People telling lies so we can get into a rivalry,” he raps. A heartfelt verse yet still delivered viciously. Easily one of his best.

Chinese Man and Tumi ft. Youngsta – “Past Your Time”

Tumi, on The Journey, his collaborative rappity rap EP with French electronic band, Chinese Man, enlisted just three rappers – Khuli Chana, Taiwan MC and Youngsta. On “Past Your Time”, Tumi and Youngsta switched flows over the song’s varying rhythm. Youngsta, just like Tumi, proved once again that he can jump on any beat and still excel.

DJ Switch ft Youngsta and Ill SKillz – “Stiek Uit”

On this verse, Youngsta maintains one rhyme scheme throughout, yet he still manages to elude monotony. There aren’t any mind-blowing lines on here, just great flows and simple straight-forward bars (“I’m not concerned with no airplay/ ‘cause the industry is no fair game/ so I hijack’em like airplanes”). His delivery alone sees him standing out, among the two Ill Skillz veterans.

Black Vulcanite ft. Kita Keez, Ill Skillz, Driemanskap, Youngsta – “12th Hour”

Right after the impressive flows of Ma-B (Driemanskap) and AliThatDude (Black Vulcanite), Youngsta fires some poignant shots, “It’s all good in the hood, from Wittebome to Gugs/ You a poes, I should drive over you like Jub Jub.” Unlike most of the rappers on the song, his flow is steady, making each and every one of his cold bars audible. A freestylist of note, from lines like, “I got the Manskap of Drie, with Ill Skillz and we blacker than Vulcanite”, you can tell his verse was written for this particular song – a rarity these days when freestyles are read from iPhones. It’s hard to single out one winner on this track – every rapper brought it – but Youngsta’s definitely a candidate.

What’s your favourite Youngsta guest verse?
Let us know in the comments section or on Facebook and Twitter.

Image: Andiswa Mkosi

Follow Youngsta on Twitter, Facebook and SoundCloud, and check out his website.

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Watching her provocative video for her latest single “Be it” didn’t prepare me for meeting the petite songstress, Elo. The pink-afroed artist from Tshepang Ramoba’s (of Blk Jks fame) Post Post Music stable, has a mystical sound that blends kwaito, house, RnB, jazz and electronic music.

A born rebel, Elo (whose real name is Lerato Sellane) is not into fame. She’s more interested in personally connecting with her fans.

“I have this thing called dining room sessions – I’ve done about four or five now. I pick a fan, organise a time and perform at their house. Hearing their feedback is always so meaningful. I feel as though I can take away more from that,” she says.

Elo and I spoke about her music, fashion sense and what it’s like being a woman in the music industry.

You have a very alternative style of music. What inspired it?

When I was studying, people kept trying to get me into house music. I did that for a bit but I didn’t like it. It wasn’t me. But when I listened to Moonchild I realised that was the type of music I want to make. I like playing around with genres. .

You originally got into the music industry by doing administrative work? Tell us more about that.

I used to do backing vocals for Vusi Nova before I got a job in publishing at Universal Music. My big break came when I was part of a programme with the Joburg City Theatre that was commemorating June 16.

That’s when I met Nothende. I just volunteered to be her PA on a whim and she actually let me. So, from there I was scheduling and setting up her interviews.

One day the South African embassy in Côte d’Ivoire called and they wanted to get Nothende to perform. I was making the arrangements and I asked: “Can she bring another artist?”. I just shoved myself into the lineup and performed for free. I got to open for Nothende during that concert and she became my mentor.

You’ve just released your first video, “Be It”. Tell us more about it.

I want everybody to see it. I want people to download it and send it to their mothers and friends. To me, the video is about being a rebel. I’m all about pink hair, all day, everyday. So I want people to interpret it as an expression of my rebellion.

What do you have to say to people who think you copied your image from Nicki Minaj?

Everyone draws their influences from somewhere. Even Nicki Minaj isn’t solely influenced by herself. One of her influences is Japanese and Chinese fashion and that’s what influences me too. I know my look is mainly about my [pink] hair, but that’s just because I like to style it like that.I love my afro.

You’ve started touring internationally; have you had any bad experiences?

Generally, the reception was really awesome but my hiccup is a really touchy subject. I won’t say which show it was but after a performance, a guy almost forced himself on me.

It was traumatising because it could have been worse, especially because I was surrounded by his friends. I started thinking that maybe I should stop drinking because I felt like it was my fault. It made me anxious about touring and trusting people.

As a woman in this industry, do you feel the pressure to maintain a sexual or provocative image?

Sometimes it feels like if you’re a female artist, you’re expected to become sexual for your music and image to sell.

But I also don’t like that women’s bodies are constantly policed. If a guy can walk down the street dressed however he likes, why can’t I do the same? I hate doing laundry. If I can dress less that means less laundry. Just cover what needs to be covered. It sounds silly but that’s just how it is.

Elo’s debut EP, Elogram, was released on iTunes last week.

Her international tour kicks off this month, starting in Spain, and will end in October in New York City.

Follow her on Twitter and visit her website for more information

The post Rebel songstress Elo on music, fashion and being compared to Nicki Minaj appeared first on Live Mag.

AKA is not one to get comfortable with what works. He’s forever challenging himself. The rapper’s latest single “One Time”, which he performed on SABC 1’s music show LiveAmp last week Friday, is proof of that. The feel-good song, which oddly comes at the end of summer, sees AKA singing on autotune throughout, over a loungey beat with a rubbery bassline and kick – something like his hit single “Congratulate”.

His previous album, the gold-certified Levels (read our review here) had a uniform sound – he was mostly sampling dance music. It looks like his next album will be a new sound altogether. Right after performing the song on TV, the rapper explained his new direction in a series of tweets. “I hereby renounce my throne as the prince of SA hip-hop,” went the first one. “You will now address me as the king of pop,” he continued. “I no longer want to be confined to want to be confined by the boundaries that come with being labelled ‘rap’ or ‘hip-hop’.”

Watch the live performance of “One Time” below and read the tweets underneath.

*Update: The video has since been made private

Please stand by for A ROYAL ANNOUNCEMENT ….

— AKA (@akaworldwide) 12 March 2016

I HEREBY RENOUNCE MY TITLE “PRINCE OF SA HIP HOP”

— AKA (@akaworldwide) 12 March 2016

YOU WILL NOW ADDRESS ME AS ………….. “THE KING OF POP ”

— AKA (@akaworldwide) 12 March 2016

MICHAEL F JACKSON …… PLEASE SAY THE CAPTION!!!!!

— AKA (@akaworldwide) 12 March 2016

I NO LONGER WANT TO BE CONFINED BY THE BOUNDARIES AND EXPECTATIONS THAT COME WITH BEING LABELLED “RAP” or “HIP HOP”

— AKA (@akaworldwide) 12 March 2016

POP STANDS FOR “POPULAR MUSIC” …… And that’s what I make.

— AKA (@akaworldwide) 12 March 2016

WELCOME BACK. LONG LIVE ZULU MICHAEL JACKSON. ✊ https://t.co/uyM8BEvBHw

— AKA (@akaworldwide) 12 March 2016

Follow AKA on Twitter and check out the hashtag #OneTime for what people thought of the single.

The post AKA goes pop on his new single “One Time” appeared first on Live Mag.

Kanyi’s phone keeps ringing. Just as she settles down in her producer’s bedroom studio in Gugulethu, where she’s working on her new EP, her phone goes off. “Ndisenza le-interview, still here in Gugs,” she talks into the phone. The producer, Kosh, has worked with the Cape Town rapper since 2008. He worked on her 2012 debut album Iintombi Zifikile, which helped solidify Kanyi’s place in South African hip-hop. She had already proven herself through performances around the country and most notably her show-stealing verse on Driemanskap’s “S’phum’eGugs” single.

Watch our interview with Driemanskap at this year’s Cape Town Electronic Music Festival here.

“Kanyisa was performing at the [Cape Town International Jazz Festival] sometime. A friend of mine saw her and introduced us,” says Kosh. He’s producing two tracks for the emcee’s upcoming 8-track EP, for which she just released the first single called “Andizenzi”, recorded in Sweden in 2014.

Where she has been since 2012

Apart from a video for “Ungalibali”, a single off Iintombi Zifikile, and a few guest verses, for instance one in Four Corners soundtrack, Kanyi hasn’t released new music since the album.

In 2013, she was part of the Sweden and South Africa music exchange initiative, Kwaai, which involved a few collaborative songs and a tour to Sweden. “That was really fantastic,” she says. “We met the best artists in Sweden, Kwaai made a hell of a noise there, we were performing on great stages. That also opened a lot of doors because I met a lot of artists and audiences, and just different networks.”

She went back to perform in Sweden in 2014. In 2015, she went on tour with Kwaai again, this time to Zambia, Zimbabwe and other parts of South Africa.

Check out Kanyi on our list of six South African emcees who always kill features here.

The making of “Andizenzi”

Ted Krotkiewski, the producer of “Andizenzi”, is one of the connects Kanyi made in Sweden. “He’s part of a drum band called Yakumbe,” says Kanyi. “They all play drums, and I got a chance to perform with them in Stockholm.” She gives a bright smile as she describes the feeling of performing with the band, “Oh my gosh, Can you imagine? All those fucking drummers like…,” she plays imaginary drums, “It’s high energy.”

Which explains the heavy drumming on “Andizenzi”. The song itself is a departure from the traditional boom bap production she went for on her album. She’s telling me that there are a few more tracks she’s working on when her phone rings again. “I was looking for a particular sound,” she continues after the call. “We (hip hop artists) all like the same thing and it kinda sounds monotonous, even though, we add our own flavours when we do it.”

Being in that comfort zone was frustrating for Kanyi. She knew exactly what sound she wanted for “Andizenzi”. “I gave him (Ted) a brief,” she says. “He tried creating something but when he went through his archives, this beat was chilling there. He made the beat a long time ago – like 2012.” Her upcoming EP is about exploring different sounds and being as creative as she can be, she says.

“I’m tired of being the go-to bully”

Kanyi resurfaces at an interesting time for women in South African hip-hop. There are a lot more female rappers visible – the likes of Fifi Cooper, Gigi Lamayne, Rouge, Patty Monroe, Dope Saint Jude and more. Quite different to a few years ago when it was just her, Qba, Nthabi, Godessa, Eavesdrop and a few others. Insufferable hip-hop heads bring up Kanyi’s name whenever women who rap are discussed.

Kanyi’s tone changes when I ask for her opinion on this.“I’m tired of this thing that whenever a girl comes through and raps I must now attack her.” she says. “I’m tired of that shit: I’m tired of being the go-to bully. Now I must go and bully these girls. For what? There are so many wack cats that have been dominating the charts for years. The ones who are really dope are still on the streets unheard, so what is new?

“I am happy that all these girls are coming through,” she says, “But I always stand for dopeness – I want bars, I want lyricism, I want creativity. But we don’t all come in the same package.”

The rapper’s in touch with the current crop of artists. She says she’s currently feeling Devour Ke Lenyora, Nasty C (read our interview with him here), Uno July, Assessa and Nonku Phiri. But adds that it’s female rappers she’s more excited about. “It’s been said that this is the year of the female rapper and I really hope that happens.

“It’s exciting, it means that the stencil – this carbon cut that every [woman who raps] must be ‘like this’ – will be destroyed,” she says. “They are coming through and doing different things. They’re not all dope but they’re bringing something to the table. Some of these [male] cats aren’t dope either. But clearly they bring something to the table because people like them.”

Follow Kanyi on Twitter, Facebook and SoundCloud and pick up a copy of Iintombi Zifikile on iTunes.

Photography by Onele Liwani

The post Cape Town rapper Kanyi shares new experimental single and her views on the new crop of female rappers appeared first on Live Mag.

She took us to church – at The Nest, the newly opened venue for all things art, in the Cape Town CBD. This was Zoë Modiga, the new jazz priestess. The Cape Town-based singer’s multidimensional voice reduced the group of about 150 cool kids and music lovers in attendance to an acquiescent congregation, singing along to some covers and her own compositions. Her voice was cushioned by a two-piece band consisting of a keyboardist and a bassist, who she met at UCT, she tells me a few days after the performance.

Zoë was light on her feet. She gyrated, squatted and knelt, while still coherent in song. She was in her element. She even invited a few rappers from the crowd to drop some 16s on stage. This was in late February, when she was headlining Jam That Session – a monthly series of music events that has, in past instalments, hosted the likes of Nakhane Touré, Youngsta and Claire Phillips, just to mention a few.

Read our interview with Nakhané Toure here.

Read our list of Youngsta’s best guest verses here.

What makes Zoë special is the ease with which she sings. High notes aren’t a struggle. She’s natural, she sings with her speaking voice.

It was when she added her own personality to Nina Simone’s “Four Women” that hands in the crowd were raised, faces facing the floor, eyes closed. “Sing it, girl” interjections came from random spots of the venue.

Check out Zoë on our list of young South African women we are excited about right now here.

An overseas trip deferred

The same Nina Simone song got Zoë a R200 000 SAMRO Overseas Scholarship towards the end of 2015. She won against eight other singers, for a chance to study overseas. But she’s put that on hold, as she’s trying to raise funds that will allow her to stay longer abroad.

It’s been interesting watching Zoë go from just another singer looking for a platform to showcase her craft to a promising star. She has proven her versatility and star power on a lot of reputable platforms, most notably the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in 2015. Her performance there, just like the aforementioned one, brought the Holy Ghost out of its hiding place, and it crept through the venue sedating us all, like in a dignified missionary church service.

Zoë’s not a pro by accident; she studied jazz and vocal performance at the South African College of Music  at UCT between 2013 and 2015, she’s currently on a sabbatical, with just one year until she graduates. In high school, she took classical music. That was at the National School of the Arts in Joburg, where she learned classical piano and the clarinet. She later taught herself to play guitar.

Check out our gallery of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival here.

Check out our gallery of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival Free Concert, where Zoë was performing, here.

Coming to Cape Town

Zoë moved from Pietemeritzburg, where she grew up to Cape Town in 2013, to study in UCT. “I started going around with my guitar looking for places to perform, even if it was for free,” she says, smiling from nostalgia. Jam That Session was one of the first platforms that allowed her to share her greatness in 2013.

Spotting a blue knee-length dress, during her 2013 Jam That Session performance, strapped with a guitar she showcased the dynamics of her voice as she interpreted a range of songs her own way. Among the few covers she performed was Winston “Mankunku” Ngozi’s monumental “Yakhal’inkomo”.

SoundCloud and evolution

At around the same time, the singer was posting amazing cover songs on her SoundCloud page, which she’d record in her room. “I was living in a digs, sharing with six people who were okay with me singing. [When I was recording], I would put my phone at a certain angle because the acoustics were better there, and just uploaded it and hoped for the best.”

She  says she cringes a bit when she listens to the clips now. “(But) I’m okay with it being there because you get to see the growth over the years.” These days her SoundCloud has mostly live recordings. She has only released a few studio recordings. Two of those are “Pushin’ On” (which got played on several national radio stations) and “Dream”, both collaborations with Cape Town electro duo The Kiffness. The songs, which are from the duo’s 2014 album The Kiff, displayed another facet of Zoë’s singing, that of a regular popstar and a go-to house hook killer.

On collaboration, house and jazz

Zoë wants to do more cross-genre collaborations. “I’d love to do house music. There’s a lot of DJs that I’ve been talking to, actually. I look up to Nakhane Touré. He has his own vibe, but he collaborates with different people.” She wants to do music that appeals. “I want to be on a hip-hop record, a kwaito one, I wanna do jazz, I want to do R n B, it’s all music.”

Zoë creates most of her own music. “The power of having learned music is that I can notate it and then it gets played and interpreted by the other musicians. So I spend most of my time coming up with chords and writing lyrics or writing lyrics and thinking of bassline and notating it.”

She’s an indie artist who has to do it all, including admin: “I do every single thing; posters, send invites, talk to clients, manage my page. I want to, when I have a team, understand exactly what I want them to do.” She makes it no secret that it’s not always easy: “I have to live through those struggles so when I’m telling you ‘phanda, boss,’ it’s not because I’ve got gigs. I starve sometimes, I eat noodles sometimes. But s’yaphanda, we are still getting our ideas out and making the world a nice spot to chill in.”

With a voice and stage game like hers, the world is indeed a nice spot to chill in.

Zoë recently entered The Voice SA, impressing all three judges. She’s being mentored by Lira as part of the competition.

Watch her performance on the show, below, and follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, her website and SoundCloud.

Images: Sabelo Mkhabela 

The post Zoë Modiga, the Cape Town-based jazz artist you have to see perform appeared first on Live Mag.

As a child, Lwazi Ngqingo,who raps under the name Java, lost his dad to the struggle, for apartheid. His music is a therapeutic outlet for him to deal with not having a father figure in his life. Watch his story below:

The post How rhyming helps me get over the pain of losing my father to the struggle appeared first on Live Mag.

You don’t know what you missed out on. That’s the only way to describe this year’s Cape Town International Jazz Festival to anyone who wasn’t there. Now in it’s 17th year, the festival still brings music lovers from different genres to the Cape Town International Convention Centre. This year was no different. Veterans like Dorothy Masuka, Tshepo Tshola, Angie Stone were joined by cutting edge young artists like Christian Tiger School, Mick Jenkins, Thandi Ntuli, Nduduzo Makhathini, making it hard to choose from the five stages of the festival.

Below are the performances that stood out for two of Live SA’s content producers, Sabelo Mkhabela and Rofhiwa Maneta.

Christian Tiger School

Image: Rofhiwa Maneta

“Seeing Christian Tiger School with a drummer on stage made me skeptical. I feel like live drums always take away the grit from electronic music. But the duo knew what they were doing. The keys, pads and synthesizers gelled well with the drums and their sound was still as warm and ambient. Most of the songs they performed – “Chorisolo”, “Damn January”, “Mikro Brothers” and more – were from their album Chrome Tapes. During their performance I was catching up with a friend. I don’t remember a single word she said; I was in some form of a trance.” – Sabelo MKhabela

Muzart and Khuli Chana

Image: Sabelo Mkhabela

“The Bassline stage was at its fullest for Muzart and Khuli Chana. Muzart performed a lot of covers from TKZee, Brenda Fassie, Tshepo Tsola and more, which worked and saved what was otherwise a lacklustre set. By the time Khuli Chana joined them on stage, the crowd was at their most ratchet. And the motswako rapper, with his addictive hooks and frantic stage antics, made sure they stayed that way. He drew from his rich discography of hits like “Freshe”, “No More Hunger”, “Tswa Daar”, “Hape Le Hape” and more.” – Sabelo Mkhabela

The Beat Bangaz

Image: Sabelo Mkhabela

“Three amateur deejays playing together at once would probably be disastrous. But three pros, which is what the The Beat Bangaz consists of, will give you an expertly tailored diverse mix of genres ranging from reggae to kwaito to hip-hop to pop. Using MPDs and and turntables, DJ Ready D, DJ Azhul and DJ E20 played live remixes and songs by the likes of Reason, TKZee, Brenda Fassie, Bob Marley, Mano and more. Easily one of my favourite performances of the whole festival.” – Sabelo Mkhabela

Mafikizolo

Image: Sabelo Mkhabela

“What’s there to say about Mafikizolo that hasn’t already been said? They’ve sold hundreds of thousands of albums, won more awards than they know what to do with, and are probably one of the biggest artists in the country (if not the continent). So it came as no surprise that they delivered one of the standout performances of the festival. Dressed in 60s Sophiatown chic, the duo wowed the crowd with their classic songs like “Ndihamba Nawe”, “Udakwa Njalo” and “Kwela Kwela”. Easily one of the best performances of the night.” – Rofhiwa Maneta

BadBadNotGood

Image: Rofhiwa Maneta

“Despite what their name might suggest, Canadian band BadBadNotGood are anything but terrible. The four piece outfit – known for their distinctive blend of free-jazz, hip-hop and electronica – were one of the few acts that managed to arrest the attention of both the young and old audience members. Plus, they had a bag of surprises throughout their set. First, they had social commentator and artist, Ferrari Sheppard paint live during their set, and toward the end of their set they brought out Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) to round off their performance.” – Rofhiwa Maneta

Mick Jenkins

Image: Rofhiwa Maneta

“Chicago-based rapper Mick Jenkins’ performance wasn’t perfect but it was just a few degrees short of it. The Bassline stage’s sound let him down, but other than that, Mick absolutely killed his performance. He wowed the crowd with material from his breakout mixtape, The Water[s] (a soulful mix of jazz and raw, sample-heavy boom-bap) and also dipped further back into his discography (performing material from his sophomore mixtape Trees and Truth). Check the video below for the end of his performance.” – Rofhiwa Maneta

Other great performances came from Nduduzo Makhathini, Thandi Ntuli, Legendary Ladies in Song (Dorothy Masuka, Abigail Kubeka ft. Lenny “Special” Mabaso), Tumi Mogorosi and Project Elo, Tribute “Birdie” Mboweni, Nathi and more.

Were you at the Jazz Fest? What performances stood out for you? Let us know in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.

The post 6 artists who blew us away at the 2016 Cape Town International Jazz Festival appeared first on Live Mag.

Tweezy takes a moment to chill during AKA’s “All Eyes on Me” video shoot. Photo: Tseliso Monaheng

“I was kind of expecting it,” says Soweto-based producer Tweezy. It’s a wintry Wednesday afternoon and Tweezy (real name Tumelo Mathebula) is reflecting on winning producer of the year at last year’s South African Hip Hop Awards. “When I was nominated in 2014, I figured I was too much of a newcomer to win. But I got nominated again last year and after looking at everything I’d produced, there was no way I wouldn’t win that award.”

Cocky? Perhaps. But given the number of chart toppers the award-winning producer has produced in the last year, maybe he’s entitled to a little bit of boasting.

Let’s go through this together. From AKA’s “Baddest”, Riky Rick’s “Sidlukotini”, L Tido’s “Dlala Ka Yona”, DJ Sliqe’s “iLife” and Kwesta’s “Day Ones”, Tweezy has quickly established himself as South African hip hop’s go-to hitmaker. At 23, his signature bass-heavy production has become a mainstay in South African hip hop charts and there probably isn’t a producer more “in demand” as he is at the moment.

On producing for AKA

Tweezy during a recent performance in Wynberg, Cape Town. Photo: Sabelo Mkhabela

He first burst onto the scene two years back, crafting three singles off AKA’s sophomore album, Levels (namely “Run Jozi”, “All Eyes on Me” and “Sim Dope”). He met AKA through a mutual industry friend and after initially having his beats rejected, he struck gold with the “Run Jozi” instrumental.

“He’s a perfectionist,” he says about AKA. “When he walks into the studio, he usually knows exactly what he wants. It’s a bit surreal to work with him but I enjoy every minute of it.”

Considering the success of AKA’s Tweezy-produced singles (All Eyes on Me and Run Jozi went gold), it’s no surprise the two teamed up again. Toward the end of last year, Tweezy helped craft one of AKA’s latest singles “Baddest”. Featuring Khuli Chana and Nigerian superstar Burna Boy, the track features the same kind of rubbery bassline and sparse drumwork that made “All Eyes on Me” such a hit. Tweezy co-produced the track last year, just after AKA came back from his UK tour.

“I co-produced that joint with Master A Flat,” says Tweezy. “Him and Kiernan started that beat while he was touring Europe. It was inspired by Wale’s “Summer League”, so they were going for the same kind of vibe but with a new-age kwaito feel to it. Kiernan called me into studio one day and asked me to help with the beat. I added the bassline, reworked the drums a bit and three weeks later he called to tell me the joint would be called Baddest.”

“Me and E-Jay aren’t beefing”

Tweezy (left) and Cape Town-based rapper E-Jay at the Back To The City Festival 2015. The two have since fallen out. Photo: Tseliso Monaheng

Last year, Tweezy was the subject of controversy after Cape Town-based rapper E-Jay accused him of stealing his music and selling it to other artists. This came after Johannesburg-based duo Benchmarq released a song called Bonang. E-Jay claimed Tweezy initially gave him the beat, then sold it to the duo without his permission. Tweezy says this isn’t the case.

“Yeah, the beats were initially meant for him [E-Jay],” he recalls. We were working on his Apartheid EP at the time, but we had a falling out and I decided to take all my beats back.”

If only it were that simple.

After dying down toward the end of last year, the E-Jay controversy has since resurfaced. This is after Kwesta released his latest single, “Day Ones”, featuring AKA and Tweezy. Like “Bonang”, the beat and title are similar to a track on E-Jay’s EP.

“I explained the entire thing on Twitter. I left everyone know I was no longer working with E-Jay so I’d be taking my beats back and shipping them out.”

In spite of this, Tweezy says he has no beef with E-Jay.

“None whatsoever,” he says. Maybe he’s the one who’s beefing with me because he keeps calling me out on Twitter. I don’t have beef with anyone. ”

Plans for the year

With the E-Jay controversy now behind him, SA’s newest rap talent is currently working on his solo EP. In fact, today he’s set to drop “Ambition”, the first single off his upcoming EP.

“I’ve achieved a lot, but there’s still so much more I want to do. In short, my biggest ambition for the year is to keep making music and grow as a producer.”

Follow Tweezy on Twitter: @beatsbytweezy

Behind the beat is a series of interviews featuring young, South African producers across different genres.

The post Behind the beat: Tweezy on producing some of AKA’s biggest hits appeared first on Live Mag.

Besides Jimmy Nevis, Isaac Mutant (Dookoom), HemelBessem, Youngsta, Patty Monroe, and a few others, not many coloured artists are known nationally. But this doesn’t mean there aren’t any great coloured artists. Here are a few that you should stop sleeping on.  

RELATED: Being coloured in a black and white South Africa

Shafieka

Athlone-based RnB singer, Shafieka is on the rise. This diamond in the rough won last year’s Star Struck voice competition, an annual Cape Town talent search. This came with a R300 000 prize and Shafieka being the face of up-and-coming Cape Town clothing label Linguistically Cultured. Shafieka’s voice sounds like a cross between Mariah Carey and Ciara, and her brand of RnB will not leave you disappointed. Listen to her single “Falling” below.

 Follow Shafieka and Twitter and Facebook

RELATED: 7 of Cape Town rapper Youngsta’s best guest verses

Linkris

About a month ago, Cape Town rapper, Linkris’s single “Game Change Gazi” was on Cape Town radio station Goodhope FM’s Hip Hop Top 20. It spent a few weeks on the chart. The rapper, who raps mostly in Afrikaans, addresses social issues in his music. His previous single “Om Dat Ek Kullid Es” is a motivational song to the coloured community to stand up and make their mark. In 2011, he appeared on Internationally Known Mixtape Vol. 2, a compilation of international hip-hop songs by the Washington DC-based record label, Nomadic Wax.    

Follow Linkris on Twitter and Facebook

Yoma

Yoma, a rapper based in George in the Western Cape, performed at the 2016 installment of Afrikaanse Kultuurefees Amsterdam, a music, film, literature and dance festival in Amsterdam. She is currently signed to Cape Town-based indie record label Katalis, which is also home to Afrikaans rap giant HemelBessem and Linkris. Yoma raps over mid-tempo boom bap-inspired beats, which provide a perfect backdrop for her laidback flows and introspective lyrical content. Yoma’s music is inspiring. She sounds comfortable when she raps, and is not afraid to subtly praise herself in her raps.

 Follow Yoma on Twitter and Facebook    

Early B

Early B’s best trait is his flow. He can rap fast but his words will still be audible. His comical punchlines float over catchy bass-heavy, Southern-style beats. His song “Cerebelum” was number 1 on the Goodhope FM Hip Hop Charts for a few weeks. The Port Elizabeth rapper’s music has travelled to the Western Cape, through performances in events in Stellenbosch, Beaufort West, Cape Town and other places. He is probably one of the most entertaining rappers in the country at the moment. Even if you don’t understand Afrikaans, Early B’s music will have you nae-naeing because of its catchy nature.

Follow Early B on Twitter and Facebook

Miss Celaneous

Cape Town rapper, Miss Celeneous’s lyrics can be hard to access if you are not fluent in Cape Coloured slang. But that won’t stop you from appreciating her skills on the mic. Her personality and fashion sense shine through in her videos and in her lyrics. She stands out with pink or blonde blown-out hair. Miss Celaneous’s music, just like her style, doesn’t hold back – from tales of sexual encounters to how she is the best to ever do it. She hosts a monthly series in Cape Town called Welovehiphop.  

 Follow Miss Celaneous on Twitter and Facebook

RELATED: 7 African rappers you should stop sleeping on 

Candice Thornton

Candice Thornton is a Cape Town-born pop and soul vocalist. She recently featured on DJ and producer Lance Theron’s new single “Higher”. Candice is the 2012 winner of Heart FM’s Open Mic Jazz Vocal competition. In 2013, she performed at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Her latest single titled “Superhero” is a loungey pop jam with a catchy rhythm and hook. Candice is becoming popular through her weekly performances at Jackson Hall at the Grand West Casino.

Follow Candice on Twitter and Facebook 

Feature image of Miss Celaneous, by Andiswa Mkosi  

Written by Elzane Campher and Tatum-lee Louw

What other coloured artists should we stop sleeping on? Let us know in the comments section, below, or on Facebook and Twitter.

*An earlier version of this article wrongfully referred to the Goodhope FM Hip Hop Top 20 as the Hip Hop Top 40. The mistake has since been fixed.  

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In case you didn’t realise, Mgarimbe’s massive street hit “Sista Bethina” was released 10 years ago. And Mgarimbe hasn’t released any other hit since then. He’s not the only South African artist who came, performed, but didn’t quite conquer, in the past 10 years.We list some of the artists who gave us the most memorable hits and just left us hanging.

Mgarimbe “Sista Bethina” (2006)

No one was ever ready for the storm that was to come when Mgarimbe and Jabu first released this track. This is arguably one of the biggest songs to come out of the country in the past decade. The Party Goers Anonymous’ official anthem is still a guaranteed crowd rouser. Mgarimbe released an album titled Grand Entrance in 2011, however, nothing much came out of it.

Bantu Soul “Having You Around” (2007)

Bantu Soul’s self-titled album was something to look forward to, for South African house music lovers. After being featured on Black Coffee’s single “Even Though”, and winning the Metro FM Award for Best Male the following year, it looked like Bantu Soul was next to take the throne as the best house vocalist in the country. “Having you Around” was a breath of fresh air, a song for both lovers and party goers. The aim, while dancing to this song, was definitely not to sweat. Bantu Soul has subsequently released two other albums in 2009 and 2012 with Love Crimes being his latest offering.

RELATED: 10 kwaito love songs for your Valentine’s Day

DJ Sdunkero “Maputo Song” (2007)

Taken from his debut album, Edladleni Volume 1, DJ Sdunkero’s “Maputo Song” had the capability to instantly release anyone’s ratchet side. This song won the Record of the Year Award at the SAMAs in 2008. Its main attraction was its catchy Mozambican guitar riff. None of Sdunkero’s later releases have managed to get nearly as much attention as “Maputo Song”.

Nutty Nys “Nka mo Dira” (2009)

A song made hugely popular for its playful delivery on sexual innuendos, Nutty Nys and Miza’s “Nka Mo Dira” became an instant favourite. It was loved by both young and old, and sometimes even making an inappropriate feature at family gatherings. This song had a pretty basic beat, and nobody really knows why they liked it. But they did anyway.

RELATED: Behind the beat: Tweezy on producing AKA’s biggest hits

Kay-E “Bona Re Etsang” (2010)

An artist closely linked to the 985 crew, Kay-E also made noise with “Bona Re Etsang” which not only appealed to hip-hop followers, but the ordinary man on the street too. Two official remixes of the song were released the following year. Kay-E has since then tried to make a comeback, with none of his songs really catching on.

Bullistic “Mamasita” (2011)

“Where you were when we drank the liquors?” (sic) Most South Africans were introduced to this song via Live on SABC1. Soon after its release, it was on everyone’s playlist. Bullistic and Oros got us dancing right through the festive season, straight into 2012. Bullistic’s subsequent releases have since failed to reach the heights that “Mamasita” did. He did however, leave us with one of South Africa’s coolest catchphrases.

Monotone “Invitation to Dance” (2012)

You know a song is a hit when kids have their own playground remix for it. Monotone and Ruby Gold got us dancing and singing along to lyrics that we weren’t quite sure of. “Invitation to Dance” was hard to escape in 2012, with every radio station making sure it was on their playlist. Unfortunately, subsequent Monotone releases have just gone largely unnoticed, with no word on where Ruby Gold has disappeared.

What other one-hit wonders from 10 years ago can you think of? Let us know in the comments section below, or on Facebook and Twitter.

The post Mgarimbe and other one-hit wonders from the last 10 years appeared first on Live Mag.

AKA’s Levels album just went platinum. The rapper has been the head honcho of South African rap since 2011 when his single “Victory Lap” became a permanent fixture on national radio. Most hip-hop artists have stayed at the top for, like, two or three years. These are five possible reasons why AKA’s achieved this.

Working with young producers

After IV League (the production trio he was part of) disbanded, I thought it was over for AKA. The trio had crafted a world-class sound, unique with warm basslines and sinewy synths. IV League beats played a backdrop for the raps of, among others, Pro, ProVerb, Shugasmarkx, and AKA himself on his debut album, Altar Ego. But AKA recruited some young blood to his production team. Tweezy, a producer from Soweto, produced most of AKA’s recent hits; “Run Jozi”, “All Eyez On Me”, “Sim Dope” and “The Baddest”. Master A Flat contributed to some tracks on Levels – the intro, “Let Me Show You”, and a few others. If you want to catch the kids’ attention, then maybe work with the kids.

RELATED: The 5 young producers behind your favourite SA hip-hop hits

Well-curated collaborations

From enlisting Tumi, HHP and Amu on the remix to “Victory Lap”, Khuli Chana and Pro on “I Want It All”, to Burna Boy, JR and Da L.e.s on “All Eyez On Me”, AKA knows how to curate a great collaboration. He’s a craftsman who doesn’t just work with any popular artist, but he will make sure he uses whoever he features to the best of their abilities – Khuli Chana’s hook on “I Want It All”, Tumi’s poetry on the Levels intro, Yanga’s subtle but pivotal hook on “Run Jozi”.

Experimenting with different sounds

When every rapper in South Africa started sampling kwaito about three years ago, AKA chose to sample house and pop, which formed a basis for Levels. This set the rapper apart, on singles like “Jealousy”, “Congratulate” and “All Eyes On Me”. His biggest single to date “The Baddest”, which saw him being the most played South African artist on South African radio, followed the same trend. AKA recently proclaimed himself a pop artist, with the release of his latest single “One Time”, in which there’s hardly any rapping, but auto-tuned singing over techno-inspired production.

RELATED: Behind the beat: Tweezy on producing AKA’s biggest hits

His unfuckwithable Twitter persona

Super Mega just became the first South African musician to reach one million followers on Twitter. This is probably because of his consistency in music and his relentless Twitter fingers. There’s this thing about South African hip-hop fans where they tell artists to be humble, while ignoring the already humble ones. When AKA “rants”, his fans and haters make him trend, and thus increase his following.

Knowing his worth

AKA doesn’t just accept a quick cheque for anything he doesn’t find unsustainable or disagrees with. While many rappers see it as bragging right to open for an American rap superstar, he was one of the – if not the – first South African rapper who refused to be an opening act. He ran a risk of being written off by organisers, but it didn’t matter – the man knows his worth and is not about to make brash decisions for a quick buck. Recently, he explained to his Twitter followers that filling up an arena like his rival Cassper Nyovest did last year, didn’t make business sense to him, so he wasn’t up for it.

Feature image by Lucky Mthabela

Why do you think AKA has managed to stay on top for so many years? Let us know in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.

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The Grammys, just like the South African Music Awards (SAMAs), do not allow albums that have not been released commercially (like free mixtapes and EPs) to be nominated. But a petition, which was co-signed by Chance The Rapper, to allow free music releases to be eligible for Grammys, caused an online stir recently when it got close to 30 000 (and counting) out of the 35 000 needed signatures. In no particular order, here is a list South African mixtapes and EPs, from the last 10 years, that could have won SAMAs had they been allowed to compete.

Priddy Ugly You Don’t Know Me Yet (2016)

Priddy Ugly’s You Don’t Know Me Yet EP was tailored with singles that had proper videos, the way an album would. With one producer, Whichi 1080, behind the boards, the EP had a monolithic sound – hard-hitting cloud trap, and world-class sound quality. The brilliant video for “Coccaine Ghost” alone sets Priddy Ugly apart. His popular single “Bula Boot”, alongside guests such as Youngsta and BigStar Johnson, is what gave the tape the clout that would put it in the running for a SAMA nomination.

Nasty C Price City (2015)

Nasty C was on everybody’s lips last year because of his “Juice Back” single which had a remix featuring superstars Davido and Cassper Nyovest. But the rapper had Price City, a mixtape that might as well have been an album. A deluxe version of the tape was re-released with the hits “Juice Back” (remix), “Bamm Bamm” and “Friendzone”. The tape is everything an album is – it has a balanced subject matter ranging from relations with parents, to love, and the customary bragging. Now if those are not traits of a project worthy of a SAMA, then I dunno.

RELATED: Nasty C talks awards, being let down by AKA and how Cassper saved the day

Gigi Lamayne Colour of Reign (2014)

Gigi’s been dope. She won a South African Hip Hop Award (SAHHA) in 2013 for her mixtape Circus Cafe. But it was 2014’s Colour of Reign that exhibited the rapper’s lyrical prowess (peep the lead single, “City Lights”). Most of the tape was produced by The Mix Masters, but Neo Beats contributed, and Gigi even managed to score a beat from respected producer Amu. Cameo appearances came from the likes of Tumi, Pro, Kabomo, Solo, Joint Pusher and a few more. Gigi held her own alongside those guests, and went on to win another SAHHA on the same year – cementing her place in South Africa’s hip-hop elite. All she needed was a SAMA.

Okmalumkoolkat 100K MaCassette (2015)

The hype alone is enough for 100K MaCassette to have been considered for a SAMA. The lead single “100K MaCassette”, sampling Mdu’s “MaBank book”, became an undeniable hit. Future Mfana’s originality can’t be contested – his use of yesteryear township slang and the kwaito, maskandi and mbhaqanga influences put him in a league of his own. The mixtape was the catchment of all these influences, and what it deserved more than tens of thousands of SoundCloud plays was a SAMA.

Youngsta Fr3eze Time (2013)

Fr3eze Time was a concept project, where Youngsta was exploring the concept of time. The main single of the project “1 Thing 2 Understand” had more than 10 000 plays (bear in mind, South African videos were barely reaching 100 000 views in 2013). The project came with strong tracks, no “freestyles” or unofficial remixes. Youngsta was slowly morphing into a monster, and Fr3eze Time sounds better than a lot of albums that have won SAMAs in the rap category.

RELATED: 7 of Youngsta’s best guest verses

Tumi Powa (2011)

In his albums, Tumi hardly ever features any rappers. But on his 2011 mixtape, Powa (an acronym for “People Opposing Women Abuse”), the rapper roped in a gang of guests, including Ben Sharpa, Zubz, Reason, Tracy Lee, Yesterday’s Pupil, Lebo Mochudi and Pro, to deliver a project tied together by lyrical content against the abuse of women. Between songs, the mixtape featured a series of skits of Alen Ndungane reading blog posts of hers from her #ISaidNo campaign on Twitter and her blog. It told the story of how she got raped. Powa was a powerful body of work about a subject that is not talked about enough, and Tumi and his collaborators managed to not be corny about it.

L-Tido City of Gold (2010)

Take away the few borrowed beats, then L-Tido’s City of Gold mixtape is an album. It churned out two radio hits “Calling All The Girls” and “When It Rains”. The tape helped introduce L-Tido to the industry, and also had guest appearances from the likes of Maggz, Sean Pages, Morale, TeePee and a then-up-and-coming, Anatii.

AKA 24/7/366 (2010)

24/7/366 was an album masquerading as a mixtape. There were no borrowed beats whatsoever. IV League, the production trio AKA was part of, made all the beats. AKA probably realised the tape’s potential, with hits such as “I Want It All” and “Do It”, and re-released some of the tracks as part of Altar Ego – his debut album. If 24/7/366 was an album, AKA’s fate would have still been the same – he would have swept SAMAs and Metros the way he did when Altar Ego dropped in 2011.

RELATED: 5 possible reasons why AKA has stayed on top of the game since 2011

Maggz Sorry For The Long Wait (2006)

Maggz’s 2009 debut album, The Breakout, was a letdown. If the Soweto rapper doesn’t release another album, then his most definitive body of work will remain his 2009 mixtape, Sorry For The Long Wait. Maggz and his Saudi Western crew (which included Pro, Sgebi and Omen) made a memorable mixtape that made no creative concessions for radio spins. The lead single “All Good”, featuring Pro and Nothende, was timeless. Tracks like “Pimpville”, “Love Chicks” (with Flabba), “American Dream” (with Morale) and “Break” (with Omen and Sgebi) still sound crisp today.

Sabelo tweets as @SabzaMK

What other mixtapes do you think could have won SAMAs? Let us know in the comments section below, or on Facebook and Twitter.

The post 9 South African mixtapes and EPs that could have won SAMAs appeared first on Live Mag.

Twitter was in a state of rapture when the news broke that Queen Latifah and Common were gracing our shores in July this year.

The pair, who were a trending topic yesterday afternoon will be performing at the free “Keep The Promise” free concert at Durban’s Sahara Stadium Kingsmead, hosted by AHF (Aids Healthcare Foundation). Aimed at raising awareness around HIV/Aids prevention and care, the foundation will also be holding a march that will start and end at the stadium on the same day. Because in case we had forgotten, the concert is a reminder that the fight to end this epidemic is not yet over.

Kicking off at 4pm on July 16, the free concert will also feature live performances by B-Flow, Mi Casa and Big Nuz. Proverb and Ayanda will serve as the emcees on the night and there will be inspiring guest keynote speakers. #KTP2016 is focused on the need for a strong scale-up of Aids funding and calls on governments, global funding bodies and individuals to commit to ending the epidemic.

For more details go the ” Keep The Promise”website here.

Check out B-Flow’s video encouraging you to “Know Your Status”.

Image credits Eco Wallpapers and Ok Mzansi

This is a sponsored post

The post Common & Latifah support HIV/AIDS concert in SA appeared first on Live Mag.

It’s been almost a week since the SABC announced that 90% of the playlist must be local. But all we’ve been hearing are old hits. Here are 10 songs made in this era that we would like to hear on the radio.

Lance Theron ft. Candice Thornton “Higher”

5FM, here’s a jam for you. Candice Thornton’s voice echoes naturally over droning synths and the customary house music kick on “Higher”. Heart FM has already spread this song across Cape Town, all it needs is national airplay. Because a song this good deserves more than being a provincial hit.

See Candice Thornton on out list of coloured artists you should stop sleeping on

Priddy Ugly “Bula Boot”

Apart from being a nod to Thebe’s song of the same title, Priddy Ugly’s “Bula Boot” is an eardrum wrecker, guaranteed to keep listeners of all tastes glued to their speakers. Priddy Ugly’s one of the most exciting artists out now, and some radio airplay could create a star to contend with your AKAs and Cassper Nyovests.

Check out Priddy Ugly’s mixtape on our list of mixtapes and EPS that could have won SAMAs

Melo B Jones “Black Girl Magic”

Melo B Jones is proof that it’s not over for soul music, as many claim. You will definitely love this song if Jill Scott, Erykah Badu and Macy Gray are your thing. With the hashtag #BlackGirlMagic trending, her song is guaranteed to resonate widely. The mellow and soulful “Black Girl Magic” would be a good fit for that Metro FM Sunday afternoon playlist.

Youngsta “Top Ten List”

Youngsta’s reaction to last year’s MTV Base Top 10 Hottest MCs list just got reincarnated, this time, with a video. The rapper exhales flames about being overlooked mostly because of him being from Cape Town. A censored version of “Top Ten List” is a guaranteed radio hit especially with its catchy autotuned hook and trap production.

Read: Youngsta’s best guest verses

Dope Saint Jude “Brown Baas”

Dope Saint Jude is what would happen if the woke feminists on Twitter got on the mic over pattering high-time trap hi-hats and heavy basslines, and expressed their views in rhyming stanzas. Touching on race and gender, without being preachy, Dope Saint Jude is a needed voice in South Africa’s music scene, SABC, please.

Uno July “Skelem”

“Skelem” is a cross between trap and kwaito. What sets Uno’s version of the trend is that this song, though catchy, still centres around lyricism. The rapper’s sonorous voice sits well on the damp basslines and the leading 8-bit synth. This can be big, SABC, trust us.

Kanyi “Andizenzi”

Kanyi Mavi’s also another missing voice in mainstream radio. Her streetwise textbook Xhosa lyrics always carry insightful messages you don’t always catch on the first listen. Which is why her catchy “Andizenzi” would be a fit for the heavy rotation percentile.

Read out interview with Kanyi about “Andizenzi”

Scelo Gowane “Wenzani”

This smoothie by Durban singer Scelo Gowane is another one that belongs on that Sunday afternoon playlist. The singer and producer is not a novice. “Wenzani” has soul, and Scelo has the vocal ability to give Frank Ocean a run for his money. Mad potential here, SABC.

Moonchild Sanelly feat. Maramza “Fox With That”

Moonchild is not appreciated enough, in general. Her collaboration with Cape Town DJ and electronic producer Maramza, blends old school kwaito, house and electro. Try to picture Abashante making music with today’s technology and the influences of the dance music we are exposed to because of the internet. What’s a Friday night mix without a song like “Fox With That”?

Read: Moonchild shares her 5 favourite albums of all time

Skinny Gibbz “Uyajola (Oyi Oyi)”

Skinny Gibbz re-imagines Arthur’s classic “Oyi Oyi” with modern sinewy synths and 808s. “Uyajola (Oyi Oyi)” is catchy, which is good for radio, and a guaranteed party-starter. Kwaito is not dead. It has evolved. This song is one of the many examples that the whole of South Africa needs to hear, through the SABC’s radio channels.

What other new local songs would you like to hear on the radio? Let us know in the comments section below, or on Facebook and Twitter.

The post 10 local songs we would like to hear on the radio appeared first on Live Mag.

Jabba performs at this year’s Back To The City. (Image: Sabelo Mkhabela)

Last week a video of Jabba saying he was going to “moer” rappers who mention his name and disrespect him, surfaced on the Internet. He’s got a point, and here’s why.

1. He mixed hip-hop and kwaito before it became cool

Jabba was rapping over kwaito beats and repurposing popular kwaito lines, before it became cool. Check out “Tswaka”, “Bosso”, “Make Monyeke”, “Wamo Tseba Mtho”. Even his name Hip Hop Pantsula is testament to the duality of his music.

 2. He “made Tswana fashionable”

Alongside Morafe, Jabba is one of the pioneers of motswako – a sub-genre of rap that’s done mostly in seTswana. Jabba made motswako famous with songs like “Tswaka”, “Music and Lights” and “Bosso”. He also won awards and endorsement deals. He paved the way for the likes of JR, Cassper Nyovest, Tuks Senganga and Fifi Cooper.

3. He was the first rapper to win Best Male at the SAMAs

In 2008, Jabba walked away with two SAMAs, one for Best Hip Hop Album for Acceptance Speech, and another for Best Male. That made him the first hip-hop artist to win the latter award, which had previously been taken by artists from more popular genres.

RELATED: Why motswako is the biggest South African hip-hop movement

4. He was one of the first to collaborate with big names like Nas and Talib Kweli

Jabba collaborated with international stars way before it became prevalent. He had Nas on his 2009 album Dumela, even though the verse was recycled from The Distant Relatives album (but that’s a story for another day). He collaborated with more American stars, like Asheru, Talib Kweli and Raheem DeVaughn. Jabba’s a serial collaborator in general, he has worked with respected African artists like Naeto C, M.anifest, Nazizi, among others.

5. He’s an outstanding performer

In 2008, Jabba won the Best Live Performer award at the Hype Awards. The man’s live performance game is among the best in South Africa. He was one of the few hip-hop artists who started performing with a band, after Tumi and The Volume. Even with the conventional DJ-and-rapper configuration, Jabba’s live set will leave you begging for more.

6. Jabba sold gold when not many hip-hop artists were

Jabba has two gold-selling albums under his belt, namely YBA2NW (2004) and Acceptance Speech (2007). He achieved this feat when not many hip-hop artists were doing it – only Skwatta Kamp and Pitch Black Afro.

7. He won Strictly Come Dancing

In 2007, HHP won the SABC 2 Strictly Come Dancing competition. While this might not seem like a great feat for a rapper, it did expose him to a market that he, or any other rapper, wouldn’t have been able to reach – he became a household name.

Can you think of other reasons we should put some respek on Jabba’s name? Let us know in the comments section, or on Facebook and Twitter.

The post 7 reasons you should put some respek on HHP’s name appeared first on Live Mag.

“Art’s always been about personal expression for me,” says Obie Mavuso. “I just want to make a positive change through my art and shift people’s mindsets.”

If you’re familiar with Cape Town’s indie music circuit, you’ve probably heard Obie’s name before. Besides being a popular musician and filmmaker, the 25-year-old is also the co-founder of Jam That Session, a creative platform that showcases up and coming creative practitioners.
Obie is also taking on the gender inequalities in arts and entertainment. Last year, she founded Queers on Smash, “a queer and unorthodox lifestyle company offering fun and inclusive queer spaces.” At the core of her work is a desire to create a place where queer people can party, talk and hangout without all the discrimination that society projects onto the LGBTI community.

Black queers only

Last month, they hosted their first blacks only “queer social” event in Cape Town. “The response was amazing,” she recounts. “A lot of people came up to me on the day and told me they were happy to be at the social. That was the main point for me. It wasn’t really about me, but for people like myself. We (black LGBTI people) needed a space where we could feel safe and belong.”

Some of the event’s highlights included an open discussion on what it means to be black and queer in Cape Town. Author and stage actress Buhle Ngaba also gave a talk about her recently released book Girl Without A Sound, which is a fairytale written specifically for black girls.

RELATED: Black girl magic: Buhle Ngaba pens a powerful children’s book for black girls

Backlash for being exclusionary

This isn’t to say the event was without controversy. Obie drew the ire of some parts of the LGBTI community, who said the event was exclusionary. She shrugs off the criticism. “Yeah, there was some backlash when I was initially planning the event. A couple of people even started an #ObieMustFall hashtag but whatever.”

This hasn’t deterred her. Next month, she’s hosting another black queer social. This time in Johannesburg. “Artists break rules all the time and bigots, racists and homophobes could never deter us from sharing our messages.”

Image: Andiswa Mkosi

This story was originally published on Red Bull Amaphiko

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The hook to Kwesta and AKA’s latest single, “Day Ones”, was recorded by a 23-year-old woman called Kay Faith, at Cape Audio College in Cape Town. At the time, it was still the Angolan rapper, E-Jay, and the producer Tweezy’s song. She was working on the two’s collaborative EP – which ended up being E-Jay’s Apartheid EP, after he and Tweezy had a fallout.

Kay Faith, whose real name is Karien Barnard, calls herself a hip-hop engineer/ producer. “At the beginning of 2015, I said I’m going to be a hip-hop engineer. This is my new title,” she says, as we sit in a cafeteria at Cape Audio College on a Tuesday morning.

The most recent project she recorded, mixed and mastered is Cape Town rapper Uno July’s Uno ‘n Only album. She also worked on Youngsta’s “Own 2016” single. About three years ago, Faith found herself in a session with Yasiin Bey (formely Mos Def), through working with the Brooklyn-born rapper’s ally, Whosane. “Whosane opened a lot of doors for me,” says Faith. “He introduced me to Ill Skillz. He also brought Mos Def through, and I ended up engineering for that session.”

It was through Whosane that she found herself in studio with Da L.E.S last year. “It was supposed to be Da L.E.S and AKA actually,” she says, “but there were issues with AKA’s bags, so he had to stay at the airport. Da L.E.S came through, recorded some demos for his album, and we had a nice connection.”

RELATED: Behind the beat: Tweezy on producing some of AKA’s biggest hits

Growing up in a farm

Faith grew up on a farm in Knysna, where there weren’t a lot of kids to play with. What opened her mind to other cultures was being friends with the farmworkers’ kids. “I had black, coloured, white and Indian friends,” she says. Though unassuming, she expresses herself with a natural confidence, spotting a tom-boyish look in a Cape Audio College hoodie, faded blue skinny jeans, and a pair of Yeezy Boosts.

Faith went to an Afrikaans medium school. “Most of the music consumed at school concerts was Afrikaans music,” she says, “which I was never into.” It was her elder brother who introduced her to various genres. “My music taste is influenced by what he was playing in the car or at home.”

“He listened to everything, from Peech Boys, to Missy Elliot, to Nirvana, so at a young age I was exposed to a lot of genres, but for some reason, hip-hop just stuck with me. There was something about it. My brother always tells me stories like, ‘You were rapping along to “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” by Eve and Gwen Stefani.’.”

“I got into sound by accident”

After matric, Faith applied for a fine arts course in UCT. But her portfolio, which was supposed to accompany her application, got lost in the mail. She re-applied for the following year, and enrolled at Cape Audio College for a one-year sound engineering course, in the meantime. She fell in love with the craft, and found herself ditching art, and going back the following year for an advanced diploma in sound.

After graduation in 2012, she interned at different companies and also Cape Audio College. It was then that she met Whosane. She was just supposed to set up the studio for the rapper, but they ended up having a working relationship. She then got employed as a sound engineer at Cape Audio College in 2014.

A few days before our interview, I spent a few hours with Faith and the rapper Dope Saint Jude, for whom she’s recording, mixing and mastering her upcoming EP. It was interesting watching two women making beats, and recording on their own. Hip-hop, just like sound engineering, is filled with men.

RELATED: Cape Town rapper Kanyi shares new experimental single and her views on the new crop of female rappers

Being a woman in sound engineering

Faith says she doesn’t get why there aren’t that many women in the field. “I’ve been looking for other women to collaborate with,” she says, “but just finding anyone, it’s tough.” I imagine being a white woman must somehow put her at the bottom of the hip-hop totem pole. “I do get the ‘Wow, a white chick [who’s] a hip-hop engineer.’,” she says. “I feel like it’s a secret weapon, because when you get undermined, and then you prove yourself it’s like, ‘Oh wow I take back what I said.’.”

Faith is currently immersing herself more into beat-making, a craft she only started exploring recently. She played a few beats during the Dope Saint Jude session – some heavy 808-trap bangers. Today, though, in her office, she lets me listen to a skeleton of a beat she was working on. She was chopping a Brenda Fassie sample on her MPC drum machine. “I actually want to turn this into something,” she mumbles above the boom bap drum pattern, “I feel like it has so much potential.” So does she.

Listen to tracks Kay Faith engineered, below, and follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and SoundCloud.

Images: Sabelo Mkhabela

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