Our latest Street Player video was shot next to the ocean in Cape Town’s Sea Point. Simone Momple dances to “Party Ka Shimza” by DJ Shimza and DJ Thakzin, featuring Busiswa.

Street Player is a YouTube-based dance music curation platform that features exclusive original tracks accompanied by young people dancing in public spaces. The series is meant to not only put you onto the latest dance music, but to also showcase some of the most talented dancers on the scene in urban places around UK, USA and South Africa. The series is in collaboration with Livity UK.

Videographers: Hillary P Morusi, Lufuno Ramadwa

Watch our previous Street Player video here

The post Street Player: Watch dancer Simone move to DJ Shimza and Busiswa’s “Party Ka Shimza” appeared first on Live Mag.

Back To The City, South Africa’s biggest hip-hop festival returns for its 11th year this week. Here’s why the festival is the most important event for hip-hop heads.

1. This is the place to discover your next fav hip-hop artist

YoungstaCPT at last year’s Back To The City. (Image: Sabelo Mkhabela)

I wasn’t there, but in 2014, Mashayabhuqe KaMamba stole the show at Back To The City. He was performing for the first time at the event. His performance was so great everyone who had been there couldn’t close their mouths about this unique artist who blended maskandi and hip-hop.

Thereafter, the download numbers of his EP The Black Excellence Show peaked. Every friend of mine was telling me to download it. I did, and I wasn’t disappointed. I have been a fan ever since.

Every year, there’s a name you’re not familiar with on the festival’s line-up. If you take time to watch those artists’ performances during the event, you usually become a fan of at least one of them.

Last year, YoungstaCPT, a relatively unknown artist had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hands. He had everyone screaming “Kapstaad Naieer”, and amassed a legion of fans who he otherwise wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for BTTC.

2. The festival is documenting SA hip-hop history

Optical Illusion at last year’s Back To The City. (Image: Sabelo Mkhabela)

There’s always a few old school artists. In 2015, it was Pitch Black Afro, last year it was Optical Illusion. This gives a chance to young and new South African hip-hop fans to see these legends perform on stage, instead of just hearing about how they changed the game or listening to their classics.

This year will just be too lit. The organisers have introduced a new feature called The Heritage, in which old-school artists will perform their breakout albums. Zola will performing his debut album Mdlwembe, which, even though is a kwaito album, did a lot for South African hip-hop.

Hymphatic Thabz will also be performing his debut album Error Era. I’ve always been a fan, but I’ve never seen him perform. His song “Those Who”, from Error Era, made me an instant fan. I can’t wait to catch the Holy Ghost when he performs songs from the album.

3. This is a great place for networking

Whether you are an up-and-coming rapper from the Eastern Cape who wants to get your mixtape into Ms Cosmo’s hands; or a podcaster  whose been trying to score that interview with Cassper Nyovest; or any kind of hip-hop hustler, Back To The City is the place for you. BTTC is where the whole industry is, so make use of the opportunity. Bug people, as you’ll never know where it might lead.

4. You will learn that hip-hop is about more than just rapping

Oskido speaking at the summit last year. (Image: Sabelo Mkhabela)

Before the performances, there’s a free summit hosted by hip-hop activist Rashid Kay. The man himself is a walking encyclopedia of SA hip-hop, but the summit is not about him.

There’s always an impressive panel of industry experts such as record label executives, popular radio deejays and artist managers. They discuss topical issues like the effects of the game going digital, how to make money off your craft, among other issues.

The summit will open your eyes; it will teach you that to be part of hip-hop, you don’t have to be a rapper or a producer – there are a lot of exciting and important roles behind the scenes that will get you money and help you make a name for yourself.

5. Witnessing all four hip-hop elements

Gogga’s grafitti installation at last year’s Back To The City. (Image: Sabelo Mkhabela)

Back To The City is not just a rap festival – all four elements of hip-hop (deejaying, emceeing, breakdancing and graffiti) have platforms on the day. There are graffiti artists embellishing walls in real time. There’s an impressive line-up of deejays who spin records and display skills that you might not have been able to see, as deejays usually use CDJs in clubs. There are usually break dancing competitions in which you’ll see b-boys and b-girls spinning on their heads.

But there are areas of improvements

Skyzoo was one of the international artists on the lineup last year. (Image: Sabelo Mkhabela)

The organisers, in the last three years, has been booking international artists for the festival. Last year it was Skyzoo and Elzhi; the year before, there was the group EMC. This year, there will be Capadonna from the super-group Wu Tang Clan, which was popular in the 90s. That’s amazing.

But I personally feel the festival needs to make an effort to bring artists from around the continent – the likes of M.anifest (Ghana), Ice Prince (Nigeria) and Black Vulcanite (Namibia) would bring great flavour to the festival. South African hip-hop is flourishing, but not in isolation – there’s a lot going on around the continent.

It would be great for Back To The City to bring us the best deejays, break dancers, graffiti artists, and of course, emcees from around the A.

Back To The City takes place this Thursday (April 27) at Mary Fitzgerald Square). Peep the festival’s full lineup below, buy tickets here, and get your outfits ready for the Moria of hip-hop heads.

The post 5 reasons why Back To The City is important for SA hip-hop appeared first on Live Mag.

Our latest Street Player video was shot near the Grand Parade food shops in Cape Town. Darien Petersen dances with the seagulls to Jamie Jones “Drip Drop” Remix of Groove Armanda’s Slarta Jon-featuring song.

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Street Player: Watch dancer Simone move to DJ Shimza and Busiswa’s “Party Ka Shimza”

Watch the video below:

Street Player is a YouTube-based dance music curation platform that features exclusive original tracks accompanied by young people dancing in public spaces. The series is meant to not only put you onto the latest dance music, but to also showcase some of the most talented dancers on the scene in urban places around UK, USA and South Africa. The series is in collaboration with Livity UK.
Videographer: Bulumko Gana
@StreetPlayerUK

The post Street Player: Watch Darien dance to new track by Groove Armada appeared first on Live Mag.

On the video for “Tito Mboweni”, his latest single, Cassper Nyovest flosses with 10 bucks notes – a part of the video a reasonable number of fans laughed off. For a guy who has “a Bentley and a Bentley”, you’d expect at least R100 notes, right?

Well, according to Cassper Nyovest’s manager, T-Lee Moiloa, it was all planned. “You may see a song come out when it’s something that we exactly expected,” he said speaking at the Hip Hop Summit at Back To The City festival last week. “You may see a song [on which] we put 10 Rand notes on the video, and people will [ask], ‘Why don’t you put 200 Rand notes’? But he (Cassper) told me, ‘This is going to be the talking point.’”

T-Lee went to say that Nyovest and his team plan almost all the factors that will have fans talking upon the release of a song. “A lot of the things we do are very deliberate,” he continued. “Some of them, deliberate to shake up the tree, to speak about certain things. We hardly ever do things to piss people off, it’s always to create talkability (sic), and we’ve managed to do that for the past four years.”

T-Lee said that Cassper Nyovest was the first artist he’s ever managed, and that the rapper himself is as much in charge of the Cassper Nyovest brand as his team is.

He also dropped jewels about the music industry that many artists who were in attendance will definitely benefit from.

Cassper Nyovest, on the same night, performed the single during his set towards the end of the festival. Before making everyone chant “sha sha” and rap word for word, he had something to say to his haters: “All of you, thank you so much for showing us love. All these niggas talking shit, calling our songs trash, we still got the biggest song in the country, motherfucker.”

Cassper’s third album Thuto is out on May 7. He has been saying it’s his best album-to-date (but then again what artist doesn’t say that?). Revisit the video for “Tito Mboweni” here, and pre-order Thuto on iTunes here.

The post This is why Cassper Nyovest uses R10 notes on the video for “Tito Mboweni” appeared first on Live Mag.

There’s a group of five young UK music lovers on YouTube, who call themselves UK Guys. They are showing major love to South African hip-hop songs by recording themselves watching the music videos and then reacting to them. They have reacted to videos by artists including AKA, Gemini Major, Cassper Nyovest and Nasty C.

On their latest video, they react to Cassper Nyovest’s latest hit “Tito Mboweni”, and it’s one of the most hilarious so far. They are amused by the title, which they don’t know the meaning of, and also the “sha sha” part of the chorus. “I respect you, gaddamnit,” says one of them at the end of the song.

Another hilarious reaction video is to DJ Citi Lyts’ “Vura”. “I feel like Young Thug’s producer must have made the beat for this tune, fam,” says one of the guys with a contorted face. He’s clearly feeling the mean bassline. Who would blame him? That’s one of the most well-produced songs of our era.

What’s also great about the UK Guys is how they understand that African music is not this homogenous thing that most people from Europe and the US have made it to be. “When we say have an African source to it, we not saying you need to play drums,” says one of the guys responding to a comment on a previous video. “But we are talking about representation, something unique to your country. For us in the UK, what’s Tito Mboweni, we don’t know, but for you, it’s something you can vibe to, something that’s unique to you.”

It’s so pleasing watching foreigners admiring aspects of South African music that we ourselves overlook, because of the familiarity. They do explore music from other regions, but South Africa seems to be one of their favourite. “Were drawn to the South African quality,” they say on one video. They admire everything from camera angles, rappers sipping lean, and even try to figure out what language is being used.

Watch more of their reaction videos below and visit their YouTube channel here.

The post These UK Guys’ reaction to South African hip-hop videos is the best thing on the internet right now appeared first on Live Mag.

Not that it was a difficult feat to achieve. His last two albums were pap.

One listen to an album isn’t enough to conclude all its merits and demerits, but Thuto sounds fresh. This is the first time I’m listening to a Nyovest album in its entirety. His previous two disappointed me. Both were scattered messes that had no specific direction, and I stopped halfway through.

But not Thuto. The album is essentially divided into two parts. On the first half, you hardly ever hear a hard-hitting 808 – it’s mostly keys, warm basslines and crisp snares and kicks. Think of his previous songs like “Cold Hearted” and “I Hope You Bought It”.

The rapper lays his vulnerabilities bare. The opening track “Confused”, which features American soul singer Goapele, is heavy. Here’s an excerpt:

“But I won’t lie, man, success has its downfall/
The new nigga will always excite the crowd more/
Like I ain’t given’em enough stats to vouch for/
The music about the only thing that I’m proud of/
The other day my mom told me that she suicidal/
The same soldier who told me to read the Bible.
…
I’m really tired of hearing bad news/
Especially about black dudes/
Man, I don’t care about who left who/
Everybody is going through some real shit on their own bro/
We all got demons we don’t show”

On “I Wasn’t Ready For You”, Nyovest speaks of a past relationship that went wrong (watch the tabloids tell you who this song’s about). On the song the rapper talks about how he disappointed the woman in question, and blames entirely on himself: “I look myself in the mirro, like ‘Dawg, what happened to you?/ You told this woman you loved her, and you promised her joy/ She just needed a man, you behaved like a boy.”

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Content-wise, Cassper is just basking in his success (“We Living Good”, “Bentley Coupe”, “Top Shayela”, “Ngiyekeleni”), doing some introspection (“Destiny”, “Confused”) and being inspirational (“Push Through The Pain”). “Superman” is a heartfelt song about his dad, featuring Lesotho legend, Tsepo Tshola. You might shed a thug tear to it.

Thuto shows some growth on the rapper’s side. His beat selection is impressive, and he keeps the features to a minimum unlike on his previous efforts. The American singer Goapele’s appearances, on “Confused” and “Destiny”, are the most impressive. The Roots’ Black Thought’s verse on “Ng’yekeleni” is also dope (“I’m headed to Africa, call Cassper/ Shit, this ain’t a regular broadcaster/ See, all I been getting is more nasty/ And then I pull up in a cold Aston”). It was so refreshing hearing him rap over a trap banger and sounding comfortable – this man knows how to structure his bars.

“Baby Girl”, a song which samples Nelly and Kelly Rowland’s “Dilemma” is for the dancefloor, and brings out the pantsula side of Cassper, as it has a house and dance element, with a catchy mid-tempo rhythm. It sits well with other ratchet songs like “Tito Mbowen”, “Nyuku”, “Ng’yekeleni” and “Touch The Sky”.

Long story short, Cass was right when he said this album was his best. It’s too early to really judge it or declare it a classic, but one thing is for sure, Thuto is a great effort that deserves a place in your collection, or at least a chance.

You are guaranteed Instagram caption-worthy quotables. Sha sha!

Thuto is available on iTunes and Deezer .

Holding image: Sabelo Mkhabela

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South African singers sporadically give a twist to some rap songs. Lucille Slade recently covered “Tito Mboweni” by Cassper Nyovest, adding onto covers done by the likes of Thando Nje, Karrizle Sings and Melo B Jones. The latter was the first to make this whole cover thing pop. Here’s a list of some potent covers of your favourite rappers’ songs.

Lucille Slade – “Tito Mboweni”

Up-and-coming Jozi-based singer turned Cassper Nyovest’s club banger, “Tito Mboweni“, into an emotional ballad in a recent performance at SABC’s Expresso Show. She hits high notes over mellow keys. If you don’t listen closely, you might mistake the song for a tear-jerking R&B tune. She even renders the now-infamous “sha sha” in a melodic way.

Listen to more covers by Lucille Slade here.

Thando Nje – “Kontrol”

Up-and-coming Pretoria singer Thando Nje released this cover of AKA and Da L.E.S’s hedonistic hit, “Kontrol“, two years ago. She sings with ease yet it’s still effective. Her interpretation of the song is interesting – she sings over an airy beat with a wide bassline, turning the turn-up anthem into a smoky trapsoul slow burner, with her own interpolations. Solid.

Listen to Thando Nje’s latest EP New Age Soul here.

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 Melo B Jones – “Run Jozi (Godly)”

Melo B Jones is the pioneer of these hip-hop covers. Two years ago, she started posting acapella covers of popular hip-hop songs such as Drake’s “0 – 100”, Chris Brown’s “New Flame” and Juicy J’s “Bands A Make Her Dance”. Her rendition of AKA and K.O’s “Run Jozi (Godly)” caught on some serious heat – it has been played 11000 times on SoundCloud, and generated a long thread of praise comments. She sings acapella over a beatbox. She also recreates those loud horns on the original song with her voice, proving she’s indeed the don. She managed to rap melodically without losing the original song’s grit. Mos def the best cover thus far.

Listen to more covers by Melo B Jones here and here.

Karizzle Sings – “10 Fingers”

AKA and Anatii’s duet, “10 Fingers“, got covered by prolific LA-based YouTuber Kraizzle Sings. She tweeted it at the end of March, and it went viral. Even AKA retweeted it. Her cover, unlike those of her counterparts is different in that she is covering a sung hip-hop song. She owns it, though, and sings over piano keys which she plays herself.

All the haters they gon’ val’ umlomo – @akaworldwide pic.twitter.com/eXPJmJ6iDQ

— Karen Tafa (@KarizzleSings) March 30, 2017

Check out Karizzle Sings’s YouTube page for more covers here.

What other vocal covers of South African hip-hop songs do you know of? Let us know in the comments section or on social media.

Holding image of AKA, by Sabelo Mkhabela

The post 4 vocal covers of South African hip-hop songs you need in your life appeared first on Live Mag.

Last night at the Afro Punk Bash that was held to kick off Afro Punk Joburg 2017, King Tha (Thandiswa Mazwai) performed alongside the band the BLK JKS. And it was such a vibe, it was one of the best performances of the night. But it’s not just her electrifying show that made people talk.

King Tha took sometime between songs to express how disgruntled it makes her feel when men get defensive to being called trash. “A woman just got killed by her man, and you have a problem with us saying men are trash,” she said referring to the tragic death of Karabo Mokoena, who had gone missing and was later found dead, killed and burned by her man. “I read in the newspapers that a two-year-old was killed and raped by her father,” she continued, referencing a different incident.

“How can you have a problem with us going around saying men are trash? Men are more than trash; men are the problems in our lives as women.”

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King Tha went onto clarify what #MenAreTrash really means by giving examples. “We can’t walk in the streets without you brothers grabbing our hands, and saying something about… something. Somebody always feel they have a right over our bodies or our time. It goes from the subtle kind of violence to the extreme violence where you find yourself, raped and murdered and left on the side of the street somewhere. All of us women know this fear, so you can’t tell me we can’t be angry at our men,” she said before resuming her performance.

You can watch a clip of King Tha’s rant below.
Note that first few seconds of her speech weren’t captured on the video.

Holding image by Sabelo Mkhabela

The post Thandiswa Mazwai: “Men are more than trash” appeared first on Live Mag.

Brenda Fassie’s life is going to be included in a comic called Femme Magnifique, the City Press reports. The project celebrates great women who include Michelle Obama, Nina Simone, Joan of Arc and Bjork. It’s written by Lauren Beukes and illustrated by Nanna Venter.

In the series, Brenda Fassie will be under the category Queen of African Pop. It will showcase Mabrrr’s popularity and the highlight sand low points of her life, such as her drug addiction and a visit from Nelson Mandela. There’s also love scene between Brenda and another woman.

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“Fassie was the immediate, obvious choice – queen of African pop, queer icon, the notorious, unmistakable Ma Brrr!” Lauren told the City Press. “I wanted to memorialise her for an international audience and put her name up there in the stars where she belongs.”

The Femme Magnifique kickstarter page describes the books as “a graphic novel anthology that delivers inspirational comic-book stories about powerful women in science, politics, and the arts.” It will include 30 short stories starring female trailblazers of today and yesterday.
Femme Magnifique will be out in September. You can view some of the work in progress below, and read the full story on the City Press, here.

The post Brenda Fassie to be celebrated in upcoming comic appeared first on Live Mag.

Our latest Street Player video was shot in Cape Town. Underneath Table Mountain, on the Grand Parade, Darien Petersen dances to the new track “Repeater” by South London house music duo, FYI Chris, from their new album Snafubar.

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Watch him pop and lock below below, and let us know what you think.

Street Player is a YouTube-based dance music curation platform that features exclusive original tracks accompanied by young people dancing in public spaces. The series is meant to not only put you onto the latest dance music, but to also showcase some of the most talented dancers on the scene in urban places around UK, USA and South Africa. The series is in collaboration with Livity UK.
Videographer: Bulumko Gana

@StreetPlayerUK

The post Street Player: Watch Cape Town dancer Darien poppin’ to FYI Chris’s “Repeater” appeared first on Live Mag.

A lot is going on in South Africa, and some musicians are expressing their opinions on it. Below is a list of music videos that are reflective of the lived realities of South Africans – from sexual harassment in public transport, crime in townships, and the state of our government.

Mashayabhuqe KaMamba – “KwaDukuza”

The “KwaDukuza” video may as well have been named “Men Are Trash”. The video shows the brutality of taxi violence – how commuters find themselves in the middle of taxi drivers’ and owners’ fights, sometimes leading to them being casualties. It also shows how traumatic an experience it is commuting as a black woman – the catcalling and the groping. The video is straight to the point, and is great though simplistic, thanks to virtuoso filmmaker Lebogang Rasethaba’s skills.

Freshly Ground – “Banana Republic”

South Africans are fed up with poor governance, and it shows through all the protests taking place every now and then all over the country. On their latest song, “Banana Republic”, Freshly Ground have some words for the president:

“All your people dying in freedom/ Suffering a profound lack of leading/ Are you even there when we call? Are you a human, man?/ Full of lies, can’t believe what I’m hearing/ From your lips a river of scheming/ Poisoning all the water we’re drinking/ Are we good to go?”

On the video, you’ll see snapshots of all the shocking political events that have taken place in the past few years – Rhodes Must Fall, Marikana, fights in parliament,and the #RememberKhwezi silent protest, among other events. This is juxtaposed with images of President Jacob Zuma being calm as usual, or cracking up in laughter. Seeing all these events shows just how bad things are in the country, and it was only a matter of time a music video of this kind was made.

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 Kanyi – “Ngqangqa”

Kanyi is one of the best storytellers in South African rap. And her videos always add to the song’s narrative (think “Ingoma”, “Ungalibali”). On her latest video, the Cape Town-based rapper gives a visual representation to the story of a woman called “Ngqangqa”. The storytelling on the song itself is intricate – she talks of a woman who’s living a life of organised crime. In the video, which plays out like a short film, Ngqangqa’s sinister life is portrayed in a subtle way. We see her exchanging parcels with a trio of women, who dress to kill and live like there’s no tomorrow. The video shows some forms of crime in South African townships, and also gives us a screenshot of the depression and anxiety that comes with living that life, as Ngqangqa, even though a boss lady, looks unhappy behind closed doors.

Shane Eagle – “Julia”

Shane Eagle is one of the most promising lyricists in South Africa. On his latest single, “Julia”, the 20-year-old rapper spits some reality raps over a smooth instrumental. The song is littered with quotables about being a youth in South Africa:

“I try to picture my life if I wasn’t a rapper from start/ Maybe college, run and get myself a lil diploma/ I know niggas that have got it they still chilling on the corner.”

“Something’s in the closet, never had a doctorate/ Mr President got the money in his pockets/ My people starving…”

“Julia” is pleasing to the ear, and the video is fitting, showing snapshots of squatter camps, which are a reality to most South Africans. And the monochrome colour scheme of those shots only help to intensify the message he is trying to get across: “We want the peace, the freedom, on top of the cheese.”

What other music videos show the realities of South Africa in 2017? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post Music videos that show the realities of everyday South Africa appeared first on Live Mag.

Our latest Street Player video was shot in Braamfontein in Jozi. Sisi Mbombo dances to the catchy tune “Gyotens Kalimba” (Sebastian Mullaert Intensification) by Anchorsong.

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Watch her shake what her mama gave her, and let us know what you think.

Street Player is a YouTube-based dance music curation platform that features exclusive original tracks accompanied by young people dancing in public spaces. The series is meant to not only put you onto the latest dance music, but to also showcase some of the most talented dancers on the scene in urban places around UK, USA and South Africa. The series is in collaboration with Livity UK.

Videographer: Xongani Maluleka

@StreetPlayerUK

The post Our first Joburg Street Player dance video is one of the best so far appeared first on Live Mag.

South African women musicians have been creating some of the best music to come out of this country. Below is a list of albums that came out only this year, listed in no particular order.

1. Patty Monroe – Malatjie

Patty Monroe’s debut album Malatjie showed a side of the Cape Town rapper fans hadn’t seen before. Her singles prior to the album were mostly jiggy (“High Fashion”), energetic (“Talk”) and dancefloor-ready (“Killin’ It”). But on Malatjie, Patty has some songs that showed her vulnerable side. She also has love songs. Malatjie is an album, not just a random collection of songs. It takes you on an emotional roller coaster – Patty Monroe essentially packaged life in 15 tracks. She picked fitting music – by the likes of Sketchy Bongo, Psyc’ AK, MarazA and Muzi – for the album’s different moods, such as ecstatic (“To The Top”), cocky (“Messi”, “Talk”) naughty (“Good Girl”), somber (“Reminiscing”, “Fighter”, “Whiskey Showers”). She stepped out of her comfort zone, as she hits some notes on songs like “Castles”, “All I Got”, “Oh Na Na” and “Good Girl” giving her brand of hip-hop a mass appeal.

2. Andy Mkosi – This Audio Is Visual

Andy Mkosi’s music is dense. She packs her bars with as many words as possible. She understands that listeners are lazy, though. So, to meet us halfway, she included a lyric book that also has a visual representation of each song on This Audio Is Visual – hence the name. Andy raps about different topics such as politics, race, and the arts industry.

An extract from the song “90s Baby”:

“Demand freedom of the mind of the body of the soul
Enlighten neighbor sister friend father.
Some will say it’s your figment, don’t bother, they are ignorant
You are just a tad different
Ahead of our times, aware of our times, you know of the times our parents were oppressed
90s’ baby an old soul, Rhodes has fallen,
Real freedom is calling”

Even though most of the music leans towards boom bap, which has been her sound of choice, on this project she picked some unconventional beats – take for instance the track “Standards”, where she raps over airy pads and 808s, forcing her to use a different flow. This Audio Is Visual might take you time to digest, but when you eventually do, it will give you a great picture of who she is, and inspire you to be comfortable in your own skin, just like she has chosen to.

3. Kajama – Polarity Prism

Sisters Nandi and Nongoma Ndlovu debut EP is a gem. Their style can’t be boxed into one genre, but sonically their music leans more towards electronic with sprinkles of East Coast hip-hop. Their vocals give their music soul. Nandi handles most of the production, but on Polarity Prism, they also feature production from Micr. Pluto. The 6-track EP showcases the duo’s diversity, as they sing over different soundscapes – boom bap (“Crabs and Crows’), electronic (“Lunar Moonlight”). The production on “Ashes to Ashes” is trippy, and it consists of spacious pads and the vocals are drenched in reverb.

4. Fifi The Rai Blaster – Black Matter

Fifi The Rai Blaster’s debut album Black Matter is not an easy listen. She’s not of this world. The writer Tseliso Monaheng describe her best: “She’s been to the future and intends to manifest all the knowledge she gathered through her sonic inquisitions.” A particular level of spirituality is required to totally get what Fifi sings about. It’s a level I personally haven’t reached but the melodies and natural vocals make her one of my favourite South African singers, which has been the case since the mid-2000s when she sang hooks on Tumi’s “Music From My Good Eye” and Tumi & The Volume’s “Just a Minute”. On Black Matter, she works with one of the most potent producers in South Africa, Kanif The Jhatmaster, who you might know from rappers Tha Hympathic Thabs and Yugen Blakrok’s albums. His eerie pads and creepy basslines provide a fitting canvas for Fifi to paint esoteric messages about spirituality and astrology, and the result is an afrofuturistic album that’s guaranteed multiple spins on your playlist.

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4 singers re-interpret South African hip-hop songs

5. Zoë Modiga – Yellow The Novel

Zoë Modiga is one of the most promising jazz artists in South Africa. Her latest album Yellow The Novel is an impressive display of her skills as a songwriter, singer, composer and arranger. The album, which is a double disc, is long, but is worth every minute of your time. A varied style of production and ability to use both Zulu and English, make sure the album eludes monotony. Thematically, the album is tied together by the pursuit of happiness and being comfortable in your own skin in a world that’s plagued by all sorts of ills. Songs like “Uh Oh (Sensible Life)” and “Love (Yaweh)” have pop and RnB sensibilities, while “Inganekwane” and “Nantsi Ntswepe” are quintessential jazz masterpieces. Zoë’s done great for herself, and in a few years from now, she will be one of the biggest artists in South Africa. Don’t say we never warned ya.

6. Nyota – Age of Enlightenment

Nyota, a rapper and singer from Cape Town, released her debut mixtape at the beginning of May, and it’s impressive. At 17, Nyota, has the charisma and skill of artists 10 years her senior. On Age of Enlightenment, she raps as well she sings – picture the chilled vocals of Rihanna and the flows of Nicki Minaj, but with a unique twist, as Nyota totally owns her style – she sounds comfortable while delivering complex rhyme patterns. She covers a wide range of subject matter like love, spirituality, conspiracy – topics you wouldn’t expect a 17-year-old to rap so eloquently about. Age of Enlightenment is a decent effort that should get the attention of the industry. She’s one of the most promising young rappers in South Africa right now.

7. Thando Nje – New Age Soul

New Age Soul is a smoky 8-track EP by the Pretoria-based soul singer ThandoNje. The 808s bang, and the singer’s voice sits well over a cushion of cloudy pads and deep basslines. Most of the production is handled by Trust_B1, but Tweezy, who you would know from AKA’s Levels, produced one song. ThandoNje’s take on trapsoul is refreshing – she makes it hers. Her voice is natural, and she hardly ever uses effects and autotune. ThandoNje’s writing is simple yet effective. Peep “Plug”, where sings, “She’s my plug and she know it/ You’re my drug and you know it.” New Age Soul is just that, soul music with new age sensibilities – it’s an oxymoron in that it tells you to chill but still tells you to vibe.

8. Otarel – Dirty All Stars

Otarel is stuck in the 90s, and that’s not a bad thing. If you are into mellow sample-based boom bap and charismatic lyrical flair, then this is your kind of album – what with the scratches from Grandmaster Ready’s cuts, who mixed the mixtape (when last did you hear of a mixtape that’s actually mixed by a deejay?). The clarity in the rapper’s delivery makes her one of the best around. Also don’t sleep on the lyricism on display here. On “Victory Over Failure”, she raps, “I’m tired of the weak/ Street raps come from knowledge ‘cause we inspire the meek”. Dirty All Stars is not designed for the club – it’s for private listening; enjoyed well with headphones an open mind and patience.

Holding image: Patty Monroe performing at Boogie Boutique in Cape Town. (Image: Sabelo Mkhabela)

What other women musicians released great albums this year? Let us know in the comments section, below.

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you should know that Babes Wodumo and Mampintsha weren’t pleased with Babes not getting an award at the SAMAs last weekend. The two artists expressed their dissatisfaction through videos they posted on Instagram.

Is this a challenge now? Black Twitter #mampintshachallenge pic.twitter.com/bWFAzLDz9y

— On the Move in Music (@OnTheMove_Music) 30 May 2017

Black Twitter is currently having a field day putting their own twists to Babes and Mampintsha’s rant videos. Thank us later.

When your crush doesn’t recognise you

#MampintshaChallenge This is a serious matter #BabesChallenge pic.twitter.com/FxTjyJlM2L

— soulistic_Virgo (@slindi_simelane) 30 May 2017  

Niyay’thenga lemali

#MampintshaChallenge #SAMA23 @skhumbi ninomona why did he mention the kids konje pic.twitter.com/iUNKynNM5v

— Gugu Bhengu (@GuguBhengu) 30 May 2017

Ni–no–mona

When Bae posts a Picture and she doesn’t get 100 likes … “Bayanya Laba ! NINOMONA NI–NO–MONA” #MampintshaChallenge pic.twitter.com/9zcHr8LPWZ

— Random_Mpondo (@That_Damn_Vuyo) 30 May 2017

This nice guy who’s tired of the friendzone

#MampintshaChallenge , but the struggle is real. pic.twitter.com/WEJTYbgUa0

— Mthembu wase Gubazi (@SenzelumusaSeth) 30 May 2017

Knock knock

Knock knock

-Whose there?

Nino

-Nino who?

Ninomona#MampintshaChallenge pic.twitter.com/S37CnwPTI3

— Phathutshedzo (@Unarine_Phathu) 30 May 2017

These bursaries, niyawathenga

#MampintshaChallenge too much pic.twitter.com/XTuSDnQOWa

— FitGuru®™ (@ItsBonkosi) 30 May 2017

To the person making Oros expensive

#MampintshaChallenge #babewodumo #SAMA23 this is crazy mzansi I love you pic.twitter.com/zYGUk82phX

— ♥I AM FiKILE♥ (@FKZOR) 30 May 2017

Retweets are clearly for sale

#MampintshaChallenge you got to see this one pic.twitter.com/ngwGoYDm8r

— #YOU (@NITROS_SA) 30 May 2017

No one saying good night… fuck, man

uBabes weFok’man @skhumbi pic.twitter.com/QF5ABbrSgF

— YoMzansi™ BLOG (@yoMzansi) 29 May 2017

Been tweeting, but dololo followers

#SAMA23 pic.twitter.com/R8AFGB0PQp

— Literate Lion (@HlomlaDandala) 30 May 2017

Ayathengwa ama boyfriend

#MampintshaChallenge #TheFuckNinomonaMoment #Sama23 pic.twitter.com/5dWwkri3PD

— Ndi Shooketh (@RakgadiKoolKat) 30 May 2017

The post The best of #MampintshaChallenge videos appeared first on Live Mag.

Nasty C is set to spread his wings with a feature on internationally-renowned trio Major Lazer’s brand new track titled Particula. It seems the rapper brings out his best when rocking over afrobeat rhythms. It’s an exciting move for the young rapper and also sees him expand his sound by venturing into afrobeat territory on this song, alongside fellow African artists Ice Prince, Jidenna and Patoranking.

The afrobeat-themed anthem is jam packed with catchy melodies and smooth vocals as all the artists bring their A-Game. It’s perfect fusion of West African and Caribbean sounds is bound to make it a massive hit as it fits perfectly into the current musical landscape. Although it’s a definite dancefloor song, Nasty C’s lyrical prowess shines through as he grabs your attention with lines like “before we hit the road, put our phones on silent. Nobody’s tryna bring sand to the beach”.

We really hope this genre-straddling track gets a video because it’s great international exposure for one of Mabala Noise’s marquee signings. After receiving mixed reactions to his debut album Bad Hair Nasty showing his versatility on afrobeat anthems has been refreshing, particularly following the afro-trap banger he served up with Davido on Coolest Kid In Africa. Of course, that wasn’t his first foray into the afrobeat sound. His Coke Studio collaboration with Buffalo Souljah delivered the earworm, “Belong”:

We’re here for this direction Nasty C is taking and the growth he’s showing lately, even with his more traditional sound. The constant improvement is apparent on his latest track UOK which is dedicated to his mother, the late Veliswa. It’s a song with a strong message and stands out for its simplicity and mature subject matter. The multi-talented Nasty helped edit the Emilie Badenhorst & Nani Chehore-directed visuals, which are a perfect accompaniment to the heartfelt track.

Holding image by Sabelo Mkhabela

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The Basha Uhuru Freedom Fest, which takes place from 21 – 25 June, is going to be jammed packed with expression of artistic wealth among the youth of Mzansi. It is a must-attend event for creatives across all artistic disciplines. Make sure you attend or you will miss out on nice things.

In its 5th year, the Basha Uhuru Freedom Fest is focused on empowering youth in creative industries by affording them platforms for freedom of artistic expression. The event will feature a five day programme which entails a contemporary group art exhibition titled “Expressions of Freedom”, followed by the “Conversations of Freedom” creative talks. Then there is “Visions of Freedom” is a film screenings sponsored by the Gauteng Film Commission and Rides of Freedom youth cycling tour which will link up various youth cultural hubs in the city.

All these activities lead up to main attraction of the festival which is the Sounds of Freedom music concert featuring a diverse line-up of both emerging and established musical talent from across the country. The Locrate Family Picnic will be a fusion of food, fashion, and craft – providing trading opportunities for small businesses and micro-sized enterprises.

The music concert, funded by the Department of Arts & Culture and Nando’s, is set for the 24th of June and will be staged in two different venues within the Constitution Hill museum precinct. The main stage will feature a musical blend of contemporary South African musicians including live performances and DJs which will entertain the youth as they salute the youth of 1976 and celebrate 21 years of the Constitution. The second stage will be hosted by Afropunk who will be hosting the African edition of this influential international festival at Constitution Hill on the 30th and 31st of December.

It’s a free concert, but you’ll need to get a ticket to gain entrance: http://www.webtickets.co.za/event.aspx?itemid=1472018826

The line-up from 21-25 June 2017:

Conversations of Freedom: Creative Talks by www.10and5.com

Date: Wednesday 21 June 2017

Time: 18h00-21h00

Speakers: artist Anthea Moys; Tumelo Kgwathe AKA DJ Sistamtic; artist Lazi Mathebula; architect Lorenzo Nassimbei, stylist Lufuno Sathekge, comedian Loyiso Madinga, photographer Kgomotso Tleane; director Zandi Tisani

Venue: Constitution Hill, Women’s Gaol

Expressions of Freedom: Art Exhibition

Date: Thursday 22 June 2017

Time: 18h00-21h00

Artists: Nompumelelo Tshabalala, Zanele Mashinini, Bambo Sibiya, Victor Dlamini; Lazi “Greiispaces” Mathebula, Leeroy Jason and Anthea Moys

Venue: Constitution Hill, Women’s Gaol

Visions of Freedom:  Film Screenings

Date: 23 June 2017

Time: 18h00-22h00

Movies: Kalushi, The Hangman; Beyond The River and Uprize

Venues: Constitution Hill, Women’s Gaol

Rides of Freedom: Heritage Cycling Tour

Date: 24 June 2017

Time: 09h00 – 13h00

Venue: Constitution Hill at Fixin Diaries

Sounds of Freedom: Market @ The Fort & Basha Uhuru Music Concert

Date: 24 June 2017

Time: 12h00-00h00

Artists & DJs:  Thandiswa Mazwai ; Stogie T; Zola; Sjava;  BCUC; Gigi Lamayne ; Dope Saint Jude; Kly ;Ms Cosmo; DJSpeedsta; IAMPH; Twins On Decks; DJKenzhero;  2Lee Stark; Uno July ; Johnny Cradle ; Urban Village ; Melo B Jones; Bye Beneco; Mpho Sebina; DJ Coppashot & Bobotical; Rosie Parade ; Andrew the DJ ; Danger Ingozi ; King B ;DJ Zero;  Osmic; Rhythm Sessions; Tha Muzik;  Sistamatik ; Yugen Blakrok; Mvette Black; DJ Zwai; DBN Gogo; Chuck Taylored.

Venue: Constitution Square/Marshalling Yard/Parade Ground (Various venues at Constitution Hill)

Let’s Get Free: AFROPUNK Stage

Date: Saturday 24 June 2017

Time: 16:00 – 22:45

Artists & DJs: DOOKOOM;  Demogoroth Satanum; Radio123; TCIYF; DJ Doowap

Venue: Marshalling Yard

Locrate Family Picnic & Comedy

Date: Sunday 25 June 2017

Time: 11h00-17h00

Comedians: Mashabela and Mpho Popps

Music: Nonku Phiri, Thandi Ntuli and Sound Supreme DJs: Just Themba, Kenzhero, Tha Music & Rhythm Sessions

Venue: Constitution Hill, Women’s Gaol Courtyard Lawns

Between 12h00 and 16h00 on Saturday and Sunday art and design installations alongside the stages will showcase more South African creativity.

For more info on the festival and activities, visit www.bashauhuru.co.za.

https://www.constitutionhill.org.za/events

Facebook: ConHill – www.facebook.com/Constitution.Hill

Basha: www.facebook.com/BashaUhuruFest

Twitter: ConHill – www.twitter.com/VisitConhill

Basha: www.twitter.com/BashaUhur

(Basha Uhuru Freedom Fest is supported by Nando’s; Department Of Arts and Culture; JoBurg Tourism Company; Gauteng Film Commission; Gauteng Tourism Authority; AFROPUNK; Tshepo 1 Million; Brand SA.)

Holding picture: Urban Village at the Basha Uhuru media launch in Johannesburg, 14 June 2017.

Photo credit: Leeroy Jason

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Babes Wodumo had her fans in a frenzy on Thursday following rumours that she would not be making her way to the United States because she didn’t apply for her visa in time.

While it seems Wodumo and her management have dismissed the rumours, insisting that she will be going abroad, her Twitter followers did not take kindly to the mere suggestion that she would not be going.

The Queen of Gqom is expected to attend the BET awards this week, where she and Nasty C were nominated for the Best International Act: African category award.

Twitter had this to say:

Twitter users called on Mabala Noise to sign babes Wodumo and asked that Mampintsha (Boyfriend and manager) stay in his lane as just a boyfriend, after reports that he was responsible for the visa confusion.

On Thursday, Channel24 spoke to someone at Wodumo’s record label, West Ink Records, who reportedly said: “She’s definitely going, she’s going to The BET Awards, she’ll be at the BET Awards.”

When you mix business with … One is bound to fail.

Mabala Noise needs to sign #Babes Wodumo.

Mampintsha needs to manage only. pic.twitter.com/KTHcV5L7FO

— Xolisile Mbhele (@xolisile_mbhele) June 22, 2017

Some users blame the team for being incompetent. Surely they were given enough notice.

Babes wodumo team new that she needed to be in America for the awards why didn’t they sort out her papers before pic.twitter.com/S5uqge2jjU

— Nosi (@Nosipho___) June 22, 2017

While some responded in a not so positive manner, calling her entitled. jkgkluhkhlokjojoik

So Babes has Visa problems now, I think if she didn’t feel entitled to everything she would’ve done it long time ago pic.twitter.com/YTyfzlwhRq — Lloyd Itu (@McLloyd_Clinton) June 22, 2017

The news of the BET nomination was exciting to many of her fans, especially after she didn’t win anything at the Sama awards. So hearing that she might not even go, because of a simple Visa application disappointed them.  

My thoughts on Babes, summarised pic.twitter.com/AYDeXx0YJ3

— Queen Makeda (@JustVuyi) June 22, 2017

With just a few days left to secure Wodumo a visa, some are speculating that incompetence will be her downfall.

“If I was her manager I would have contacted everybody I can in the States to book her to perform or do interviews tying that to her BET nomination. But if they only went to apply for Visas on Tuesday, it is obvious that none of that was done,” wrote columnist Phil Mphela.

“Wasted opportunity.”

Indeed.

*Picture: flickr.com

The post Twitter Goes Off At Babes Wodumo’s Visa Woes appeared first on Live Mag.

Rappers often throw in some seemingly innocuous lines mid-verse, that let us know what they’re listening to currently, or what they were influenced by growing up. These lyrical references shed light on who some of rappers own favourites are.  It’s a dream to catch these lines and serves as a little gift for the discerning listener. Here’s a few we’ve caught;  these light bulb moments are hard not to share.

The best place to start is with AKA, who has a penchant for both sampling and dropping verbal cues. On L Tido’s brand new offering Thixo, the man who started his career by weathering comparisons to Jay Z, pays homage to Nas when he spits the line “don’t say my car’s top less, say the titties is out”. If that line hasn’t made you look at the origin of the phrase, compare both tracks below:

Next is a former Teargas member who always brings some friendly competition to AKA. K.O does a similar subtle hint at a rhyming influence by hiding this reference pretty deep into his verse on Pro’s Pholas. He revealed his inner Pharoahe Monch by using three words from the rapper’s track Evolve. Both these artists possess superior wordplay skills and this makes it a fitting influence. It’s a great salute to an artist who regularly displays his “spectacular, miraculous flow”. See if you can catch the line in both tracks below:

From referencing just one line or track to laying it on thick, Kid Tini’s homage to both Ludacris and Driemanskap is perfect. It’s a combination of interpolating the spaza rap group’s S’phum’eGugs hook and lifting the melody for Runaway Love that’s brilliant. You can check ’em all out below:

It’s really easy to accuse rappers of biting from their peers, but leaving lyrical trails for listeners to follow benefits all parties involved. It’s not just a cool way to surprise us fans, but it  makes us check for the original song too. Like Jay Z says, these artists are writers for themselves and others, so leave a comment below and let us know what lines you’ve caught that pay homage to other rappers.

Picture: Sabelo Mkhabela

The post Dope lyrical references by South African rappers appeared first on Live Mag.

The countdown begins with just a few more days until the release of the much-anticipated album Be Careful What You Wish For. The album from Anatii and AKA will feature 10 songs including hit track Don’t Forget To Pray.

We spoke to Anatii on what to expect from their upcoming album.

What can people expect from the album?

They can expect the unexpected.

Why did you decide to pair up with AKA to create the album?

The vibes where organic from the outset. Our original intention wasn’t to make an album, but as we starting vibing together we realised we had solid material and that the fans had a strong appetite for more than just a new single.

Tell us about the inspiration for your latest single Holy Mountain?  

Holy Mountain was one of the first few songs we made when we started working in the studio together. It’s a reflection of our headspace at the that time.

You can listen to the song here

From the title of the tracks Don’t Forget to Pray, Jesus Plug and Holy Mountain, it seems that there is a strong religious focus. Why did you decide to do this?

I wouldn’t call it religious, but rather conscious, which I feel is much needed in today’s times with what is going on globally.

Watch the music video for 10 Fingers 

The album is set to be released on the 28 July

The post Here is what to expect from Anatii and AKA’s upcoming album appeared first on Live Mag.

It has been a month since season two of South Africa’s biggest hip hop talent competition The Hustle came to an end. And yet, people are still talking about the winner of the competition. We sat down with winner Flex Rabanyan to discuss rap, life and the future for the talented rapper.  

Taking the crown

For many of his friends, Flex winning The Hustle wasn’t a total shock. In fact, it was more of a confirmation of what they already knew. After all, it’s his friends that entered him into the competition in the first place.

“When sending my audition on Facebook, I didn’t put in the correct hashtags. It is actually my friends on Facebook and their friends who fixed it. That’s how it got through to the judges.”

For the rest of us who met Flex on our television screens, we knew he’d reign supreme as soon as Content got eliminated.

From the moment he got on our screens, he grabbed our attention. He had this mini afro, with these circular sunglasses looking like the young King Kai from Dragonball Z and random dance moves that quickly turned into his signature dance throughout the show.

“Nobody wins when you put them next to Flex” said season 2 contestant Content

It was his skills as a rapper that shined throughout. He won challenges left, right and center; putting the other rappers in panic mode when they had to go up against him. He could freestyle about anything and everything, perform with no qualms and looked like a superstar; even the Super Mega himself was impressed.  

Bringing back Hip Hop

Rap for Flex started at a young age, when he was still in primary school. His brother and his friends used to write bars and he thought he could do it better, and so he did.

It wasn’t until his teenage years when he decided to take it seriously.  His friends decided to start a group called Peer-prejja. The group only stayed together for a year, splitting in 2012.

Clearly he was the Beyonce of the group cause he went solo and it is been “all the way up” from there.

Despite his talents, the question remains, does he have what it takes to last in this industry?

We wonder if Flex will keep pushing music that he knows; music that talks about struggle, the game and music the evokes emotions, or will he write the same old bubblegum music about girls and money, that so many of our rappers are already doing.  

We can’t say for sure, what we can say is that he has big plans to shake up the SA Hip Hop industry.

“South African rappers are too safe. Cassper is the one. He came in and challenged AKA. That’s how it’s supposed to be. Everyone else is shying away from beef and I don’t understand why. It doesn’t have to be personal, continue making the music but just weave it in somewhere. I just want to do that, I want to jog it up a bit, it’s too stagnant.”

Rabayeezy Rabayeezy

Taking a look at his lyrics for the popular song Rabayeezy he speaks about working hard to make it and get into the rap scene.

“Im working way way harder harder, I aint tryna be no average and so to my nigga savage but we made it out the trashes and we never had to do much, we just placed our focus on our talent and the next thing they all yelling Rabayeezy, Rabayeezy”

Looking ahead, he says he doesn’t have any immediate plans other than basking in his new found attention. However, he does mention maybe making a new video for Dlala.

Whatever his plans are, I can’t wait to hear his music.  
Watch Flex perform Dlala on Spotlight

Image: Ezra_Mogotsi

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