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1 July 2002 No Comment


“I’m no Nostradamus”

Explain how you first got invovled with Hip Hop and what was your earliest memory, influences?

Started by hearing Rappers Delight, but saw popper in dance competition on Swaziland TV, 1980. First real interest with breakdancing in 1982 after seeing music videos “Hanging Out” and “Theres No Stopping Us”. Also met canadian b-boy in 1982, family of a friend. Started as graff artists in 1982 as well and started mc’ing in 1988 with theFurious Floor Rockers & the Chill Convention.

What was in your view the major high point in south african hip hop and it’s low point?

High point is still to come. The low point is ouir inability to take charge of hip hop collectively and thus having the industry taking charge of it and americanising it conpletely the way it is. Also the locals inability to support what is from their communities.

When it comes to the low point was do you attribute that to?

I think it is a lack of love for being african, which is a national problem. People wish to be south african, but not african. Thus they support anything not from here and don’t see that hip hop is an african form of expression that should be explored using south african points of depature and that it has no limitations of how it could sound. Hip hop is experimental music, that changes constantly and we should embrace that as it is as diverse as the peoples of south africa. But, it must be african owned. We should be careful not to give it away and make it be what they want it to be.

Black Noise have been successful in changing a lot of young people’s lives. Do you think that Black Noise is unappreciated by the media?

Mmmmmmmm, I think that poeple doing good things in society in general are unappreciated. Negative shit sells and thats what they will play. I think that its also all about gettiong units moved for the media and it is a business, I’m not too shure what Sabc’s excuse is. They should ask if they are actually Sabc or USA BBC. They have the ability to change the lives of many but they choose to only benefit the gravy train, the masses of south africans are only good enough to pay their tv licenses. More local than international is needed and more love for what is from the whole of south africa needs to get coverage. Theirs more to the music scene in souh africa than what happens in jhb, also people listen many different styles of music, not only kwaito. Kwaito gets a good amount of the airtime, thats good, but take that american shit of the airwaves, do these labels pay for the videos to be played and their artists to get free media exposure or are we south african tv license payers paying for that, fuck musica and the big labels, they should pay for our countries airtime. I get carried away when it comes to the media. Black noise have moved beyond the desire to be seen in the media for our good work, but be satisfied wth the results of our labour and , fuck it, we have our own media – Da Juice magazine and Da Juice home videos

Can you explain the concept behind Black Noise.

Damn, thats gonna take forever. I think it can best be explained as a hip hop group. Which includes, breakdancers, djs, mcs, singers, capoeira players, drummer, graffiti artists, hip hop activists, record label, publishers, event co-ordinators, production managers ….. Etc I think whenever we have a need to get something dome we learn some new shit , so the concept is based on change … Thats right revolution … I feel that we are like hip hop itself, constantly chaging as the need requires. We will not however allow our beliefs of what hip hop should be, be bought over by money. We will silently sneak under their radar and take from the rich and give to the hip hop community as much as we can. People know this. They know that we aren’t interested in bullshitting the youth about anti this and anti that, they ask us to do something because we don’t give a fuck if they want to fire us for the shit we say … Eg. Western cape police board hires Black Noise to bring awareness about 16th June youth day – fuck it we say – Sharpville Day – asking youth at schools if they know what causes crime , child abuse etc, – poverty- apartheid – self hate , telling like it is … You can fire us if you like, but we actually interested in solving the problem, not camoflaging it with slogans that creates fast guns …. Im not sure if that answers your question … We just … Well, hip hoppers

Who in South African Hip Hop do you think has the ability to take to another level?

What do you mean another level – does that refer to rhyme skills or getting medai attention or taking charge of shit lie it should be done. We would like to do that – getting shit together so that we can truly befit and not be visitors in our own culture. ….. What do you mean “take to the next leel – like wu tang – you mean commercial then, cause they are involved in making commerce, selling wu tang clothing, dolls, etctectectec – what do you mean net level ???? I think thats another slogan – like keep it real – does anyone even know what real is anymore – and whats so free about freestyle when minds are captive – dictionary swollowing rappers – free ???? Next level

(Ed’s Note: Taking it to the next level means moving out of our isolated environment and making a huge change in the local hip hop market. If you think next level it could mean making lot’s of money, money you never had, it could mean exposing hip hop to small towns in south africa, it could mean selling units via the net to foreign consumers, it could mean making a different album with a new message. Hell there’s a lot of things it could mean. Take your pick.)

Are there any people in the past who you think could’ve made a difference to this hip hop thing?

Yes, In-Tribe, Caramel and Whiteboy, Prophets of the City, Brother A, Street Brothers, Sisters in Command, Meagan, E=mc squared, Nubian Queens, etc etc etc all of us, if we just stuck to the job at hand I think … It could still happen that they play a role in the future.

In terms of rap selling units in south africa, it’s obvious nobody has really been successful at it (if we compare to kwaito). What do you think is the way forward in terms of making a sale?

I think that it has already happened to a certain degree with Zola, hip hop marrying local sounds and language and not stopping at one, but integrating with many languages and sttyles, thats the answer to start with I think … Kwaito is a form of local version of hip hop .. Maybe one style I think, it has local slogans repeated like early rap and the masses undertand that , o hell yes they are gonna buy that. You need to look at the truth behind selling big units as well – what does the company get in comparison to the artist – what is actually moved and how much marketing is put behind the artists. Does it get onto tv as much as say Jay Z or Tupac or any of these big us artists – its about media hype and kwaito has got that, but local hip hop ….. I think its about to happen … This big sales thing your talking about.

What is the way forward for south african hip hop in general?

I think it depends on what you are talking about – sa hip hop as a whole culture or “rape” sorry rap music. For the culture and really real hip hop I think self owned and self controlled – the Dre s & Russel Simmons’s of south africa hip hop need to step forward and try to learn from the fuck ups in the usa hip hop world. Real hip hop is only real if the experimentational side is promoted, which brings originality. Real hip hop is also not capitalistic, but more socialistic I think. Its about using this ancient african form of expression to show youth that true happiness isn’t in how much yo have, but what you do for your brothers and sisters. Money is not the goal, creativity is and then financial attainment comes as a by product of that bigger objective and love for hip hop. Eg. Sending lighties to germany every year cast much more than we make at the door at BOTY SA, but to see those dancers do their shit with pride on stage in Germany is priceless. To see them on the plane or seeing the other countries teams looking at them with respect, thats the real reward. I know to the crystal and bm types this sounds crazy, but what are you…. African … What does it man to you to be african … Does the millions in America make these mcs any better humans… Fuck no – be who you truly areand that makes it impossible to just do this for the money – welcome to the real hip hop On the other hand … If you are one that wants millions because your penis is too small and you are insecure about your worth as an african human, then releasing an album and trying to make milions might be the way for big labels to make you a real money out of you … Slave labour … Or maybe you can yuck them and use the money in your community mmmmmmm … Sounds like a plan neh. …. I like the first suggestion above or maybe a mixture of the 2. We’ll see what the future holds, fuck, it I’m no Nostradamus.

Tell us an old skool story that you experienced.

We standing in the crowd at a mass rally during the 1985 school boycotts, waiting for the speaker to come and we(pop glide crew) see some other b-boys from another crew. We check, while we are waiting, fick lets battle these ouens. The crowd opens up and the attention shifts from the police/army standing on the hill taking pictures of the demonstartors. We kicking ass and the crowd is going bevok. Then suddenly i hear this ou say , hey … Stop that american kak and concentrate on the rally. We hey your poes, we keeping the crowd busy and beside we are here to take part in the bigger battle anyway, so whats you problem. We standing in the circle, the crowd is clapping and we are jolling on just the clapping and crowd response … Then suddenly the crow breaks into mandela says freedom now and we breaking on that … Im thinking fuck it , will our black god ever be freed in my lifetime, thats followed by teargas going off and the police attacking , we get up from the floor and everyone is out of their … Fast forward to 1994, the anc election campaign, we doing our show in retreat and we breaking on the last song … Again the crowds going mad and it changes to chants mandela has arrived .. Im standing a metre away from our black god and i think “damn! It happened in my lifetime” isn’t hip hop just fucking amazing

If you’d like to get in touch with Emile Y X and learn more about Black Noise email them at emiley@mweb.co.za

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