Tumi Interview

20 March 2003 No Comment

Tumi Molekane is one of South Africa’s top rhymesayers. He is also a member of Volume. Peep this exclusive interview. Sound files included. EXCLUSIVE!

MILKDADDY: How you doing Tumi, what’s happening?

I’m okay, considering the state of the world.

SWT-KID: What happened to being FATBOY?

It was an adolescence thing, but I’m grown now.

SWT-KID: What happened to Perm?

PERM still exists, we are all doing our own growing outside the convenience of each other.

SWT-KID: When is the full-length album coming out?

It will be ready by Human Rights Day, 21st March, but will be released a bit later. It’s a live album recorded at the Bassline.

SWT-KID: Do u still rock cyphers, I mean just take a walk in Jo’burg and bust one on heads, or have u outgrown street ish?

Cyphers are the best way to sharpen one’s skills and learn other techniques, but time allows us little liberties when rent must be paid and thus I stay at home and figure it out all alone. But I do it with close friends.

SWT-KID: Why your shows only at the Baseline?

It’s a premier live venue and as we all know, we are a premier live band.

SWT-KID: Do you perform in tha townships?

I would love to, once we can secure a dope venue we on it.

SWT-KID: Would u perform in Zimbabwe?

I would perform anywhere I am welcome, except maybe Texas

SWT-KID: Do u make money from this dub poet ish, or u need or have other jobs?

Dub poet ish? I don’t think so. No I make hip-hop music infused with poetry, jazz, dub, reggae and soul. Get it right dude. I make money when I perform and make records, it’s hardly enough to keep one above the breadline.

SWT-KID: Do u listern to hiphop lately?

No, but I must say I like the Cee Lo Green.

BRICK: I heard this drum and bassish track downloaded from some local website, I think it is called My Posters. Who and what is the track name that they sampled (the guy is singing in zulu)?

It’s not a sample, that’s my man Kju52 singing in Xhosa, all recorded in one take. The track is definitely called My Posters.

MILKDADDY: Have you had the opportunity to listen to hip hop coming from Durbs, Cape Town, PE and other places around the country? Who are you feeling locally?

Durban hip-hop is deeply rooted in the Zulu traditional chants and stuff, it’s powerful when it comes off. Cape Town has the dopest off the head rhymers and that’s where you go to polish and sharpen. PE is a fresh tourist
destination. I haven’t heard enough to mention names.

MILKDADDY: Are you open to doing collaborations with other artists and if so what criteria do you set for something like this to happen?

Yeah, provided that I think they are dope musicians or emcees and they share similar concerns.

MILKDADDY: For those not in the know, what messages are you bringing out with your lyrics?

The most important issue I concern myself with in my work is extending my humanity in a place where historically it was questioned, challenged and threatened.

MILKDADDY: How did you get involved with Hip Hop?

I guess through my mom. My first walkman came with a Kurtis Blow tape.

MILKDADDY: When will you be in Cape Town for a show?

Don’t know right now, although we’ve toured twice to Cape Town in 2002. It was mad.

MILKDADDY: What’s next on the menu for Tumi?

Dinner, and an Australian boy band project.

MILKDADDY: Thanks for taking the time to speak to us, any last words or shoutouts?

Thanks for having me….F*ck what you heard, colonial invasion was called salvation. Same thing with King George.