 MY MAN the new BUTTABING ENTERTAINMENT franchise player has seen his fair share of trials and tribulations in his young life that many see in a lifetime. You might think you have heard his story before; abandonment as a toddler at four months, being an ex-street kid, ex-gang member who turned to hip hop after a life of struggle and strife in the streets and being left for dead after a stabbing incident put him in a coma for a month...
Whether you have or not – you have just been introduced to someone seen as hiphop’s real hope.
And don’t get it twisted, the account you have just read is not some cooked up marketing scheme. This is real.
Lessons learned now form the foundation and cornerstone of the accounts in his rhymes.
MY MAN is the truth.
History
He started rapping between ’96 to 97’ working with an outfit called Hidden Identity in the Eastern Cape, which was basically the platform in which he cut his teeth to enter the music industry.
Because of a number of misfortunes the group was stopped dead in its tracks but determined to win MY MAN persevered as a solo artist and ended up in Jozi where he met Nemza from Skwatta Kamp who introduced him to Siya aka Fantum Slikour of Skwatta Kamp, the BUTTABING Entertainment A&R Director who promptly recognised the talent and got him working on a couple of tracks and tagging along with his elder BUTTABING ENTERTAINMENT statesmen.
This yielded a number of appearances on tracks but most significantly his contributions on Skwatta Kamp’s “Livumile” track off their album WASHMKHUKHU.
Definition Of the MY MAN Name
When MY MAN was coming up because he played basketball and liked hiphop (American pass times then) people from his area used to call him “my man” a township lingo that relates to some deemed to follow the American way by way of influence especially because hiphop had not taken over the world then. It was something unheard of then.
The Hustle
MY MAN has some stage experience, which he acquired performing at the Grahamstown Arts Festival, South African Music Week, WhooZoo, Skwatta Kamp Gold Party, Skwatta Kamp and Friends Tour, Lovelife National Tour 2005, MetroFM Randshow Concert, YFM Randshow Concert, shared stage with internationally acclaimed Senegalese artist Awadi on his “African Presidents Tour”, the Royal Show Concert in Pietermaritzberg and most recently at the Youth Day celebrations in Johannesburg where he got 35 000 people to take note, listen up and go crazy!
As the flagship artist for the idependent label BUTTABING ENTERTAINMENT and Gallo Record Company’s joint venture relationship My Man is set to be kept busy for a very long time.
MY MAN is soon to become the local rap industry's most influential artist with his debut album “IMENEMENE” due for release July this year in which he worked with the trusted hitmakers SEMITONE who produced the bulk of the album along with some other notable beatmakers such as Omen, Mabheka, Dome, Sypho and newcomer Nkosane Tshabalala.
The Album
MY MAN has a very melodic and silky delivery style which allows him to glide on any beat given to him with ease.
MY MAN initially got love and street cred with the track “I.D.C. – I Don’t Care” released as a mixtape, which won him over a sizable following nationally.
"Siyavuma" featuring Lebo Mathosa of Boom Shaka fame is the first and breakout single off the IMENEMENE album – this track with a thumping bass and kick is destined for radio and is a dance floor killer.There is a Dorothy Masuku inspired “Imali Yami” which is a well done rendition of the original track. “Flash” is on a rugga tip and features Kroona a Thokoza local. “Thula Mama” is probaly the most deepest track on the album and breaks down MY MAN’s life and story and gives insight into the man.
There are a lot of other credible songs that make this a sort after album for this year; MY MAN – IMENEMENE.
Album name:
IMENE-MENE
Record label:
BUTTABING ENTERTAINMENT/GALLO RECORD COMPANY
Producers:
SEMITONE, MABHEKA, OMEN, DOME, SYPHO AND NKOSANE TSHABALALA
Featured Artists:
Lebo Mathosa, Lira, Bozza (Skwatta Kamp), Fantum Slikour (Skwatta Kamp), Mabheka, China, Kroona, Nozipho, Ayanda and Cwangisa.
Release: July 2005
Keep your eyes peeled to www.buttabing.co.za / www.gallo.co.za |
Departments 
