This interview conducted on 16 February 2003.

Name:  Haroon Collier aka Soul Artist 

Hood: Woodstock, Cape Town, South Africa

Age: 28

Date of birth: 19/05/1974

Favourite Foods: Pasta, Macaroni and Cheese, Steers King Size Burger with Chips, Mutton Salomies.

Favourite Drinks: Coffee, Coke and Orange Juice

Tel: +27-21-447-5558 (ask for Haroon)

What aspect of hip hop did you first get involved with?

It was the bboying side of it. It was appealing to me. I wasn't a dancer myself. Being exposed to it by movies like Beat Street and then you'd see graf pieces in the movie. I was interested in the colours in how they shouted out of the wall. Then there was a mixture of everything, seeing the breakdancers, the emcees and the graf, looking at it perform together. 

What year was this?

1985

Where did you watch Beat Street?

I watched in Grassy Park, on video.

Was that the only hip hop orientated video at that time that you were exposed to?

It was the only international thing that I saw. 

Okay, move onto the local scene now.

On the local front there was a park called the Body Rock park and living in Grassy Park there was a lot of guys breakdancing. Like if you walk to the taxi rank you would see guys breakdancing in the streets. There was a crew called the Pop Glide Crew which were made up of Emile (now Black Noise) and other people. Other crews were Haiwan Breakdancers. They were two guys I think. The one guy had asked me to join this group. There was just a buzz of these crews trying to recruit new members. Then we decided to start our group which we called Electro Bites. So every Saturday we went to Body Rock Park which was based in Athlone, Thornton Road and my experience of it was there was this massive piece on the wall which said Body Rock (each letter was a different colour). And all the crews were there and battled each other. 

What were all the crews that were there?

Most popular were Hotrods, Ballistic Rockers, Haiwan Breakers and Pop Glide Crew. There were more but I can't remember. Each week you'd find a new crew. But it seemed the main crew was the Hotrods. They were known for their windmills and glides (not sure what you call it). They were excellent. The one week I saw a new piece that said Uprock.

Can I ask you do you know who did these pieces?

I remember I did meet this guy but I can't remember his name. A tallish guy.

Is it true that Ready D had long hair at that time?

Ya, it is true. Long hair at the back. Short on top.

So it's similiar to the style you find young Afrikaner men wearing in the Northern Transvaal?

ya (laughs)

So was Deon working the turntables or was he just a bboy at that time?

That time from what I can remember he was a bboy.

So what about the rapping part, were there any rappers?

The first time I saw local guys rapping was way after Body Rock was gone. There used to be Fun Fairs, like the one in Wynberg. I saw beatboxing and rapping. Like I saw Caramel and Emile. First time I saw Ready D deejay was in a club called Teazers. That was were you found punk rockers and hip hoppers and gangsters dancing together. 

So did they have periods where they played rap, punk, house etc?

Yes. So when they have the rap session then the bboys come on. Then the punk plays then the punks go on the floor. 

Where was Teazers situated?

Situated in Cape Town city. Then I remember there was this graf piece in Teazers with a character.

Who did this piece?

Guy by the name of Devastator, now known as Gogga. 

So when did you realise that you had a talent for graf art?

I realised it in Standard 5, still living in Grassy Park. There was this centre called Bucking Centre. This one morning I saw this piece. It said Magic Cans and the crew that did it was SBM (Sky Bomb Masters). When I saw it I was like (Wow!). It just grabbed me. The colours and the character in the middle was like an old skool bboy with takkies and sunglasses. For the letter I there was this spraycan. Colours were like light blue going into a yellow then a red. White highlights, like stars etc. It had this electric feel to it. It connected to me on a spiritual level. It's like the paint was talking to me. I'm not speaking to the guy, I'm speaking to the colour, the bass in the sound, the movement of the body etc.

So when did you do your first piece?

We used to go to the Base. I met this one guy from England, called himself Peace 26. He used to graffiti with Scribe 7 which is Denver from Moodphase 5. Peace 26 stayed in Plumstead. He was a white guy. He showed me his piece book. Then I started practicing. Then we came from the Base then we put our cans together and then I did a piece out of his book. He did a panel piece called Peace 26, named after himself on one of the walls on the train lines between Woodstock and Salt River. I did a piece called Slide. Which was my first piece. It was abstract. From there I started stylising more, practiced more. I came up with the name Soul Artist. Whenever I tagged I used SAP (Soul Artist Productions). The reason why I chose that because I wanted to give people the impression that I was mad, because SAP actually meant for other people South African Police. 

What year was this?

Early 90's.

What other artists were doing their thing?

Scribe 7, Dest, TMD (Tag Master Dee), Muff 2, Falco, Emile (from Black Noise), Gogga. There were many others.

Were you ever caught?

I was caught once. On the line between Salt River and Woodstock. It was a school holiday. I had a lot of cans. I took my school bag and put my cans there. That day I decided I was going to do a piece alone. I did my piece, the drivers of the trains used to hoot to warn, other drivers gave me a thumbs up. Then there was a worker who was showing me signs, obviously he wasn't happy with what I was doing. Then I checked him opening a gate and then this yellow van came riding along. Then this white and coloured cop were looking at my piece. They were accusing me of stealing the spray cans etc. They threw me in the van. Took me to Woostock station. I then phoned my father and then they gave me a warning. 

So it's 2003 now. What you doing now?

I'm bridging out into oil paintings. Trying to combine graffiti with plenty other traditional styles. A bit of cartooning. I did an animation piece for a movie called Twinky and Kapooee. And then from there I worked on a piece called Sarah and The Empty Compound, an educational piece. It's about this family living in Northern Africa, like an Aids campaign movie. 

What's the future for Haroon?

I see a bright future. There are many branches in art. At the moment I'm still experimenting, finding my feel. I don't want to pigeon hole myself. I am a person who appreciates all form of art. I'm always learning and growing. 

So you sell pieces, canvas pieces, you do commission work. You can basically put any picture on a wall, paper, canvas etc. If people want you to do a job for them how do get in touch?

Through my home number or people can speak to da milk dada.

Any international artists you like?

Not at the moment. 

You always bring an African element into your art. Is this something that is lacking with other writers?

I just decided I was going to concentrate on my surroundings. Other writers might have their own way of expressing themselves.

So thanks for talking to us, any last words or shout outs?

Promote Africa as it was, I see it as the cradle of civilisation. Document it for the next generation. Keep going.

Ed's Note:  We will be showcasing Haroon's graf art on this within the next 2 weeks.

---