This is the first time Mobshop was interviewing Hamma and Fat, although they had been promised one some time ago, by someone else who shall
remain nameless, Fat proved to be tightlipped about his solo material.

Mob: I'm at Bush 89.5 Fm it's Friday 22nd March and we have Fat Mc in the house.

Hamma: En Hamma (Who is on a phone with a sista).

[Fat is pointing at his watch. The last time I'd seen this ex-Jam B rapper perform was at the Bonteheuwel Fair so that was my starting point.]

Mob: What can you tell us? What have you been doing since last we heard of you?

Fat: Well first of all, before I take a step, I just want to say this is the only thing I'm gonna edit tonight (meaning he was gonna withhold info.)
I was busy with things that concern me. I could spill the beans but I'll just be making things difficult cause they say, usually a guy who talks a lot is one who's doing nothing. So the whole idea is this. I could tell you that I was busy on the downflow. That I'm working on some solo stuff or that maybe in September some heavy product could be released. But I'm not even gonna talk about that cause I told you that this was the only thing I was gonna edit. You see, my thing is this, I hate suprises, but I like suprising people and with Brasse Vannie Kaap it won't be a problem dropping my little suprise. So come end of day for me to say I'm gonna release something and maybe I don't deliver the goods, is like going to a bakery. Saying that freshcream doughnuts looks good and after buying it, finding out it's orley whip. False in other words. You see lots of guys are on the talk tip, especially the hip-hoppers, too much talk so I think basically it's time for people to shut up and get their act together, cos I mean we can only lead by example and when it comes down to the nitty gritty, you can't be shepherd if you walk with the flock. See I could come heavy on a philosophical tip, but like Farakahn says it's of
concern to your listeners, or should I say readers.

[Hamma known for his hype live performances with Darker Shades of Funk and Enver. Hammer D, a young brother with major potential, he also happens
to be from Mitchells Plain. There I said it now. All Mitchells Plainians should be happy! His lyrics are for the hardcore audience i.e. people who pay attention to words as well as music. So far he has done some songs that have struck a nerve with Hip Hop's true followers. Songs like the often imitated, never duplicated "I Rock The Mic" and "Trademark" come to mind. The interview was done at Bush Radio.]

Mob: Your name has been in the mag a lot lately for your project you been working on since last year. Why is it taking so long?

Hamma: Yeah people have been talking about my project, talking about it since last year. You see last year I had a coupla down falls with people who were supposed to have my back. They let me down and I came up short on some point. That basically set the project back a good coupla months.  We in March now so it's almost 6 months late, luckily the brothers that I knew were my true homies like Fat, H-Bomb, Chiku, Marky and Deon backed me up. You see now I'm back on track. We plan to be done with my project completely by June/July.

Fat: Kan ek interfere? (Can I interfere?)

Hamma: Nee, is nou my kans. (No, it's my chance.)

Fat: I just want to say one thing, mention no names, don't give any identities. Niggaz are looking for props, not South Africans...Niggaz!
Oh Jah Hamma don't forget....do you still remember the hard..nappy..head?

Hamma: Jah! I must speak about that!

Fat: His father cuts his hair...True!

Hamma: I know about that...This Rooted To Naps interview of yours, of him saying he influenced Darker Shades of Funk.

Mob: Naah! Let's not talk about that now.

Hamma: Ok, the projects gonna be strictly about me with some brothers featuring. No names dropped yet. But I will all be done with direction.
It won't be on consciousness level but messages with be dropped subliminally.

Mob: How many songs so far?

Hamma: I got some songs at the studio, about 6/7 songs you know just need to be mixed down.

Mob: Is that the same songs from last year?

Hamma: The songs are the same ones from last time, we just touched up on some tracks and added a few. But what can I do? If I don't wanna release
2 or 3 songs and then nothing follows. for a long time, like Nasty Weather only 4 songs, now you don't hear anymore promotions or new songs.
I don't wanna come out like that, I wanna come with the whole sha-bang.  Put it that way. There's gonna be like 13 tracks on the finished product.
But it's not gonna be mixed down in the Cape coz there's no good equipment.  So I was supposed to go to Jo'burg but that turned out bad.

Mob: When were you supposed to go?

Hamma: With Deon them, but everything was cancelled. We were supposed to do a show at the beginning of March. You know go through but they (POC) decided to stay (in Cape Town) a few more weeks. Now they're leaving and gonna be busy with shows and stuff. I decided not to go. Anyways me, Fat and Deon were gonna do a project up there, we got hold of a facility in Mowbray, and recorded it there.

Mob: Was that gonna be your intro to the masses, going on to tour in Jo'burg?

Hamma: No, me going was to do shows, to gain more experience in that field (live performances). We have plans to for when they come back.
You know like in July. So hopefully that will go well this time cos it's organised, this time we got a game plan.

Mob: Who will be handling the production for the project?

Hamma: I hooked up with people who said they'd oversee my project. So the sound will be hardcore, you know with an H-Bomb tip to it. That's like the
chords. A little bit of feel and emotion, weird samples, effects and all of his tricks...The H-Bomb wizardry! Deon said he'd do something and Shaheen's gonna do his bit. So now I got people who's committed.

Mob: Talk about Sister Swing that song you let me hear a few weeks ago.

Hamma: Yeah it's different type of song, it's now finished, with production by Deon. I've got an R&B version and a hardcore version.

Mob: You played me some samples that were far from the norm, but insisted that you were gonna use them.

Hamma: I tried to come with a different approach, but something happened to the sound. Some of our samples got wiped and we didn't have back ups.
So I did 2 versions, now the R&B version is just that...R&B slowed down music, but the lyrics and ideas remain hardcore, it also features a sister
who I won't mention and the hardcore version is strictly me.

Mob: What format will you be using once you finish the project?

Hamma: Cassettes, underground cassettes. We got an idea how we gonna do the whole promotion thing. I'll tell you more about that when it is confirmed.

Mob: Anything else you want to do beside the project?

Hamma: I'm looking to finish project no. 2 Brasse Vannie Kaap and I wanna do a compilation album.

Mob: To end off, any local stuff you looking forward to?

Hamma: Jah, local guys freak me out like Fat stuff is mixed up, takes me a coupla days to decipher. Akil is like a evil lyricist to me, Shaheen and then there's um...there's this guy from Steenberg. He is kak good, he does not rap often but his shit is good, I keep forgetting his name, the guys from Bronks, their stuffs in there, Bradley from Beacon Valley, that's
with the Dream Team, Marshant shit is cool, evil lyrics and Mizchief. But stop talking shit coz a coupla guys is tired of talking mess all the time. You can quote this! If you do it again, either you can get beat down, we take hip hop to that point, militant, extreme. We can take it to the street if you want. I hope Dre gives you a copy, so you can read what I said about you, and give me a call, you can put my number in there just for him, so I can hear how you cahnge your story.

Reprinted with kind permission by Oopy G of the Mobshop.

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