Topics

1

General Discussion / Love songs or songs about relationships

« on: September 02, 2009, 09:11:56 AM »

LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane and Heavy D made these kinds of songs a staple of their output in the 80s and 90s, but there are few 'love rappers' of that kind today. But I'm interested in hearing from folks which songs from the last ten years stand out as really interesting ones about romantic love or relationships between men and women. Any ideas?

Supa!

Edit: By the way, this is a list post.

2

Hot Traxxx / Plain Madnizz - What Kine?

« on: August 24, 2009, 12:02:35 PM »

Late pa** probably required, but I need some feedback on this album. For those of you who have heard it, would you recommend it? Tell me a little about the album's sound. And where would you place it in relation to albums by BVK and Kallitz in terms of quality?

Supa!

3

General Discussion / tik references in local rap songs

« on: August 18, 2009, 03:03:39 PM »

For all the media reporting (and hype) about abuse of the drug tik, I was wondering how many local artists have addressed the issue in their music. I imagine there must be several songs that deal with drug abuse, but I'm wondering about tik specifically.

Anybody?

Sup!

4

General Discussion / SA Hip Hop Timeline

« on: August 15, 2006, 07:59:36 PM »

Wa**up, AG'ers

I would like to embark on a project which attempts to document the history of SA Hip Hop. It's ambitious, to the point of impossibility. But I would like to give this a go, anyway.

I thought a good way to start would be to make a note of important moments in SA Hip Hop history. I know there are many here who carry this history in their heads. This is - I suppose - some way of sharing it, documenting it.

I am not really sure where this history starts. My own knowledge of SA Hip Hop history starts around 1983, when in Cape Town pockets of Black youngsters start experimenting with B-Boying, learnt from Hollywood versions of breakdance films.

Somewhere around the mid-80s (someone correct me), these young Black, working cla** kids found a home for their taste in music, dance and dress at a club called T'zers.

As you can tell, the details are sketchy. There is a rich history which I think deserves to be told. If you have something to contribute, I invite you to do so in this thread.

If you're interested in building one on one with me, hit me up on PM.

PEACE
Supa

5

Hot Traxxx / What you know about The Coup?

« on: May 04, 2006, 08:49:47 PM »

First of all props to Oliver Wang, aka O-Dub, who pretty much summed up my thoughts about Oakland crew The Coup on his blog <a>Soul Sides</a>. Oliver has also posted some mp3s from their earlier albums there.

Anyway, the Coup has been making music for 15 years, and although they've only released five albums and one EP in that time, they always come strong.

I particularly appreciate that they're one of the few focused political artists in rap and that they've never backed down from their socialist stance. My favourite albums by them are Genocide & Juice and Steal This Album. They contain two of the greatest story raps in the form of "Fat Cats, Bigger Fish" and "Me And Jesus The Pimp...".

Feel free to spread some love for The Coup here. Their new album is called Pick A Bigger Weapon - cop that.

PEACE
Supafly

6

General Discussion / Caramel & Ray-Gunz

« on: March 06, 2006, 03:17:40 PM »

So, the album is out. Is anyone checking for them? Feeling them? What's the album like?

I've been fiending for some Cape Town flavour for a while. I hope that this will satisfy my appetite.

Supa!

7

Producers - Discussion / Sampling: How do you feel about it?

« on: February 22, 2006, 09:15:45 AM »

I know that sampling as a technique for producing music is most commonly a**ociated with rap and electronica. But I am interesting in how people feel about that approach.

I have heard some tired arguments about sampling amounting to artistic / intellectual theft. For other music fans, it's not a question of copyright infringement but about the limitations of working with samples; in other words, they prefer the supposed freedom which comes with using live instruments to make music.

Where do you stand on this issue?

Do you feel sampling is a useful approach to music-making? How do you think it stacks up against more 'traditional' ways of making music (i.e. composition and instruments)? What do you think is limiting about sampling, and what about it is empowering for the music maker?

I'm interested in hearing from people who are involved in making/composing music and those who are just interested fans.

PEACE

Supa!

8

General Discussion / Let's make a best of SA rap music collection

« on: August 11, 2005, 09:24:38 PM »

I'm trying this elsewhere, so I may just post some of the feedback that I get there in this forum. Basically, what I'm trying to do is see if we can establish some consensus about local rap songs released between 1990 and 2005 that we think would be representative of both popular tastes and musical advancement in the last fifteen years.

One catch: We're limited to 18 tracks, or rather we have have find 18 tracks that qualify. This all depends on whether you see the local scene as half deep, half empty ;)

I think it's okay for folks to just throw in as many titles as they want, but it's really important that they can also back that shit up. We can then tussle over the legitimacy of those songs.

Some of the songs I think should make it are:

Prophets Of da City's Our World. Looking back, many would consider the lyrics a little suspect, but I like the production and its infusion of local sounds. I also think the track reps African and South African hip-hop in a big way, and addresses the problems of pandering to American rap aesthetics.

Black Noise's Black Facts. I really use to give that Rebirth CD a lot of burn. Going back to it now, it doesn't stand up as well as it used to. But this track, with it's laidback production and KRS-One-style history lessons, is worth noting. It's not the most political song they've done, but it's Black Noise at its most balanced - decent production, decent lyrics. I don't know if that will do enough to qualify it as one of SA's best.

Bra**e Vannie Kaap's FNTB. This was quite big, although probably in Cape Town only. Not my favourite song by BVK, but I suspect their most popular and, possibly, their most influential.

I want to motivate for Mizchif's All The Areas, but I haven't heard that in a while, and some people feel 'Place For A Wife' was the bigger tune.

Add on.

It's the Supa!

9

General Discussion / DangerDoom

« on: August 11, 2005, 10:15:29 AM »

So, I've heard a few advance cuts from this album. I wouldn't want to judge the whole album on the basis of those cuts, but the material thus far hasn't been uber-interesting. I mean, it's par Doom, but I haven't noticed a significant switch from the flow he was using on the Madvillain album, and I really thought he would bring something extra to the table on this next joint.

PEACE
Supafly

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10

General Discussion / "People don't really like Hip-Hop" (Swiped)

« on: May 26, 2005, 05:54:36 PM »

I saw this posted over at www.okayplayer.com. And I felt some of it was speaking directly to me. The author of this post was lamenting how hip-hop today has to struggle to exist on its own terms. What do you think?

Here's the post:

"This is really the kinda of thinking I have been on for about the last 10 years.

people really dont like HIP HOP


They dont like all the rappin(he just a mixtape mc cant make "songs")
They dont like the sex and violence(what about the kids)
They dont respect the elders(run dmc were overrated)
They dont respect the mc(shit anybody can get outta jail and make a hit)
They dont respect the producer(all he did was speed up a chaka khan 45)


This is a HIP HOP message board and even we think HIP HIP is f***ed up.

Look at how HIP HOP is sold to us, in order to push the dope they gotta add baking soda and cut the product(R&B hooks, songs for the bitches, generic producer cuts)

The artists themselves dont really seem to have much love for what they doing(peep SLIM THUG in XXL)

We judge a successful HIP HOP album by platinum sales when you really look at it at most the HIP HOP audience is around 500,000(30 days later the lp went gold)

I remember this REDMAN post and folks had all kinda crazy ideas how to blow his new album up(LIL JOHN?? MISSY??) what I got from that is a dope mc over dope beats cant be sold at least not at the numbers folks want to be considered a success.

In 2005 you do mixtapes for the real HIP HOP fans,why?

If we are really talking about a great artform then it should be able to stand on it's on merits.

HIP HOP is supposed to be street music done by the niggas you dont like, yet them same niggas follow chase formulas worse than boy bands.

As fans all we get is niggas copping pleas.

It's bigger than JOE BUDDENS chasing after SWIZZ BEATS, I picked up that COMMON cd to peep the DVD and got footage of him and his stylist??? My nigga was clowning the shit outta me for putting that shit on in his truck. All I could think of was "who is this for"?

Before you even go there with "well you just one of those back in the day" niggas I saw this shit coming back in the day when RUN DMC sold me out with that AEROSMITH bullshit. I knew at that point HIP HOP has lost a certain edge that it would never get back.

We can try our best to defend HIP HOP but WYNTON won, he was pretty much dead on we just didnt like to hear it from a nigga like him, lol.

I got all day so bring it."

11

General Discussion / Why Underground Hip-Hop Artists Suck: 5 reasons

« on: May 23, 2005, 03:22:35 PM »

* This post is aimed at those so-called underground US hip-hop artists, those leftovers from the "Rawkus Era", and those over here, who were influenced by them.

Five reasons why those underground artists suck:
1. Limited content (i.e. too much time spent dissing the mainstream or fictitious wack MCs)

2. Derivative production (i.e. "I'm going for that Primo, Pete Rock, 1992 Native Tongues sound, and then I'm going to diss all clone rappers over that shit.")

3. Lack of song-writing ability (i.e. they can kick it in a cypher, but are all up a gumtree when they have to put out songs)

4. Preaching to the choir (i.e. yeah, they're enlightened, yeah, they're progressive, but they only make music for those who share their ideas - so much for reaching out)

5. Trying to be over our heads (that ain't keep it real, that's keeping it snobbish, thinking you're kicking some lyrics folks won't understand. Kneegrow, please.)

Before you flame me, I realise that not all underground artists embody all of the above characteristics (with exceptions: I see you Dilated Peoples, Lootpack), but too many of them have one or a combination of these, and it's this that makes underground hip-hop so wack. They do exactly what they accuse mainstream cats of doing: talking loud, saying nothing.

I think an underground scene is important for the development of hip-hop. But it's stagnated majorly. It's time for them to show and prove.

PEACE
Supafly

12

General Discussion / That's When Ya Lost (c) Souls Of Mischief

« on: May 09, 2005, 03:44:38 PM »

In this post, list the main reasons why so many rappers fall off:

(1) They build up a nice fanbase, their heads get ga**ed up, they think they can be the next Fugees (I see you BEP), ditch their original fanbase and start rapping to pimply teens.

(2) Jay-Z retires, and they think that's an invitation to claim the title King Of New York (I see you Fat Joe, pre and post-Jigga's retirement).

Add on.

Supafly

13

General Discussion / Buying rap music in Durban

« on: May 08, 2005, 05:55:53 PM »

Where are the spots?

Supafly

14

General Discussion / Essential South African rap records

« on: March 29, 2005, 09:00:51 PM »

I was walking in to work today, and just thinking - rather arbitrarily - about locally-produced rap albums which are considered to be essential listening.

Now when I say essential listening - I don't necessarily mean that the album is a cla**ic or that it's perfect, but rather that the album defined a moment in the history of rap music in South Africa.

I know there aren't many to choose from. But I'd like AG'ers to give this a go: listen the album, artist and why they think that particular album is essential.

I will start...

Prophets Of da City's Our World. This album is far from perfect. I count four dope tracks - the title track, Dallah Flet, Murder On Stage and Roots. Stop The Violence was wack and those dub instrumentals don't do it for me. But... this album marks the beginning of recorded rap music. And it's appropriate that the music contained therein is so celebratory, hopeful and forward-looking.

Peace
Supafly

15

General Discussion / Africasgateway survey

« on: September 02, 2004, 04:56:00 PM »

Let´s see if heads in here are willing to share. Below you´ll find a few questions that will help us to get to know you a little better. Try to go the distance: Don´t answer certain questions and front on others.

Where you from?

How old are you?

Male or female?

Let´s get a tad more personal:
How far have you gotten with the opposite sex (or same sex if you´re
gay)?

What skin colour do you find your self most attracted to?

What´s one hip hop line that is always going through your head?

What was the first album you ever purchased with your own money?

Name one item of clothing you have that you love and can´t live without.

Do you go down?

Do you rhyme, make beats, DJ, breakdance or do graf?

What was the best time period for hip hop?

How long was your longest relationship?

Name one hip hop slang word that will never die and one word that is on its way out?

Do you carry a weapon?

Do you own a cell?

Do you hang with a crew of friends (over 5 heads) or just a bunch of
different friends?

What´s more important: beats or rhymes?

Which is better: beats sampled or beats played?

What´s more important for rhyming: flow and voice or lyrics?

Have you ever had a threesome?

Are you into pop culture or do you read alot?

Have you ever been beaten down?

What do you think of SA sport? Bafana Bafana, the Bokke, the Proteas...

Which rapper speaks to you the most?

which AG heads do you imagine are actually cool people that you
could get along with?

Which AG heads do you see as people that you could never be down with
(BE honest!)?

Which drugs do you do? (I don´t mean regularly but if it´s around you´ll
do it)

What´s you addiction? (if you say "hip hop" you are avoiding the question)

and finally...

Will you be into hip hop when your 50?




Let rip.
Supafly