The perennially confused 5FM had a bit of an SA hip-hop experience this weekend when HHP and Skwatta Kamp performed live.
On Saturday afternoon, on the regular 5FM live slot at 5pm, HHP proved there is hope for our music industry with a sterling performance using a live band.
Our music industry has gone into a bit of a panic as we have lost so many of our talented musicians in the last two years.
We lost Brenda and TK to drugs, Lebo to a speeding car, Gito Baloi to an alleged violent robbery, Moses Khumalo and Moses Molelekwa to supposed suicides. On Saturday night we lost Jabu Khanyile to what one daily newspaper wrote was cancer, another said was diabetes and yet another said was both.
Are their deaths a reflection of our society as a whole? Are their deaths warning signs that we as a society need to slow down and exit the fast lane of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll?
It is, however, encouraging to note that younger artists such as SK and HHP are choosing a healthier life-style, even though they know how to party with the best of them.
HHP's future looks bright and his ability to sing means that when hip-hop winds down he most probably would have developed other avenues of musical creativity . I predict he'll be a stayer and, along with Ntando, will grow into one of SA's legends.
While his band still have work to do, the intelligent interpretation of his laid-back, catchy hip-hop lends itself to excellent use of the live instruments including keyboards, wind instruments and guitar.
HHP was delighted to hear that he was No 3 on the 5FM Top 40. And that's the thing about Jabba, he's honest, funny and genuine, on and off stage.
Sunday I awoke with the sparrows to join my main boys, Skwatta Kamp as guests on Kevin Fine's Command Performance Rise N Fine.
Things are always chaotic when the SK crew are around. Add Kevin Fine into the mix and things got really crazy funny in the studio. The vibe was chilled and there was great chemistry between Kevin and the boys.
They performed tracks like Moyo as well as tracks from their new album, the badly spelt Bak on Kampus, which has some rocking numbers.
Perhaps with people like Kevin Fine, the radio station might just start to enjoy credibility among South African musicians. Because right now, they're not the most popular of stations, particularly among the rock musos.
