There are musos who seek out the spotlight. Then there are those whom the spotlight finds because of the realness of their craft. Optical Illusion is one of the latter.
If you're a hip-hop head you'll have heard of them. And their existence symbolises a solidness most local groups lack, evident in their sound and lyrics. But there isn't a lot of work put into their live performances. They're either missing members or not enthusiastic enough. Nevertheless, these guys have the X-factor.
Members Battlekat, Golden Shovel, Logik and Genocide are from the Vaal and got together in 1998. Battlekat is the leader, but he leads in a subtle way. He is also responsible for most of the music production. Golden Shovel has commanding authority when he raps. Genocide brings emotion that reaches the audience. Logik is the reserved one, even though he founded the group .
But what are they in hip- hop for?
"Initially we were in it for the love of the music. But when we started growing within hip-hop we wanted to convey the message that you can make something of yourself, no matter where you're from. Most importantly we want to change certain perceptions, especially the disrespect of women," said Battlekat.
Local hip-hop started blowing up in 2003, but the genre is not selling as well as it should. "Distribution is a huge problem," Battlekat said.
Before year-end he will release his solo project, Beats Against The Beast.
If you'd like to get a free copy, SMS your name, cellphone number, the city you're from and the option of three malls in your area to 074-233-7580.
