Get ready for the Planetary a**ault!!
Hip Hop ain't dead, but the revolution starts now.
25-06-07: As of 16:00 CAT- One of African hip hop's most eagerly anticipated releases is unleashed on the urban music landscape; Planetary a**ault smashes its way into the global hip hop music scene with 21 blazing tracks, bringing fire straight from the streets eKasi, the dusty ghetto vlaktes and the grimiest clubs in Cape Town.
Africa is the birthplace of rhythm. Through the songs of slaves, that rhythm found its way to the Caribbean where it evolved into what we now recognize in the forms of reggae music and dancehall reggae. From there it travelled to the US where it naturalized into hip hop. Soon after, it spread out around the world and right back to Africa, constantly evolving and mutating on its way. Planetary a**ault represents one completed circle in hip hop's journey. By refusing to walk the well-trodden paths taken by so many others in the game, Planetary a**ault keeps that journey alive by creating African hip hop that continues to blaze trails around the world.
Planetary a**ault is the first major release from Cape Town-based independent label Pioneer Unit. The label's unique sound reflects the many influences that have shaped the course of hip hop today. Listen closely and you will hear everything from cla**ic boom bap, to dancehall reggae and dub to electro, Detroit techno and UK Grime. All these influences are brought together to form an epic journey into the future of South African hip hop.
The 21-track project was produced by label founder Dplanet (a hip hop veteran of more than 20 years and a pioneering name behind cla**ic material by such SA urban music legends as Pro Kid, Ben Sharpa, Trusenz & Middle Finga). It features a total of 19 different MCs spitting in a combination of six of South Africa's eleven official languages. The artists featured on the project smashed down cultural, language and political barriers, as well as inter-crew rivalry, to come together and bring this vision to life.
Besides Ben Sharpa, Middle Finga and KONFAB, Planetary a**ault is made complete by the inclusion of the unquestionable vocal skillz of Rattex, Jaak, Oracle Flo, Driemanskap, Macho, Terror MC, Purple Simba, Shyam, Rato, T.O.P., Trusenz, Cozi G and the Archetypes.
Planetary a**ault is not just aiming locally either. After hearing pre-release copies of Planetary a**ault, influential cult British radio personality Mary Anne Hobbs was moved to state that Ben Sharpa and KONFAB are "two of the most inspired and agile lyricists in the world today." Planetary a**ault dub plates have featured regularly on her legendary 'Experimental' show on BBC Radio 1 since the start of 2007, creating big international buzz around the project's imminent release. The album is also marketed and distributed globally in a number of digital formats thru dig.it.all solutions in Cape Town.
Planetary a**ault is released locally in a**ociation with cult Cape Town independent label African Dope Records and distributed nationally by Soul Candi distribution. For the heads, limited copies of the album have been made exclusively available to buy at the African Dope online shop (
http://shop.africandope.co.za) and Mabu Vinyl (Rheede Street, Cape Town), or listen & buy tracks off the album at the great South African music portal that is Rhythm Records!
http://www.rhythmrecords.co.za/store/viewAlbum.asp?idAlbum=372 The album will be launched proper at a star-studded event in Cape Town on the 25th of July at the Bang Bang Club. (Watch the press for detailz!)
For a taste of what's to come, a different free mp3 single will be made available each week leading up to the main launch event on the 25th of July. The first free track 'Go and Ask' (Hamb'ubuza) by Driemanskap featuring Macho is available as of today at
www.cnet.download.com and
www.podshow.com.
Make friends with them at
http://www.myspace.com/pioneerunitVisit
www.pioneerunit.com for behind the scenes and frequent updates.
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Note to media: for more information, artist biogs, audio samples and other press opportunities, please contact Plus 1 Media Productions. E-mail: monsoon@p1mp.co.za. Call +27 (21) 426-1623.
For label information, please contact Pioneer Unit. E-mail: dplanet001@gmail.com. Call 083 658-8921.
For national distribution enquiries, please contact Soul Candi. E-mail leyton@soulcandidistribution.co.za Call (011) 880-5662
For global distribution and marketing enquiries, please contact dig.it.all music solutions.
E-mail: dig@itall.co.za.
Join the Pioneer Unit Facebook group!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2406867964
