61
Hip Hop Events / Khayelitsha Festival
« on: October 26, 2008, 01:35:33 AM »
I had a great time. The event was really well organised and totally professional.
Rattex killed it too...
Rattex killed it too...
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62
General Discussion / Mobile Music Downloads
« on: October 23, 2008, 11:28:18 AM »
Just got a message from the Neo Shanty group on Facebook telling me that Morale's new album is available for mobile/ digital download.
That's a good look, I thought, until I saw the price. Each track costs R20! That means, if I download the full album it's gonna cost me R320! (no discounts for downloading the full album either).
I know this is not Morale's fault - this thread isn't to diss him or Neo Shanty. It's the fault of the greedy mobile providers who have got their shit back to front. We're already in a market where consumers believe that music should be free. Digital distribution is supposed to make things cheaper for the consumer because there are less costs involved (no expensive packaging, no shipping costs, less middle-men taking a cut).
Do these service providers seriously believe that I'm gonna pay twice as much for the pleasure of downloading a low-quality mp3 to my phone or computer!? It's practically forcing people to turn to piracy. At least with a CD I get some nice artwork and high quality WAVE files.
I believe the price per track should be nearer R1 or even 50c. When faced with the choice of shelling out R20 for a track or just blue-toothing it from a friend, it's pretty obvious which route most people are gonna take.
Stupidity and greed are stopping up move forward into the digital age, and CDs are becoming more and more obsolete every year.
That's a good look, I thought, until I saw the price. Each track costs R20! That means, if I download the full album it's gonna cost me R320! (no discounts for downloading the full album either).
I know this is not Morale's fault - this thread isn't to diss him or Neo Shanty. It's the fault of the greedy mobile providers who have got their shit back to front. We're already in a market where consumers believe that music should be free. Digital distribution is supposed to make things cheaper for the consumer because there are less costs involved (no expensive packaging, no shipping costs, less middle-men taking a cut).
Do these service providers seriously believe that I'm gonna pay twice as much for the pleasure of downloading a low-quality mp3 to my phone or computer!? It's practically forcing people to turn to piracy. At least with a CD I get some nice artwork and high quality WAVE files.
I believe the price per track should be nearer R1 or even 50c. When faced with the choice of shelling out R20 for a track or just blue-toothing it from a friend, it's pretty obvious which route most people are gonna take.
Stupidity and greed are stopping up move forward into the digital age, and CDs are becoming more and more obsolete every year.
63
Hip Hop Events / Pro Kid / Gang of Instrumentals / HHP in CPT
« on: October 19, 2008, 06:46:51 PM »
I was at a Heineken Green Room party in Cape Town last night. It was nice to see HHP, Pro Kid, Gang of Instrumentals and the host, Stoan (Bongo Maffin).
Sean Kingston was the headline act, but he was wack compared to our local boys, who all gave really accomplished performances. Big up to them.
64
Media / Ben Sharpa in GC Magazine
« on: October 16, 2008, 12:58:54 PM »
Check out page 26 of this month’s GC Magazine (October 2008). Miles Keylock has written a nice piece called, Hip Hop Diaspora - Hip-Hop’s not dead; it’s just gone global. In it he discusses the idea that hip hop is alive and well, especially if you look beyond the borders of the United States. Your boy Sharpa is used as an example of just how healthy and vibrant the global scene is.
“Here in SA, a new generation of conceptual hip-hop heads are charting new rhyme territories. Soweto-born underground hero Ben Sharpa’s debut B. Sharpa manages to violate your brain and set your a** boiling. His raps are a whip of agitprop street academia, internet references, science fiction and pop culture, while production combines everything from Sega sound effects to electro-industrialism - a managerie of gritty cop-show out-takes and synth swoops that will evoke the nightmares of b-boys of old.”
65
General Discussion / Girlie - The Latest 'Hot' Rap Sensation
« on: October 15, 2008, 11:11:38 AM »66
General Discussion / Africas Gateway - Code of Conduct
« on: October 11, 2008, 12:46:25 PM »
What's up people. Here's a first draft of the proposed AG Code of Conduct. Let's get some feedback...
::::::::::::::::::
Africas Gateway - Code of Conduct
Respect:
AG is a hip hop forum that has been around for a while. It has developed a certain style of communication that is a bit more rugged than most forums. Members are expected to be able handle a certain amount of trash talking. However, certain standards of respect should still be maintained. Racism and threats of violence will not be tolerated.
Self Promotion:
Everyone is on AG to hear about Hip Hop related topics so some self-promotion is allowed. Spamming or flooding forums with self-promotional items is not allowed. If you're promoting an album, for example, start one topic in the correct forum.
Username Restrictions:
- Each person may only have ONE username/ account.
- Usernames may NOT contain any personal information (real names, locations, etc.).
- Usernames may NOT be similar to a moderator's username.
No Personally Identifiable Information:
Do not give out personally identifiable information about yourself in the message board such as entire real names, last names, address, parent's names, phone number, email address, age, place of employment, or school. Do not give out other people's personal information either.
Member Signatures:
a limit has been set on the size of people's signatures. Please endeavour to keep your signature as short as possible, and please refrain from posting huge images within your signature. This is to a**ist members with slower connections - please be considerate.
SPAM:
Please don't SPAM through the AG Forum. 'SPAMming' includes sending identical and irrelevant submissions to many different Forum areas. Usually such postings have nothing to do with the particular topic of the group or are of no real interest to those on AG.
AG reserves the right to ban a user at any time, without notice, from any or all Forum areas for spamming.
Etiquette:
Please don't post messages in ALL CAPS, all italics or all bold - it makes you look like a retard.
New Members:
- First 20 posts must be approved by a moderator before they are made visible
- New members can only start new threads after 20 posts
::::::::::::::::::
'Progressive Discipline'
Forum Members who are in violation of the Code of Conduct Rules will be subject to the following Progressive Discipline steps:
Step 1.
Warning from Moderator via private message. In order to give more control and responsibility to forum Members, any Member in violation will first be asked to edit his/her own post(s), if necessary.
Step 2.
Warning from Moderator, to be visibly posted on the thread in question.
Step 3.
Vote by quorum of site 'Core Group' (Moderators and other site leaders) for short-term banning of one week.
Step 4.
Un-banning after period of one week; return of full privileges to member; probationary period of one month.
Step 5.
If the member complies with all Code of Conduct Rules for duration of the probationary period, any future Progressive Discipline will begin at Step 1.
Step 6.
If the member violates any Code of Conduct Rules within the probationary period, as determined by a vote by a quorum of site leadership, they will be banned for one month from the forum.
Step 7.
Persistent offenders will be permanently banned. This should be a very rare occurrence.
::::::::::::::::::
Responsibilities for Moderators
1. To maintain relatively 'civil' discourse among forum members (within reason by AG standards). Talking shit is part of AG, but sometimes it does get out of hand (flaming / death threats etc).
2. To guide heated discussions back to acceptable parameters, as defined by the Code of Conduct Rules.
3. To administer progressive discipline to forum members who break the Code of Conduct Rules.
4. To run their own posts past other Moderators when there is a chance the language might confuse or offend.
5. To respect their roles by adhering closely to the Code of Conduct Rules.
6. To refrain from abusing control of the site to unilaterally ban, edit, delete, censor, etc.
7. Note: Moderators will be subject to the same Progressive Discipline steps as any Member, and will also be monitored by other Moderators.
::::::::::::::::::
Africas Gateway - Code of Conduct
Respect:
AG is a hip hop forum that has been around for a while. It has developed a certain style of communication that is a bit more rugged than most forums. Members are expected to be able handle a certain amount of trash talking. However, certain standards of respect should still be maintained. Racism and threats of violence will not be tolerated.
Self Promotion:
Everyone is on AG to hear about Hip Hop related topics so some self-promotion is allowed. Spamming or flooding forums with self-promotional items is not allowed. If you're promoting an album, for example, start one topic in the correct forum.
Username Restrictions:
- Each person may only have ONE username/ account.
- Usernames may NOT contain any personal information (real names, locations, etc.).
- Usernames may NOT be similar to a moderator's username.
No Personally Identifiable Information:
Do not give out personally identifiable information about yourself in the message board such as entire real names, last names, address, parent's names, phone number, email address, age, place of employment, or school. Do not give out other people's personal information either.
Member Signatures:
a limit has been set on the size of people's signatures. Please endeavour to keep your signature as short as possible, and please refrain from posting huge images within your signature. This is to a**ist members with slower connections - please be considerate.
SPAM:
Please don't SPAM through the AG Forum. 'SPAMming' includes sending identical and irrelevant submissions to many different Forum areas. Usually such postings have nothing to do with the particular topic of the group or are of no real interest to those on AG.
AG reserves the right to ban a user at any time, without notice, from any or all Forum areas for spamming.
Etiquette:
Please don't post messages in ALL CAPS, all italics or all bold - it makes you look like a retard.
New Members:
- First 20 posts must be approved by a moderator before they are made visible
- New members can only start new threads after 20 posts
::::::::::::::::::
'Progressive Discipline'
Forum Members who are in violation of the Code of Conduct Rules will be subject to the following Progressive Discipline steps:
Step 1.
Warning from Moderator via private message. In order to give more control and responsibility to forum Members, any Member in violation will first be asked to edit his/her own post(s), if necessary.
Step 2.
Warning from Moderator, to be visibly posted on the thread in question.
Step 3.
Vote by quorum of site 'Core Group' (Moderators and other site leaders) for short-term banning of one week.
Step 4.
Un-banning after period of one week; return of full privileges to member; probationary period of one month.
Step 5.
If the member complies with all Code of Conduct Rules for duration of the probationary period, any future Progressive Discipline will begin at Step 1.
Step 6.
If the member violates any Code of Conduct Rules within the probationary period, as determined by a vote by a quorum of site leadership, they will be banned for one month from the forum.
Step 7.
Persistent offenders will be permanently banned. This should be a very rare occurrence.
::::::::::::::::::
Responsibilities for Moderators
1. To maintain relatively 'civil' discourse among forum members (within reason by AG standards). Talking shit is part of AG, but sometimes it does get out of hand (flaming / death threats etc).
2. To guide heated discussions back to acceptable parameters, as defined by the Code of Conduct Rules.
3. To administer progressive discipline to forum members who break the Code of Conduct Rules.
4. To run their own posts past other Moderators when there is a chance the language might confuse or offend.
5. To respect their roles by adhering closely to the Code of Conduct Rules.
6. To refrain from abusing control of the site to unilaterally ban, edit, delete, censor, etc.
7. Note: Moderators will be subject to the same Progressive Discipline steps as any Member, and will also be monitored by other Moderators.
67
General Discussion / The Death Of The MC: From Lyrics and Flow to Ad-Libs and Swagger
« on: October 06, 2008, 07:49:27 PM »
Found this on Facebook,,, not sure who wrote it though... worth a read...
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Death Of The MC: From Lyrics and Flow to Ad-Libs and Swagger
The brain trust at MTV recently released their list of the top ten “hottest” MCs working in Hip Hop music today and to the shock of nobody my eyes rolled back into my head so far that I looked like I was one of those creepy kids from the Village of the Damned for a week. Surprising absolutely no one, Weezy F. Baby the so-called “Best Rapper Alive” won and the rest of the top ten were filled with such “titans” of raw lyricism as Jim Jones, Young Jeezy, 50 Cent and the corpse formerly known as Jay-Z (I kid, Jay, I kid). Let me get this straight, I don’t necessarily disagree with the choices of the panel. Lil’ Wayne with the possible exception of T.I. and Kanye West is just about the most popular rapper working in music right now. The notorious hater that I am even has to give it up to him that The Carter 2 was an excellent album and his mixtapes have be sufficiently listenable (which is triumph in the mixtape world. Note: I hate mixtapes.) even if he has dropped more inexplicably overrated lyrical clunkers than Young Jeezy could ever dream of. What struck me as particularly telling about the state of hip hop is how traditionally unskilled half of these rappers were and those who really are truly traditionally skilled (like Wayne, T.I. and Common) weren’t hot because of their lyrics but rather a nebulous quality known as “swagger.”
What is swagger? What defines it and why has it become the defining characteristic in determining what defines a rapper as hot? First, let me discuss a brief history of the evolution of the MC. Before the birth of the MC in the the prehistoric days of hip hop, there was only the DJ. The dude sat behind his turn tables and spun, mixed, and scratched records to get the crowd amped. Soon DJs such as DJ Hollywood began to experiment with call and response type chants and employing elementary level rhymes that encouraged crowd participation and helped brand their name to the public. From there, this evolved into what more commonly known as rappers or MCs who began to spit more and more complex rhymes who would virtually compete each other with who could come up with the more clever lyrics in their raps. For about ten years in the evolution of hip hop, the most important aspect of an emcees weaponry was considered their lyrics. Lyrics began to evolve from the simple couplets and basic stories of Kurtis Blow to the complex metaphors, wordplay and storytelling of Melle Mel and Kool Moe Dee. Lyrics were all you had to be determined to be a hot emcee but soon the great evolutionary leap forward began with the God MC himself, Rakim, in 1986 who is generally considered to be the creator of the flow as well as the greatest living lyricist. Rakim changed the way an emcee sounded instead of shouting your lyrics over a beat you talked over it in a smooth, melodic fashion. A breakthrough. However, lyrics still remained your most important aspect in determining what actually defined a great emcee. This changed in the years between ‘93 and ‘95 when the Holy Triumvirate of Flow emerged on the scene when Biggie, Method Man & Snoop became the three biggest emcees on the planet (with all due respect to Pac and Nas). These three while great lyricists in their own right became known as what I have dubbed as the first “flow-ers” or rappers whose primary weapon was the delivery of the words or flow instead of the words they said themselves. They rode the beat, they bounced words off each other, their flow was complex and played off the rhythms of the song and all of this translated into millions of records sold and influence on a new generation of emcees that prided themselves on being able to “flow” instead of being lyrical. Ten years have past since the revolution of flow and we are in the midst of a new change, the Age of the Ad-lib and Swagger.
The Anti-Hip Hop Is Dead crowd consistently states that the music should be allowed to evolve and shouldn’t be trapped in an outdated mode of the boom bap sound. Fine, I’ll denote grudgingly that Hip Hop producers today are doing interesting and unique things with the music that don’t sound exactly like T.R.O.Y. and that's great but its hard to argue that the level of emceeing has fallen off tremendously from the glory days of Rakim to the days where Jim “I Never Met a Cliché’ I Didn't’ Rap About” Jones can knock off motherf***ing Nas off a top ten list of hot rappers. The reasons that MTV brain trust offered were that Jim Jones has a tremendous amount of swagger that Nas does not. People want to dress like Jim Jones and not like Nas so apparently this qualifies him as hot. Personally, I wouldn’t really want to dress like either one because Jim Jones is a 50 year old man (31 years old, my a**. He’s already kicked in 40s door and he’s already at 50’s door with an axe. I want to see a damn birth certificate) and Nas dresses like my grandfather. Jim Jones, who prior to dropping We Fly High, was best known as the old man getting his a** kicked at the Rucker while his weed owner, Cam’ron, hops over the fence and books has become a huge star on the strength that people really like screaming “Ballin” when drunk at a bar. He’s a star not because he has vicious rhymes or a flow that could cure cancer but because he has stripped hip hop back to its root of a call and response chant, the ad-lib.
The ad-lib has become important in the games of numerous emcees most notably the Patron Saint of the movement, Young Jeezy. I don’t like Young Jeezy. He can’t rap in either the sense that he’s about as lyrical as an instrumental or the sense that his flow is simplistic to the point of laughability and half the time he doesn’t even bother to rhyme instead choosing to use the same word twice. He also makes some of the most generic and cheesy coke rap the world has ever seen. Even his production which some as praised as “monolithic” and “epic” to me define the words “monotonous” and “boring.” Listening to a Jeezy album is like listening to a slow downed generic version of an already generic 50 Cent gangsta rap song only if you put the song on repeat on your iPod and listened to it 20 times in a row. Its painful but miraculously some people seem to find this charming. Why? Jeezy seems to radiate something as miraculously nebulous as swagger. Jeezy has a charm that escapes a lot of rappers as he is capable of making himself appear to be a larger than life cartoon character that appeals to a large audience of hip hop fans.
Fine, whatever. Jeezy has an appeal that will forever escape me as I struggle to understand why you want to listen to the same bad song on repeat for an hour. New School Hip Hop apologists claim that Hip Hop is Deaders need to let the music grow and evolve but we should take care in noting what the music is evolving into. It is my opinion the current state of progress in hip hop is more devolution than evolution. The ad-libs of Jeezy and Jones are more in common with the call and response type chants of DJ Hollywood than with the complex lyricism of Rakim or even the creative and innovative delivery of Biggie. Hip Hop audiences seem to crave simplicity than complexity at the moment and artists like Jones and Jeezy have a quality that radiates with today’s hip hop fans at perhaps the expense of lyricism. Why is this? I don’t really know. It could be that corporatization of hip hop has stripped it of its nuance and complexities leaving us with the pale imitations of the greats of yesteryear and audiences have grown accustomed to being condescended towards or if you believe Bill Cosby and his ilk is because today’s youth are dumber and more rebellious than their elders. Or, it could be because audiences taste have simply shifted and they yearn for something fun without the proslythizing of the KRS-One's of the past.
Whatever the reason, hip hop music is devolving from the complex music of the mid-90s. As I watched Rap City the last week, I couldn’t help but notice that not many new school rappers appearing on the show seemed to aspire to be lyrical. The desire seemed to be who could come up with more fun hook, the more outlandish dance, the more unique swagger, the more ubiquitous ad-lib. In fact, it seems the Lil Wayne's of the New School are almost an anomaly and a throwback to the old school when the desire was to be the dopest lyricist around. Lil’ Wayne maybe limited in a sense as an emcee but I definitely appreciate the desire to be a great emcee in the traditional sense. What I’m wondering though will emcees eventually die out. The success of a lot of the songs on radio and Rap City seem to be almost superfluous to actually having any rapping actually appear on it. If Young Jeezy were to make any album of nothing but his signature production, him screaming his trademarks ad-libs over the song, and then a big gigantic catchy hook would it be just as successful as The Inspiration or is there still a level of rapping however minimal required to sell a record. Everybody wants to be a mogul these days and nobody wants to be a rapper. Will the day come when the DJs come to reclaim the earth?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Death Of The MC: From Lyrics and Flow to Ad-Libs and Swagger
The brain trust at MTV recently released their list of the top ten “hottest” MCs working in Hip Hop music today and to the shock of nobody my eyes rolled back into my head so far that I looked like I was one of those creepy kids from the Village of the Damned for a week. Surprising absolutely no one, Weezy F. Baby the so-called “Best Rapper Alive” won and the rest of the top ten were filled with such “titans” of raw lyricism as Jim Jones, Young Jeezy, 50 Cent and the corpse formerly known as Jay-Z (I kid, Jay, I kid). Let me get this straight, I don’t necessarily disagree with the choices of the panel. Lil’ Wayne with the possible exception of T.I. and Kanye West is just about the most popular rapper working in music right now. The notorious hater that I am even has to give it up to him that The Carter 2 was an excellent album and his mixtapes have be sufficiently listenable (which is triumph in the mixtape world. Note: I hate mixtapes.) even if he has dropped more inexplicably overrated lyrical clunkers than Young Jeezy could ever dream of. What struck me as particularly telling about the state of hip hop is how traditionally unskilled half of these rappers were and those who really are truly traditionally skilled (like Wayne, T.I. and Common) weren’t hot because of their lyrics but rather a nebulous quality known as “swagger.”
What is swagger? What defines it and why has it become the defining characteristic in determining what defines a rapper as hot? First, let me discuss a brief history of the evolution of the MC. Before the birth of the MC in the the prehistoric days of hip hop, there was only the DJ. The dude sat behind his turn tables and spun, mixed, and scratched records to get the crowd amped. Soon DJs such as DJ Hollywood began to experiment with call and response type chants and employing elementary level rhymes that encouraged crowd participation and helped brand their name to the public. From there, this evolved into what more commonly known as rappers or MCs who began to spit more and more complex rhymes who would virtually compete each other with who could come up with the more clever lyrics in their raps. For about ten years in the evolution of hip hop, the most important aspect of an emcees weaponry was considered their lyrics. Lyrics began to evolve from the simple couplets and basic stories of Kurtis Blow to the complex metaphors, wordplay and storytelling of Melle Mel and Kool Moe Dee. Lyrics were all you had to be determined to be a hot emcee but soon the great evolutionary leap forward began with the God MC himself, Rakim, in 1986 who is generally considered to be the creator of the flow as well as the greatest living lyricist. Rakim changed the way an emcee sounded instead of shouting your lyrics over a beat you talked over it in a smooth, melodic fashion. A breakthrough. However, lyrics still remained your most important aspect in determining what actually defined a great emcee. This changed in the years between ‘93 and ‘95 when the Holy Triumvirate of Flow emerged on the scene when Biggie, Method Man & Snoop became the three biggest emcees on the planet (with all due respect to Pac and Nas). These three while great lyricists in their own right became known as what I have dubbed as the first “flow-ers” or rappers whose primary weapon was the delivery of the words or flow instead of the words they said themselves. They rode the beat, they bounced words off each other, their flow was complex and played off the rhythms of the song and all of this translated into millions of records sold and influence on a new generation of emcees that prided themselves on being able to “flow” instead of being lyrical. Ten years have past since the revolution of flow and we are in the midst of a new change, the Age of the Ad-lib and Swagger.
The Anti-Hip Hop Is Dead crowd consistently states that the music should be allowed to evolve and shouldn’t be trapped in an outdated mode of the boom bap sound. Fine, I’ll denote grudgingly that Hip Hop producers today are doing interesting and unique things with the music that don’t sound exactly like T.R.O.Y. and that's great but its hard to argue that the level of emceeing has fallen off tremendously from the glory days of Rakim to the days where Jim “I Never Met a Cliché’ I Didn't’ Rap About” Jones can knock off motherf***ing Nas off a top ten list of hot rappers. The reasons that MTV brain trust offered were that Jim Jones has a tremendous amount of swagger that Nas does not. People want to dress like Jim Jones and not like Nas so apparently this qualifies him as hot. Personally, I wouldn’t really want to dress like either one because Jim Jones is a 50 year old man (31 years old, my a**. He’s already kicked in 40s door and he’s already at 50’s door with an axe. I want to see a damn birth certificate) and Nas dresses like my grandfather. Jim Jones, who prior to dropping We Fly High, was best known as the old man getting his a** kicked at the Rucker while his weed owner, Cam’ron, hops over the fence and books has become a huge star on the strength that people really like screaming “Ballin” when drunk at a bar. He’s a star not because he has vicious rhymes or a flow that could cure cancer but because he has stripped hip hop back to its root of a call and response chant, the ad-lib.
The ad-lib has become important in the games of numerous emcees most notably the Patron Saint of the movement, Young Jeezy. I don’t like Young Jeezy. He can’t rap in either the sense that he’s about as lyrical as an instrumental or the sense that his flow is simplistic to the point of laughability and half the time he doesn’t even bother to rhyme instead choosing to use the same word twice. He also makes some of the most generic and cheesy coke rap the world has ever seen. Even his production which some as praised as “monolithic” and “epic” to me define the words “monotonous” and “boring.” Listening to a Jeezy album is like listening to a slow downed generic version of an already generic 50 Cent gangsta rap song only if you put the song on repeat on your iPod and listened to it 20 times in a row. Its painful but miraculously some people seem to find this charming. Why? Jeezy seems to radiate something as miraculously nebulous as swagger. Jeezy has a charm that escapes a lot of rappers as he is capable of making himself appear to be a larger than life cartoon character that appeals to a large audience of hip hop fans.
Fine, whatever. Jeezy has an appeal that will forever escape me as I struggle to understand why you want to listen to the same bad song on repeat for an hour. New School Hip Hop apologists claim that Hip Hop is Deaders need to let the music grow and evolve but we should take care in noting what the music is evolving into. It is my opinion the current state of progress in hip hop is more devolution than evolution. The ad-libs of Jeezy and Jones are more in common with the call and response type chants of DJ Hollywood than with the complex lyricism of Rakim or even the creative and innovative delivery of Biggie. Hip Hop audiences seem to crave simplicity than complexity at the moment and artists like Jones and Jeezy have a quality that radiates with today’s hip hop fans at perhaps the expense of lyricism. Why is this? I don’t really know. It could be that corporatization of hip hop has stripped it of its nuance and complexities leaving us with the pale imitations of the greats of yesteryear and audiences have grown accustomed to being condescended towards or if you believe Bill Cosby and his ilk is because today’s youth are dumber and more rebellious than their elders. Or, it could be because audiences taste have simply shifted and they yearn for something fun without the proslythizing of the KRS-One's of the past.
Whatever the reason, hip hop music is devolving from the complex music of the mid-90s. As I watched Rap City the last week, I couldn’t help but notice that not many new school rappers appearing on the show seemed to aspire to be lyrical. The desire seemed to be who could come up with more fun hook, the more outlandish dance, the more unique swagger, the more ubiquitous ad-lib. In fact, it seems the Lil Wayne's of the New School are almost an anomaly and a throwback to the old school when the desire was to be the dopest lyricist around. Lil’ Wayne maybe limited in a sense as an emcee but I definitely appreciate the desire to be a great emcee in the traditional sense. What I’m wondering though will emcees eventually die out. The success of a lot of the songs on radio and Rap City seem to be almost superfluous to actually having any rapping actually appear on it. If Young Jeezy were to make any album of nothing but his signature production, him screaming his trademarks ad-libs over the song, and then a big gigantic catchy hook would it be just as successful as The Inspiration or is there still a level of rapping however minimal required to sell a record. Everybody wants to be a mogul these days and nobody wants to be a rapper. Will the day come when the DJs come to reclaim the earth?
68
Hip Hop Events / Pioneer Unit Presents - Ben Sharpa / Rattex Joint Album Launch - JHB
« on: September 29, 2008, 11:03:09 AM »
In October we're releasing B. Sharpa by Ben Sharpa and Bread and Butter by Rattex.
Come and join us to celebrate the launch of these two landmark albums and see how the Unit gets down.
Expect extreme lyricism and a selection of the freshest, hardest knockin' beats ever heard in J-Section.
"The future's here and still the vets persevere,
the Golden Age is resurrecting from the rear,
coming back with boom bap and soul stories,
plus electro for my robot armies!"
Live sets:
- BEN SHARPA (aka Oh Kaptin My Kaptin)
- RATTEX
+ Suprise special guests
Your host: KONFAB
DJs: C-LIVE (TBC) + DJ RAIKO
Emcee Battles! Pioneer Unit merchandise! CD giveaways!
Date: Wednesday 29th October, 2008
Time: 9pm - 2am
Entry: R70 / R120 (incl. 1 CD) / R150 (incl. 2 CDs).
Join the Facebook event for updates and reminders:
http://www.new.facebook.com/event.php?eid=28019417070
Don't forget to invite your friends!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
About 'B. Sharpa' - Ben Sharpa_
It's time to be sharper!
Once in a while an artist comes along with the vision and ability to turn a genre on its head whilst taking it back to its roots. Ben Sharpa has achieved this with his debut solo offering, B. Sharpa, an iconic album that pays homage to the best socially conscious lyrical traditions of hip hop whilst innovating a completely fresh sound that Sharpa calls ‘robot army music’.
Described by BBC Radio 1 DJ and experimental music maven, Mary-Anne Hobbs as "one of the most inspired and agile lyricists in the world today", Ben Sharpa has created an epic work that takes the listener on a journey into the tortured mind of an artist who has remained fiercely dedicated to his art despite the hardships he has had to endure as a result.
On 'B. Sharpa', Ben addresses corporate greed, the media, the music industry, politics, the struggle of the downtrodden in the African continent, the ecology and the art of emceeing. At times Sharpa reflects what he sees with the lucid clarity of a prophet, at other times this reflection is clouded by an opiate haze of conspiracy theory paranoia. Throughout the album, Ben rides the rhythms with the ease and fluency of an old skool hip hop veteran, effortlessly switching from playful, witty braggadocio to spaced-out asymmetrical streams of consciousness, to gritty heartfelt tales of street life.
'B. Sharpa' is at the forefront of a new international wave of ‘soundsystem’ music, underpinned by heavy, hybrid hip hop beats with influences from electro, dub, Detroit techno, dancehall, electronica and glitch. Ben's razor-sharp lyrical skills effortlessly bring the various influences together as a coherent whole. Even with the eclectic nature of the production, the listener is left in no doubt that 'B. Sharpa' is a bona fide hip hop album by a master craftsman.
Ben is back in South Africa after a 3 month tour of Europe where he played to packed-out festivals alongside 'UK ba** music' producer Milanese.
Read more:
http://www.pioneerunit.com/2008/09/17/b-sharpa-ben-sharpa-press-release/
'B. Sharpa' Press Kit:
LINK REMOVED/?njlzmyyl5pu
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
About 'Bread and Butter' - Rattex
It’s time for the son of the ghetto to light up the nation.
Rattex fulfills the promise so much South African hip hop has failed to deliver by serving up one of the tightest, most complete and relevant albums of its genre ever released on the continent. Rattex, or Rah to his friends and fans, brings his own unique variety of deadly lyrical poison to the South African hip hop game with his debut solo album, 'Bread and Butter'.
Hailing from Khayelitsha on the Cape Flats, Rattex is a true son of the ghetto. He speaks from the heart with a universal appeal that can be felt and understood no matter which language you call your mother tongue. 'Bread and Butter' documents the joy, the pain, the trials and tribulations of kasi life.
Like many cla**ic hip hop albums before it, 'Bread and Butter' effortlessly balances social commentary with pure entertainment. Alongside banging feel-good club tracks, Rattex also deals with more serious themes including the Government’s failure to deliver on its promises, xenophobia, life on the streets, being proud of where you’re from and the power music has to get you through life. Rattex also lays his soul bare with deeply personal tracks about the importance of his family and friends.
Musically, 'Bread and Butter' is an eclectic mix of the freshest beats by some of the most in-demand producers in SA hip hop right now. Ranging from cla**ic sample-based ‘boom bap’ hip hop, to a variety of cutting edge electronic club sounds, Rattex’s trademark flow ties everything together to create a powerfully coherent musical statement.
Rattex has kept guest features to a minimum, working with SA hip hop legend and label mate, Ben Sharpa, Lungelo (who recently signed to TS Records), Kritsi Ye’Spaza and Driemanskap. On production is Hipe, Nyambz, Dplanet and Planet Earth. Between them, they have helped shape the hip hop landscape in South Africa and beyond, having produced cla**ic material for Pro Kid, Zubz, Teargas, Ben Sharpa, Imbube, Black Lez, Proverb, Wordsworth (USA), Tumi, Driemanskap, Nemza (Skwatta Kamp), Ready D, KONFAB, Jaak, Young Nations, Trusenz and many more.
"There’s a level of depth and sophistication in the lyrical content - whether it be Xhosa, English, Afrikaans or all three rolled into a single line - that sets Rattex apart from most other MCs. That and his intensity on the mic - an instantly detectable characteristic of his sound. Expect hard-edged lyricism, impeccable flow and a playful approach to indigenous phonics."
- Dylan Culhane - One Small Seed magazine.
Read more:
http://www.pioneerunit.com/2008/09/16/bread-and-butter-rattex-press-release/
'Bread and Butter' Press Kit:
LINK REMOVED/?ozmezxmttqw
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
Listen to tracks from the new albums...
http://www.myspace.com/bensharpa
http://www.myspace.com/rattex
69
Media / Hype Magazine - OCT/ NOV
« on: September 26, 2008, 03:24:38 PM »
Just copped it.
Da L.E.S. is on the cover.
Da L.E.S. is on the cover.
70
Hot Traxxx / The Government - Rattex Ft. Ben Sharpa
« on: September 23, 2008, 11:30:20 PM »
The Government - Rattex Ft. Ben Sharpa
Beat by Planet Earth
Beat by Planet Earth
71
Media / Radio Station Request Lines
« on: September 18, 2008, 10:49:49 AM »
Does anyone have a list of radio station request lines?
Do radio stations even have request lines?
Post 'em up if you got 'em!
Do radio stations even have request lines?
Post 'em up if you got 'em!
72
Hot Traxxx / B Sharpa - Ben Sharpa - The Official Thread
« on: September 16, 2008, 01:48:57 PM »
B. Sharpa Track List_
01. Epoch (Ft. Tebs)
(T. Semela)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
02. Callin' It Quits (We're Here)
(K. Semela)
Produced by Milanese
Recorded by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
Mixed by Milanese at Iacon Studios, East Sussex
03. The Eye Seen
(K. Semela)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded at GroundWorks by Shorty Bang
Mixed at Pioneer Unit Studios by Dplanet
04. Ken Illworth (Interlude)
Produced by HueMan (RIP) for GroundWorks
Recorded and mixed by HueMan at GroundWorks, Cape Town
05. Hegemony
(K. Semela)
Produced by DJ Sibot
Recorded and mixed by DJ Sibot at Say Thank-you Studios, Cape Town
06. Check The Evidence '08
(K. Semela)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
07. B to the E
(K. Semela)
Produced by DJ Sibot
Recorded and mixed by DJ Sibot at Say Thank-you Studios, Cape Town
08. Into the Black (Refix)
(K. Semela)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
09. Sharpa Dub (Dubwise Special)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
10. Edwin The Hardboiled
(K. Semela)
Produced by Kaptin
Recorded by Rob at City Varsity, Cape Town
Mixed at Pioneer Unit Studios by Dplanet
11. 5ive Fingers
(K. Semela)
Produced by DJ Sibot
Recorded and mixed by DJ Sibot at Say Thank-you Studios, Cape Town
12. Sick 'N Tired (Ft. Archetypes)
(K. Semela/ S. Dunga/ P. Klaas/ S. Petros)
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
13. Critical Ma**
(K. Semela)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
14. Genocide Awards
(K. Semela)
Produced by Kaptin
Recorded by Rob at City Varsity, Cape Town
Mixed at Pioneer Unit Studios by Dplanet
15. Off the Rails
(K. Semela)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
16. Avant Garde (Front Line)
(K. Semela)
Produced by DJ Sibot
Recorded and mixed by DJ Sibot at Say Thank-you Studios, Cape Town
17. B. Sharpa
(K. Semela)
Produced by X-24th Letter
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
18. Ason of Old (Ft. Tebs)
(K. Semela)
Violin: Teboho Semela
Produced by Kaptin
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
19. Statement (Ft. KONFAB)
(K. Semela/ H. Ntoi)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
20. The Disclosure
(K. Semela)
Produced by Milanese
Recorded by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
Mixed by Milanese at Iacon Studios, East Sussex
Bonus
21. Why (Ft. Wordsworth)
(K. Semela / V. Johnson)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
73
Hot Traxxx / Bread and Butter - Rattex - The Official Thread
« on: September 16, 2008, 01:44:01 PM »
Bread and Butter - Track List_
01. Bread and Butter
(T. Twetwa)
Produced by Nyambz
Recorded by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
Mixed by Nyambz at The Studio Next Door, Pretoria
02. Hamba Nam
(T. Twetwa)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
03. Welcome to Khaltsha
(T. Twetwa)
Produced by Hipe
Recorded by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
Mixed by Hipe at Hiperdelic Studios, Cape Town
04. Love Hip Hop
(T. Twetwa)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
05. My Life
(T. Twetwa)
Produced by Hipe
Recorded by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
Mixed by Hipe at Hiperdelic Studios, Cape Town
06. Vova Kancane
(T. Twetwa)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
07. Ndenza Ka So
(T. Twetwa)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
08. Da Real Shh
(T. Twetwa)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
09. Shona Phantsi
(T. Twetwa)
Produced by Hipe
Recorded by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
Mixed by Hipe at Hiperdelic Studios, Cape Town
10. Hurts So
(T. Twetwa)
Produced by Hipe
Recorded by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
Mixed by Hipe at Hiperdelic Studios, Cape Town
11. The Government (Ft. Ben Sharpa)
(T. Twetwa / K. Semela)
Produced by Planet Earth
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
12. Ngubani Lo Rah
(T. Twetwa)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
13. Get Down (Ft. Kritsi Ye'Spaza)
(T. Twetwa / S. Jonas)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
14. Deadly Poison (Ft. Lungelo)
(T. Twetwa / L. Lubelwana)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
15. Masoja Am
(T. Twetwa)
Produced by Nyambz and Rochus (for JC Music)
Recorded by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
Mixed by Nyambz at The Studio Next Door, Pretoria
16. Nguwe
(T. Twetwa)
Produced by Hipe
Recorded by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
Mixed by Hipe at Hiperdelic Studios, Cape Town
17. Cape Town (Ft. Driemanskap)
(T. Twetwa / S. Kambi / E. Mpengesi)
Produced by Dplanet
Recorded and mixed by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
18. Streets
(T. Twetwa)
Produced by Nyambz and Rochus (for JC Music)
Recorded by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
Mixed by Nyambz at The Studio Next Door, Pretoria
19. Xenophobia
(T. Twetwa)
Produced by Nyambz and Ingi Mar
Recorded by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
Mixed by Nyambz at The Studio Next Door, Pretoria
20. Dankie
(T. Twetwa)
Produced by Hipe
Recorded by Dplanet at Pioneer Unit Studios, Cape Town
Mixed by Hipe at Hiperdelic Studios, Cape Town
74
Hot Traxxx / Video for Bread and Butter by Rattex
« on: September 05, 2008, 03:01:04 PM »
Check out a teaser for Rattex's album Bread and Butter.
This is the title track, 'Bread and Butter', produced by the one and only Nyambz...
This is the title track, 'Bread and Butter', produced by the one and only Nyambz...
75
Humour / Jokes / Gay Thugs Need Love Too...
« on: August 29, 2008, 01:30:40 PM »
http://www.gaythugdating.com/
Google Ads served this up on AG... are they trying to tell certain people something?
Google Ads served this up on AG... are they trying to tell certain people something?