Hype No.1 Unsigned MC-Morale-What?

rob_one · **Reply #60 on:** October 14, 2006, 11:50:58 AM

The list was fine - except for the omission of Ben Sharpa. Honestly, I know no unsigned rapper who is hotter or more skilled at the moment. The dude is crying out for a signing. As is Explicit; I can't remember being more impressed with a fledgling rapper in this country bar perhaps Blakrok, although I'd like to hear more of him solo before I say that he should be top 5 unsigned. As is, he's performed admirably on Mind Control tracks.

As for Obita - I personally think he's a bit rubbish and shouldn't be on there. I've just been continually unimpressed with his material. Morale too - garbage.

Killa Merc · **Reply #61 on:** October 14, 2006, 02:20:01 PM

SO many unsigned emcees that are worth signing. So many more that would not sell, but dope nonetheless.

The question that we should ask ourselves if we agree that this is about people who can sell is "WHAT TYPE OF HIP HOP / STYLE SELLS INSOUTH AFRICA? It's obvious that people who sell sing mostly in vernac. Proverb, Zubz, etc struggle to sell. On the other hand Pitch Black, Skwatta Kamp, AMU, Slikour, Pro Kid, My Man, Selwyn, HHP, Tuks, Hidden Force etc mostly rhyme in vernac and get far more airplay, bookings, publicity than cats who rhyme in English.

Cats that have a crossover appeal like Pro Kid, Skwatta are also likely to do well. Heads & the ma**es can dig such cats. They are likely to get airplay from Metro, to Y, Ukhozi, Mhlobo Wenene, Lesedi, community radio stations, etc. Same cant be said of ill emcees like Sharpa, Tumi,etc.

Tumi attracts more fans in Canda than over here, yet he (alongside Ben Sharpa, Konfab, TOP,etc) is amognst the best emcees in the country. Sharpa should follow suit. He's more likely to do well elsewhere. In SA he can have a small following that can only grow as the genre grows and more people are into that style.

Unsigned Emcees that can get that can attract a crossover market / sell

TOP
(his vernac rap is just as ill as his English) everyone knows he can take anyone out on battles. Ill punchlines, wordpla etc. A good producer would make him sound accessible to more people. he obviously has a playful side to him, you can hear it even in his "deep" tracks.

2. HOODLUM (no longer with hidden force)
Good on the MIC & as a producer. He has produced many bangers for others (hiiden Force, Pro Kid, etc). He also seems a conscious & level-headed dude & has a business-like spirit)
He would make money for you -either as a producer or emcee. both.

& where is Conscious

3. Paragon from Tembisa
has that kasi / gangstar flow & "I dont give a damm" attidute that is also possesed by Pro Kid. Would appeal to Kasi people. Can hold it down on the mIc in vernac & english. Cats who know him say he is a hustler. Dude has been to jail & has sold hundreds of copies of his album "triple P". Taht makes him a certified hustla.

WIll think of more.

Big up to hype for the feauture though. The more people get signed and do well, the better. Recording companies have to take us seriously.

Darklight · **Reply #62 on:** October 14, 2006, 05:48:51 PM

Anybody know where to get sales info, like overseas got sites like billboard, what about SA?

reason · **Reply #63 on:** October 30, 2006, 02:47:50 PM

Personally i think Merchant: YOU TALKING S***.

Get your facts straight before you make a statement like "....It's obvious that people who sell sing mostly in vernac. Proverb, Zubz, etc struggle to sell. On the other hand Pitch Black, Skwatta Kamp, AMU, Slikour, Pro Kid, My Man, Selwyn, HHP, Tuks, Hidden Force etc mostly rhyme in vernac and get far more airplay, bookings, publicity than cats who rhyme in English."

Yes most of the Vernec cats gat more airplay and bookings, but sales... NO!

Let me put you in the loop: Hidden force, Selwyn and Pro Kid, didn't do that well. Especially My man.

:Skwatta Kamp Didn't top their Mkhukhu Funkshen saleS with Wash'umkhukhu.

:Pitch Black sold more records cause a majority of the people that bought him was the kwaito Market.

:and Zubz and ProVerb sold more than 60 per cent of the cats you put in that list

So please chill with the Vernec Bullshit, hip hop listeners are smarter that what you think dude. If something is hot, they get it.

Infact i bet if you go to 10 of your friends who buy Local hip hop, more of them have A Pro KId, HHP, Proverb, Tumi and The Volume OR a Zubz more than anything else CAUSE THEM CATS IS DOPE, PERIOD

Dpleezy · **Reply #64 on:** October 30, 2006, 03:02:16 PM

anyone got sales figures to back up these claims?

T · **Reply #65 on:** October 30, 2006, 03:05:56 PM

yO! Rob i would like to ask u wat do u base ur top 5 on? I think Mizi Top 5 was based on a more all round emcee...walk the walk and talk the talk...give me ur Top 5....

TATEguru v.2K9 · **Reply #66 on:** October 31, 2006, 10:45:46 AM

I ripped the HYPE CD onto my iPod before I even read this thread just by ear & what sounded nice to me. Guess what-->Morale is not on the tracks I ripped.

Point being the tracks by him that are featured on the HYPE comp are medicre in my opinion & sound like clones of very average USA rap.

I am the biggest proponent of non-vernac rap & that stuff didnt appeal to me. Maybe I need to hear more.

Without knowing Morale I will say this: From a technical rhyming skills (think Pro-Kid Gift of Gab or Imm Tech) & musicality (think Tumi or Foreign Exchange) point of view he is not that great. I respect the hustle etc but thats not all it will take as mizi. pointed out.

Skills & musicality have to count for something & if they do then based on the 2 songs I have heard, this cat should not be number one in my opinion.

On rec sales thre is no credible source of sales data. We cannot accept everything record labels quote for they are obviously biased. Problem may be systematic. There is no centralized database. There isn't even that for airplay..just some of the vices stagnating the SA recording industry.

Dpleezy · **Reply #67 on:** October 31, 2006, 11:09:57 AM

My top 5 unsigned.

01. Middle Finga aka Rhamncwa
Yes, I am biased,,, but Rhamncwa is so obviously about to blow up it's absurd. His forthcoming album 'Spaza' is full of contemporary radio/ club-friendly hits. He embodies the spirit of spaza, proudly representing SA. His hustle game is tight (he already earns a living out of nothing but music and acting - how many MCs can say that?). He has appeared on tv in SA and Holland. He has performed at two international festivals in Holland.

02. KONFAB
KONFAB is the one exception to my rule that you have to spit spaza if you want to sell records in SA. He is in a different league to all but very few, both conceptually and lyrically. His subject matter is deep, but delivered in an entertaining way - and he is a great performer. Again, I am biased, but KONFAB has the best of both worlds; a truly Afrocentric outlook, delivered with international quality. His forthcoming album 'Swart Gevaar' is going to be a landmark in SA Hip Hop, trust me.

03. TOP
What can I say?,,, mad entertaining, crazy (but suprisingly sophisticated) flow and a great performer. Now that he's switched to vernac, and if he can get a couple of cross-over hits on his album, the sky is the limit.

04. Maggs
Maggs is on my list because he is already half way there. He's part of Pro Kid's Saudi Westerns clique and he's rolling with industry cats that make shit happen.

I would put Ben Sharpa and Trusenz (as both are international quality and can eat most MCs for breakfast), but both grew up in the US and unfortunately that counts against them as they rhyme in US-english. Both cats should be signed however, as they are real artists.

T · **Reply #68 on:** October 31, 2006, 11:31:16 AM

Sensai_Tate ok i hear you...i think Local cats don't sell because their audience don't know wat they want.either ur too local or too international or vernac vs english rap. Do we as an audience know wat we want?...i think we look too much west and then judge...m tired of Jay-Z making money when our own local artist are as good...Let's support our artists Please...if its good lets buy it and support. stop looking for a reason not to buy it.we hate our own but support those who don't even represent US.

IT STARTS WITH US FOR LOCAL TO BLOW INTERNATIONALLY...

T · **Reply #69 on:** October 31, 2006, 11:43:32 AM

Its going to be interesting next year cause Morale's company is signed with Ghetto Ruff.so will see wat happens then....

biz-ark-human · **Reply #70 on:** October 31, 2006, 11:50:53 AM

I agree with merchant...

And for a Top 5, I don't know. Middlefinga is good, but not that great. I mean, he'd be in the Top 5, but not number one. Joint on that Hype CD, f*** it, the stuff is killa!!! And the promo joints man, he got this track he did with some other sister...jo!!!

Also another trk called "Rhamcwalam" or something. Yeah, I got respect for him, but not so much as to put him @ number one. Maybe @ number 3.

Ben Sharpa tops my list. He's utterly ridiculous. But so is TOP...shit!!! I saw that dude on TV the other day...goddmanit!!! 8O

But on second thought (or fourth if you're good @ numbers), Konfab is the trooof!!!

So, since I'm basically going around in circles, f*** a Top 5, I respect their hustle.

Oh, I'd also love to hear a joint from Explicit. Can anyone post something up?

Ghetto Rat · **Reply #71 on:** October 31, 2006, 06:51:38 PM

My Top 5 unsigned:

Raketi...an MC from Durban, was in ShizNiz this year.

Shon G...An MC from my hood, done blew up in KZN.

Nkanyiso... Another cat from KwaZulu.

Styles... gotta like his flow, PMB stand up!

Maggz... is not consistent but most of his stuff i heard on d Essence z ill.

N i still think Morale sounds American.

**MORALE** · **Reply #72 on:** November 01, 2006, 10:08:50 AM

I'M OUT ..............

Tek · **Reply #73 on:** November 01, 2006, 12:18:57 PM

The tracks from Morale on the hype cd (i don't know about his other shit but those particular tracks) were not 1st place material. Dude might be dope, i don't know of him well, bu those tracks, those two tracks :roll:

Tek · **Reply #74 on:** November 01, 2006, 12:25:05 PM

Quote from: "reason"

Personally i think Merchant: YOU TALKING S***.

Get your facts straight before you make a statement like "....It's obvious that people who sell sing mostly in vernac. Proverb, Zubz, etc struggle to sell. On the other hand Pitch Black, Skwatta Kamp, AMU, Slikour, Pro Kid, My Man, Selwyn, HHP, Tuks, Hidden Force etc mostly rhyme in vernac and get far more airplay, bookings, publicity than cats who rhyme in English."

Dood, slow down :lol:, catz are too angry out here. Anyway i think you str-8 kidding yourself, ofcourse vernac makes more money out here, be it either through sales or performances, not to get into the whole english vs vernac shit but thats the truth and it hurts like that! Those catz up on that list are by far the revenue generators, by far generating more revenue than your friend zubz does, although low profits might be acquired by them due to corporate bullshit, ya da ya da, you know the drill.

BUT TRUTH BE TOLD, THOSE ARE THE REVENUE GENERATORS, FOLKS DON'T BE BRINGING YOU REAL HIPHOP COMPLEXES AROUND HERE, jus take it like it is.

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