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Hip hop in Botswana No doubt! Hip hop returned to its motherland By Mubarak Simba On the streets of Gaborone and Francistown, two Botswana big cities, just like in other cities the world over, one cannot escape the influences of hip hop. In Botswana, since the country is enjoying its economic stability and peaceful environment, it’s hard to find hip hop heads imitating or going against the Government laws. Until recently, the majority of Botswana youths have been infinitely swallowed by South Africa's own invented sound affectionely known as 'kwaito' music. But for the past three years the number of hip hop fanatics has been increasing alarmingly, thanks to hip hop activists who have been going all out to promote and teach everybody from youth to semi-adults about hip hop culture in Botswana. 'Hip hop is not about guns, sex, disrespect or F-Words. It’s all about freedom of expression to the youth of today. If you wanna talk about guns, talk about it but don’t even try to touch it, if you wanna talk about sex, talk about it but don’t do it before married', B-One, one of the old school hip hop artists said. Music shops and fashion Houses discovered that there is business in the hip hop community and they have invested some money by sponsoring and helping out some of the hip hop gigs in Botswana. Local hip hop label Phat Boy records, which has been in for front in promoting hip hop in Botswana for the past three years, has been engaged in a number of hip hop gigs in the country. They recently organized a well received hip hop show that involved best South African hip hop artists Mizchif and Cashless Society. 'For some its just a fashion statement, but for me hip hop is what I live for, it's like the way you breath, if you running out of breath, you ain’t gonna survive. It’s a culture, that’s how I take it', Phat Boy CEO/Founder, Mr. Mubarak Simba aka Muba said. The change in hip hop audiences from 'kwaito' dormitory shows that young Batswana are coming together and sharing interests. 'Hhip hop is not gangsterism. It’s about being laid back and taking things easy. We are not conforming to what we have been told by the older generation. We are doing things our way - the right way. So yeah! We are in a way rebelling against what we grew up with', local hip hop artist known as 'Dot com' added. There's a number of hip hop activists in Botswana who have been in struggle to make sure that hip hop is getting mad props it deserves, these are P-side crew, DJ Sid and underground heads, the likes of Slim, Drastic and Peter Mathambo. A number of radio stations like Yarona FM and RB II have been in fore sit to entertain and inform what is in and what is out in hip hop around the world. The local artists who are due to release their long-awaited album and single respectively are P-Side crew under DJ Sid and Carl Management, and Solo hip hop artist Eddie who is soon to release his single of two tracks under Phat Boy Records. Any business enquiries, also if any group/artist would like to perform in Botswana, e-mail at Phatboy_record@hotmail.com or Phat Boy Records Box 202111 Bontleng Botswana Cell (+267) 71 69 98 91 Attn: Mubarak Simba, CEO/Founder (c) 2000. Written by Mubarak Simba for Africanhiphop.com

:: NEWS:: Strictly hiphop Dead Prez Live Introduction :: BOTSWANA CREWS ::  Lords of the ghetto Hip hop in Botswana is large! Our local reporter Mubarak Simba (he's the c.e.o. of Botswana's premier hiphop record company Phat Boy Records) moves in the middle of it all and tells us what's going down on the streets of Gaborone and Francistown.