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South Africa
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Zimbabwe
Hip Hop in South Africa
Ja, ja, we know - this section is far from complete! For more in-depth inside news there's some excellent sites around, see our links section. In the meantime, don't miss the goodies around this page, including an interview with Brasse Vannie Kaap, and some snapshots from hiphop events. Soon come: exclusive interview with rapper Mr Devious from Mitchell's Plain (Cape Town).
Unreleased Records
Other than the name suggests, the Botswana - South Africa based label Unreleased Records last year was the 1st local structure in a long while to put music out on vinyl - through a deal with New York based label Fondle'em Records.
They don't plan to keep this a one-off activity, so new releases are in the making. Their heart is all with the music as the label is run by hiphop heads themselves.
We present you with a snippet of the remix of 'Blaze tha breaks' by Cashless Society, the original of which appeared on the Fondle Em 12 inch back-to-back with a track by solo artist Mizchif. This remix is on the back of the new single 'African-2sense'. Cashless Society have a well developed flow and their lyrics go deep. Some say that their style is representative of Jo'burg hiphop. So check out the mp3 and don't forget to pay a visit to the new official site of Unreleased Records: www.unreleasedrecords.com
Right-click here to download a snippet MP3 (1,5 MB) of the 'Blazetha breaks' remix.
Also check out the biography at Africanhiphop.com:
> Cashless Society bio
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Cape Town: new releases
Black Noise recording 'Circles of Fire' (pic: Black Noise website)
South African hiphop crew Black Noise have presented their new album 'Circles of Fire' at the Jam in Cape Town on 22nd February. Since the venue is rather far from the townships around the Cape, they are doing a special 'Cape Flats launch' at the Alliance Francaise in Portlands (Mitchell's Plain) on 24th of March.
> Black Noise website
Cape Tonian hiphop crew Moodphase5 have launched their first album 'Steady on' with the singles 'Uneek' and 'Steady On'. The cd, out on African Dope Records, is available at Musica, a major national music house. The group has been a regular on the local hiphop radio shows for quite some time, and we saw them do a tight live performance in May last year as a support act to the Bobbito/WhatWhat/MrLen performance in Cape Town.They will perform at a couple of music festivals in the Chzec Republic and in Holland in May and June.
> African Dope Records site
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Brasse Vannie Kaap cd released
The 2nd cd of South African hiphop crew Brasse Vannie Kaap is now available in stores. 'Yskoud' was announced to be venturing into different directions, and from what we could judge by the previews, it is different indeed. BVK, who got known for their use of Afrikaans slang lyrics, recently did a succesful tour of Belgium and are now promoting the album.
You can order the album at Oneworld online cd store (credit card payment accepted)!
> Order the 'Yskoud' cd online
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World Aids day: HivHop concert
Mr Devious performing in Amsterdam (pic: Juma4 for Africanhiphop.com)
On World Aids Day 2001 (1st of December), Bush Radio in Cape Town organized a concert featuring popular local acts such as Brasse Vannie Kaap, Mr Devious, 'M' and even kwaito group Dantai.
> Read more
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HIV Hop at Bush Radio, Cape Town
Since its early days, hip hop from the southern tip of Africa has had an element of awareness in it. Crews in Cape Town have engaged in educational campaigns, and stressed the importance of teaching the youth. This season there's some interesting projects going on. Last month's African Hip Hop Indaba was a succesful effort in getting the kids in townships like Mitchell's Plain involved in rap, graffiti, dj-ing and breakdance - an alternative for joining the gangs that rule violently on the Cape Flats.
Meanwhile at Bush Radio, the popular Cape Town community radio station, the HIV Hop aids awareness project from March through June 2000 explored the possibilities of using hip hop radio to inform the audience about socially relevant topics.
> Hiv Hop press release
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Cape Town
For the Cape Town Hip Hop lowdown (including graffiti), go to Geto3000 online magazine as maintained by Dre and site-hosted by Rumba-Kali. Also see our South African hip hop snapshots (December 1999)
Johannesburg
Gauteng is not very famous for its hip hop scene. Still there's a lot going on. According to insiders, it is not the place to be for all 4 elements of hip hop, the focus is really on rap. A first compilation of SA hip hop, called 'The Muthaload' featured mostly groups from Johannesburg. It was heard throughout the country though! With strong performances by the likes of Ramesh... Lately radio stations (YFM, among others) have been paying attention to local groups. For more on Jo'burg hip hop, check out our links section. Later in 2000 we will have more on the local hip hop scenes...
Mizchif
Mizchif is an underground mc born in Harare, Zimbabwe. Upon moving to New York he started his hip hop career since 1988 Mizchif changed names from Tribestar to Buzz, Cha-lover to finally the the present which suits him and thats MIZCHIF taken from dictionary as the pronuciation of the word "mischief". Recently Miachif has had a video played on SA music tv Channel O. His cd is out called "Life from all angles", with 14 joints: "Mizchivius Bizness", a joint for the party headz, other joints are "All The Areas", a song giving props to all the places in South Africa recognizing them for their love of hip hop, another hit is "Maintain Da Pain ", a song on Mizchif's struggles in Zimbabwe, New York and then in South Africa, the title track of the cd is the bomb no doubt, "Life From Angles" is a track on the for-ever changing world, this is a song that teaches South African youth on gangsterism, HIV, and prostitution...
e-mail: mizchif@88hiphop.com
MIZCHIVIUS RECORDS
7 Olympia Mansions
30 Yeo St, Yeoville 2198
mobile at 27826844087
Rhodes University Campus (Grahamstown)
Which is a universe in itself, it seems. A former 'whites only' university which now has students from a variety of countries of origin. There's a fat hip hop show on the university radio, hosted by dj Mass Dosage who has his own web pages. Here's a write-up from NYAZ, member of the Safari Squad (September 1998):
Safari Squad
The group consists of 5 madd M.Cs who are are keeping it live in South Africa. The chosen 5 go by the names:
N.Y.A.Z (Nubian Young African Zimbabwean) who is of course Zimbabwean
Sibz (Melodik) (South African)
Dre PG (Tanzanian)
Emperor Guma (Namibian)
L.I.B (Zimbabwean)
According to the crew: "We all study at Rhodes University. We are usually heard on campus at Fireside jamson live on Rhodes Music Radio (RMR).
Currently we are making instrumental so we can make a phat demo at a studio in town cos we are going to put our demo on CD.There are other squads here on campus but I think we are among the top and i'm sure M.Cs will vouch for us. The other squads are Camaflague, then there is v.o.l.u.m.e. (Voices of loudness U must enjoy )have already got there demo out and have a phat song they recorded with a prominent artist in Zim. Oh! The volume is from Zim. I went to school with them........"
Kamaflage Squad
Currently, battles are being fought on tha Campus Radio station between Kamaflage and the Safari Squad.
Raw Fusion
Members: MC Mack, Black Silk, Du, Elvis, Black Sugar (Cheonisa), Lunatic (14 years), Twice, Nice
Track: "Liberation"
Mack, Lunatic and Elvis were in 'Blackhouse Voices' before joining Raw Fusion which is mostly Rhodes University students from Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Yebo! Our staff member Mustafa Maluka went out with his camera to Cape Town hip hop clubs, events and other places and met with some of South African hip hop's best dj's, mc's and graf artists. Peep the results here.
:: OTHER ARTISTS ::
Mr Devious
Brasse Vannie Kaap
Spex