Still taking in the positive reception of his latest single, Tyson Sybateli paid a visit to Entlek Entlek to break down the message behindIt Worked.
The celebratory track details Tyson’s will to win, where after countless failed attempts, he finally found a new way of operating, and reintroduces himself as a new man.
“This is me, this is the new approach.”
Tyson Sybateli, Entlek Entlek
With the song’s music video already out, we can’t wait to see what more Bra Nyoga has in store for us. Watch the space!
Johannesburg-based production duo, Select Play Music, comprising of Tellaman and Lastee, have a new song out titled Better Than This and team up with Nasty C and Manana for the Summer-ready bop.
I’m picking up some interpolations from Khalid’s “Better,” the chorus and melody, while the general message is quite similar to that of the aforementioned song.
The guys sing/ rap to their love interests, where they confess that there’s no other feeling better than what they get from their loves.
Kenyan top rapper Shawn Houdini has dropped the #Nairoghanistan2 album tracklist featuring other dope collaborations. This is as he prepares his fans for yet another due hot drop.
The rapper dropped the tracklist, which listed the number of tracks and collaborations expected on the album. Houdini linked up with various top dawgs in the project, and is expected to be his best project yet.
Nairoghanistan refers to the realities of Nairobi, the city under the sun. The daily struggles of life are referenced with the merging of ‘Nairobi’ and ‘Afghanistan’.
A constant war zone, and that is how Shawn Houdini comes out guns blazing in his rap.
Nairoghanistan2 tracklist
The follow-up to the first #Nairoghanistan Ep will include more features with other rap stars. Houdini has been consistent with his art, giving his loyal fanbase a reason to stay alert to cop this new project.
Nairoghanistan features a fire lineup that includes various drill emcees from the 254. This is an indication that this will be a major project when released.
Some of the rap Avengers assembling for this tape include:
Mr Right 254
Lil Maina
Jodye Faneto
Bueno
Listen to the Nairoghanistan EP tape as anticipation builds for the release of this new project.
The theme for World Music Day 2023 is “Music on the Intersections”, highlighting the ability of music to unify communities and individuals. World Music Day is an annual celebration that is observed on June 21 to celebrate the global language of music as well as honor musicians for their contributions.
Below are 10 Continental collaborations amongst African rappers that helped foster unity amongst Africans, showing the power of music to unite people of different cultures.
M.I. Abaga ft. HHP: Superhuman
As the 2010 world cup in South Africa helped unite citizens and soccer fans from all around the country and abroad, we saw Hip Hop in Africa bring together two of the continent’s rap juggernauts in 2012.
This is where the cross-continental collaboration between Nigeria’s M.I. Abaga and South African Mostwako pioneer, Hip Hop Pantsula (HHP) came about, where both delivered superhuman level verses, further bridging the gap between the two countries.
ProVerb ft. M.anifest: Proverbs Manifest
That same year, South Africa took a trip to Ghana where one of SA’s most respected lyricists, ProVerb came together with one of West Africa’s most prolific emcees, M.anifest in Proverbs Manifest.
“Chaley oh word, I speak in proverbs, riddles and such, but let me blunt”
HHP ft. M.anifest: Jigah
As a proud pan-African, HHP again joined forces with M.anifest in Jigah for the former’s album, Motswako High School.
The two rap titans played lyrical heads of states in the streets of Johannesburg to deliver their Pan African hip-hop manifesto over a Wes Mapes production, going back and forth in four different languages; English, Pidgin, Setswana, and Twi.
Jabba even had to do the Azonto dance in the video to solidify his Ghanaian honorary citizenship.
Ice Prince ft AKA: N Word Remix
“Look how I put my city on the world map, it’s gon take more than good luck to bring your girl back.”
In just one smooth double entendre, the late Kiernan Forbes announced his triumphant entry into the Nigerian music as he partnered with Nigeria’s biggest rap export, Ice Prince in a remix of the latter’s N Word.
AKA ft Burna Boy , JR and Da L.E.S: All Eyes On Me
Burna’s infectious patois hook combined with AKA, JR, and Da L.E.S’ braggadocious rhymes on a classic Brenda Fassie sample instantly brought the country to a standstill.
With South African producer, Tweezy on production, the song quickly took over the local club scene and solidified AKA as a top class hitmaker.
M.I. Abaga ft Khaligraph Jones: Black Bill Gates.
This was the song that brought the respected Kenyan lyricist, Khaligraph Jones to the attention of Nigerians.
Housed on the most controversial and fan splitting of all the Illegal Music projects, Illegal Music 3, the song was a lyric-fest as Khaligraph delivered a scene stealing verse and made sure that Nigerians never forgot his name.
Emmy Gee ft. AB Crazy: Rands and Nairas (Remix)
To think the original version of the song was already big enough, they had to go even further with an even bigger remix.
Nigerian rapper, Emmy Gee recruited South Africa’s AB Crazy and the late DJ Dimplez to create one of 2013’s biggest party anthem. The song made its way on to every DJ’s set all across the continent, bringing down Lagos pool parties, the Durban July’s, and Nairobi festivals.
NuRu ft. Shappa Man, Keko and Stanley Enow: Zani Mali
Zani Mali was the blueprint of what a Pan-African Hip Hop posse cut should be, where there was representation from almost every single corner of the continent.
The track recruits talent from Kenya (Shappa Man of Camp Mulla), Uganda (Keko) and Cameroon (Stanley Enow). It was an anthem in East African rap and helped in further bridging the gap between the West and the East.
M.I. Abaga ft Cassper Nyovest: Soup
In 2017, while the world waited for the official follow up to MI’s third studio album, ‘The Chairman,’ Abaga shocked fans by going Frank Ocean and dropping a surprise “playlist” titled ‘Rendezvous.’
The project housed two South African collaborations, one with Cassper and another with Kiernan, who were both at he helm of affairs in Mzansi Hip Hop.
Soup was the Cassper feature Nigerians were all waiting for, one with Mr. Incredible.
Nasty C ft. Cassper Nyovest and Davido: Juice Back (Remix)
A young Durban emcee was introduced to the whole continent through a monstrous verse that left people Googling his name for months, in the midst of continental giants, Davido and Cassper who also delivered stellar verses.
Can you remember when you were when you heard these songs?
Which one of them is your favorite, and which ones did we miss?
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Back in the Golden era of SA Hip Hop, circa 2016, the debate about the best female rapper in South Africa was between the then Mabala Noise signed Gigi LaMayne and the then Ambitiouz Entertainment signed Fifi Cooper. This was the female version of the Nasty C versus A-Reece debate, two artists also from both stables respectively. Gigi has gone to carve an unconventional but successful career path from her keen over the years, in between breaks and hiatuses to try different things like fashion and now acting.
Like the famous saying goes if you want to be great, stand on the shoulders of giants, great artists are inspired other great artists that came before them, Gigi LaMayne in an interview with DJ sharp disclosed Mzansi hip hop legend inspires her the most.
The ‘Koze Kube Nini‘ rapper gave Katlehong-born emcee Kwesta, his flowers and states that his journey and come up story inspired her to keep pushing in her career even when the going got tough.
“Like I just want to say, I’ve always been like inspired by Kwesta’s journey,” she said. “He tried many times and then Ngud’ happened then for me like my Ngud’ moment didn’t come, everyone says like, Ice Cream was a debut, it wasn’t the Ngud’ moment,” said Gigi Lamayne.
Kwesta was signed to Buttabing records owned by Slikour and Nota Baloyi in the early 2000s, he had a slow rise to superstardom with a slew of hits here and there and minor success from his debut album ‘Special Rekwest.’
It wasn’t until 2017’s ‘DaKAR II’ that he was able to fully bloom into the artist we all knew he had the potential to become and the world finally caught on. Third time’s the charm they say.
After boldly declaring himself ”Da King of African Rap” on the album title, he went on to show just why he deserved the crown.
The album spawned hit singles like ‘,Nomayini,’ ‘Day One,’ ‘Mayibabo,’ the posse cut ‘Mmino,’ the ladies’ favorite Thabsie collaboration ‘Ngiyazfela Ngawe’ and the very monumental ‘Ngud’ featuring Cassper Nyovest. The latter which led to that very controversial Metro FM Awards moment, about a certain label buying awards.
The album was certified 7× Platinum by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RISA), having sold 210 000 copies in South Africa, DaKAR II became best selling hip hop albums of all-time.
This lead to Kwesta topping the MTV Base Hottest Emcees list for two consecutive years, in 2017 and 2018. The only other emcee to have achieved that feat was Cassper Nyovest in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
DaKAR II went on to become South Africa’s biggest selling album of the 21st century, certified 13x platinum for sales of 390,000 copies. It is also the best-selling hip-hop album in South Africa of all time.
Kwesta’s trophy cabinet also houses 6 South African Music Awards, 4 South African Hip Hop Awards, 1 MTV Africa Music Awards, and 1 Metro FM Award.
Miss LaMayne also disclosed to DJ Sharp how she’s feeling in light of the progress she has made so far in her rap career. “It’s nice over here, it’s really nice over here,” Gigi said.
“I just wish I could shake my booty a little more and just speak a little more and laugh a little more. Because I’m okay with the fact that I had to lose a lot to be able to gain the little of what I have.”
The Disney Plus SA animation series titled ‘Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire,’ just announced a star studded cast of local talents and Gigi LaMayne is one of those that will join the cast fort the one of a kind project.
Concerning new music, weeks ago both Gigi and Lady Du sparked rumours if a collaboration via a series of Instagram posts early this month.
Lady Du posted an image of herself with the caption, “Working on something amazing with the queen @gigi_lamayne.”
Gigi LaMayne has also been doing media rounds for the upcoming collaboration which will be released on the 23rd of June 2023.
“There is definitely new music on the way” she said. “Gigi LaMayne, Lady Du, Robotboii and Ntosh on a very powerful song where Amapiano meets Hip-Hop.”
In an era where Hip Hop artists are prone to dissing their piano counterparts, it would be amazing to see both worlds come together for a change.
Are we ready for what Gigi is cooking?
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DJ Speedsta is coming back to kill ’em as he previews the visuals for his latest release, Don’t Phazamisa Me with yungseruno, Stilo Magolide, and Okmalumkoolkat.
From the short teaser, the gang’s seen in a field of trees performing the track while draped in W.A.T.E.R. Without giving too much away, we definitely know the visual is ought to go hard.
Since dropping last month, Speedsta has been hard at work promoting his single with assistance from Stilo, who’s made appearances in several videos.
The Love & Hip Hop SA cast member has not shared when to expect the visuals so keep an eye on our pages for more updates.
One of SA Hip Hop’s golden boys, Loatinover Pounds has become a nationwide hitmaker with the success of Sosh Plata and continues to collect major wins.
Since dropping the remix with 25K and Thapelo Ghutra, the song has plummeted to great heights in the music charts, also earning Pounds millions of YouTube views for the music video in just 2 months.
Sosh Plata remix currently sits on a little over 2 million YouTube views, matching Spotify’s streams at 2,600,000, and is his most streamed song to date.
As Loatinover Pounds’ popularity grows, he is also getting more performance bookings and attracting brand partnerships. His signature “Faka Punyete” trademark has also helped grow the Punyete apparel brand, putting it in the spotlight as a fresh urban brand to look out for.
Punyete’s New Eyewear Range
The hood-popular streetwear brand, Punyete, has added to its growing apparel line with a new range of sunglasses.
The “Faka Punyete Retro Sunglasses” have been made available to consumers in three colorways – black, white, and brown. Retailing at just R200 a pop, the brand is making it possible for the average person to look stylish while also supporting local retailers.
Aside from the sunglasses, Punyete also has a wide range of shirts, fashionable “Nyete Là Punyu” tote bags, beanies, and their “Nyete Là Punyu” caps sported often by Loatinover Pounds.
Be sure to visit their website at www.punyete.co.za and shop for something cute!
Though many rappers were unfortunate to grow up fatherless, a lot of them are actively breaking this cycle by being present in their children’s lives. Some of our favorite emcees took the time off to show off their families and get into the spirit of Father’s Day.
Here are some pictures from social media:
Cassper Nyovest
Cassper celebrated his second Father’s Day with a short video of when his son, Khotso was born, until now – a bubbly and energetic 2-year-old boy who dances just like his old man.
Khuli Chana
Having recently welcomed his bundle of joy with his wife, Lamiez Holworthy-Morule, Khuli took to the socials to show off his kids and share a message about the importance of fatherhood.
Priddy Ugly
In a short visual of little Afrika singing her “ABCs,” Bontle Modiselle showed her love to Priddy Ugly for his consistency in being a world-class dad. “No matter what the world says to/ about you, your baby girl looks at you like you’re the greatest and that’s it – that’s the real magic.”
Zingah
Lawd of da chop, lawd of da pops motion, Zingah, shared a sweet photo of his little family out for a stroll while in a separate picture, he was presented with breakfast and a note for being “the best daddy in the world.”
We love to see it. Show us how you celebrated Father’s Day.
Kimilist is a rapper and singer born & raised in Kumasi, Ghana. His music style is influenced greatly by the Uk Rap scene, blending Grime, Trap music as well as Afrobeats and other Afro-fused genres. The idea for his name, Kimilist came from Anime: “Kimi” meaning sweet and tough, and “list” referencing his listed lyrics.
Kimillist is back with a vibey new single titled “Pon Gidi”. It’s the ultimate feel-good jam with irresistible beats and catchy lyrics…perfect for a cruise on the streets of Accra or hanging with friends.
“Pon Gidi” is a mid-tempo Afropop single describing the Mimlife Records signed artist, Kimilist’s lifestyle. The artist sings and raps over the NixieOfficivl beat, sliding over it casually as he paints a picture capturing his journey, touching on his hustle tendencies, love interests, and the influential people in his life who have shaped him into the artist he is today.
He summarizes this perfectly in the hook: “Suffer now later let the money Speak. Girl, I be the lotion wey your body need. Them dey hala when they see say we dey gully streets. Bless the people wey put me on as we stretch to touch all the billions”
Pressure is a different feel, a beautiful sonic blend with superb execution. You can feel the artistry behind Groovy Jo’s voice as she switches from hardcore to mellow sounds. She definitely is the complete package, a definition of an urban femcee.
Pressure is the latest EP by Groovy Jo, expressing her artistic growth on the album. An interesting fact about her is that she has a background as a singer. The sounds merge together beautifully to produce this record.
Pressure cover
A standout component in Groovy Jo’s art has been her crafty manner of weaving through different topics, themes, and lines poetically and majestically.
Pressure EP review
Pressure is an exploration of her vulnerable side, a contrast as audiences are used to the hardcore side that comes with being a rapper. The project is, therefore, more sentimental as she opens herself up to experience human emotions such as love and loss. This adventure makes pressure more explorative and diverse away from her usual rap stature.
The project is more relatable as Groovy tells her story of living and enjoying life.
The 8-track project boasts an excellent production with amazing features. Artists such as South Africa’s Buzzi Lee and Valerie Muthoni are impeccable additions and beautifully accompany Groovy.
The bars on this project are top-tier, with surgical precision exhibiting masterful lyricism. She is definitely getting better at her craft, placing herself miles ahead of her peers.
Pressure EP brings out a more confident Groovy Jo, marking a point where she does not feel the need to prove her rap ability with hard bars. She has already established herself as one of the hardest shrappers in Kenya.
The beat selection is a trip, having listeners upbeat and dancing in one instance, then transitioning to a head-nodding tempo. Groovy’s artistry is the constant feature that puts it all together.
The themes explored in the project vary from materialism, self-worth, romance and authenticity. Pressure is a must-listen project from the ADF’s very own superstar Groovy.
