Producers continue to play a vital yet often underappreciated role in hip hop culture and the broader music industry. From composing intricate melodies and crafting all the musical elements of a track to bringing together artists from various genres and curating innovative sounds, their contributions are indispensable.
A prime example of such artistry is Stickx, also known as DJ Stickx, who hails from Manzini in the Kingdom of Eswatini. Stickx has an exceptional ability to blend diverse genres, including New Age Kwaito, Hip Hop , AmaPiano, R&B, and AfroPop, creating a unique and cohesive musical experience. His work exemplifies the essential and transformative impact that producers have on the African music landscape thus making him one of the unsung maestros of African music fusion.
As a passionate advocate for African collaborations, I felt compelled to highlight the latest release from Eswatini’s own Stickx. His new single, Relaxed , exemplifies the confluence of Swazi and South African musical talent, featuring the exceptional contributions of J.Molley, Port Elizabeth-born Hip Hop artist Dibi, and the legendary South African producer and artist PH Raw X.
Relaxed promises to be the ideal soundtrack for an evening drive through the city or a laid-back session with friends. This single masterfully fuses the energetic elements of hip hop with the soulful rhythms of AmaPiano, seamlessly integrating the distinctive log drum sound with contemporary hip hop vibes. J.Molley’s hook is impeccably executed, establishing the song’s soothing and uplifting atmosphere.
This collaboration is not the first between Stickx (born Lethumusa Simelane) and J.Molley. Stickx produced three standout tracks on J.Molley’s 2020 album, All is Fair in Love & War: On Camera featuring Frank Casino and Riky Rick, Want the Rack$ with Nadia Nakai, and Menace. Stickx’s experience with South African artists is extensive, having previously worked with Don Delicious and KashCPT on Mr. Lonely, Lucille Slade on Velvet and The Big Hash on Alone.
Locally , in Eswatini , Stickx has worked with incredible artists including Lyrikal Busta, K. Darrow, SUPA CDQ just to name a few. His previous single titled Le Party featuring Amarii, Sarnilo, Yung Tmpo and Urban Miles, a beautiful AmaPiano/ New Age Kwaito number, has been dominating the local Eswatini EBIS 2 Top 20 radio charts ever since it dropped in April 2024. The single has also garnered over 6800 streams on Spotify with the visualizer garnering over 2200 views on YouTube.
In a recent conversation with Stickx, we delved into his new single and his journey as a DJ and producer.
Q: How would you classify the type of music you create, given your diverse work across genres such as AmaPiano, R&B, Hip Hop, and AfroPop?
A: The style of music I make is classified by the inspirations I have at a particular moment. Of late the inspirations are African sounds; AfroPop, AfroBeats and Amapiano, I do my best to infuse those elements in all my music.
Q: Which genre do you find yourself most comfortable working in?
A: Definitely AfroPop and AfroBeats.
Q: Can you elaborate on the differences between a producer and a DJ, and which role do you identify with more?
A: A producer’s domain is the studio, that’s where the song ideas are brought to life. On the other hand, a Dj takes those songs and presents them to the people by curating a vibe for them. I identify as both because I love producing and Djing equally.
Q:Your single “Relaxed” features J.Molley, PH Raw X, and Dibi. How did this collaboration come to fruition?
A: During the tale of Covid, we were finalizing work on J Molley’s project All Is Fair In Love and War. At the time, I was also working on a project on the side called Relax , so I put the beat together and got J Molley on the chorus and intro. I then sent it to Dibi and Ph a week later for their verses; they sent those back to me by the end of the month. This was back in 2020. I’ve been working on the production and mixing of it ever since. I’m super excited that we finally get to release it after so many years.
Q: What aspect of your new song “Relaxed” do you find most compelling?
A: Bringing the collaboration together by having PH, Dibi and J Molley in one song is definitely the best part of the release.
Q:How crucial do you believe the roles of producers and DJs are within hip hop culture?
A:Hip Hop began with Dj’s and Mc’s. I believe Dj’s are still a very important component of the hip hop movement, they still get music to the people. Producers came years after, but they elevated the genre to the quality product it is today.
Q: Which African artists are currently capturing your attention? And who in Africa would you like to work with in the future
A: Locally, I have got to say K Darrow. He has a lot of music in the vault. I think the quality of his music and his talent is on another level. When it comes to African music, I would love to work with Kabza De Small, Rema and Tems.
Q: From your perspective, which genre poses the greatest challenge during the music creation process?
A: Ironically hip hop is both the hardest for me to create and DJ. It’s more complicated and ranges in all BPMs( Beats Per Minute.). Hip Hop songs come with all types of tempos yet AmaPiano for example has only one tempo.
Q: Your versatility spans multiple genres. What kind of music can we anticipate from you as the year progresses?
A: The music will vary depending on what is on my playlist and what inspires me at the time but I am definitely looking forward to collaborations with other Eswatini artists, more features and possibly one or two singles.
Listen to Relaxed Here:
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