"Hip Hop is ahead of it's time..."

Happy Wednesday HipHoppas and Influencees! 

Earlier tonight I went through the archives and came across and dope interview I had not too long ago actually. I interviewed brothers Eddie and Meth on what misconceptions they feel Hip Hop has gained during its 40 year existence in our lives, how they feel Hip Hop has evolved and the biggest question I asked: do you feel Hip Hop is respected?

Meth's response...

"Hip Hop is ahead of its time. Thats all im gonna say. Hip-hop is in the digital era - you get more hip-hop tracks online than you do others. I would rather Google and download a track on iTunes than go to the CD stores because there's too many regulations! Like I said, Hip Hop is a rebellion in a positive manner. We voice out what we feel about the world. We voice out the way we think the world should be. We voice out what we don't like and not everyone is going to take it to head and be open minded about what we're saying. It just sounds like we're trying to remove the balance from life..."

Is Hip Hop really respected?

MsSupa - HerStory In The Making EP Review

“Bumpin’ their heads to songs and they don’t really listen

Hoping that you do the same when they on stage performing

So I must just learn to be fake and befriend a DJ?

Have some toilet paper handy

Soon my song will be played

Then I’d be it, y’all!”

- The Game by MsSupa

(I wish I could quote the entire track)

Thank God for Heavy Wordz! As an avid follower, I saw them share the info on the release of HerStory in the Making and immediately jumped on it.

No regrets.

From the minute I saw just the artwork and the amount of tracks on it I knew that this would be a very different and special EP. This is my very first encounter with a full MsSupa project which made listening to this album a much better experience just because I had nothing to compare it to – nothing to, worst case scenario, say “it didn’t match” to. MsSupa is a very unique female MC that shows no signs of inferiority that often unintentionally comes across in a lot of rap by sistaz. HerStory In The Making has a self-explanatory title: the EP is a story that will be remembered. The album starts with a Blaklez feature on ‘Dream’ which sets the tone for the rest of the project. Supa raps about her dreams of entering the hip-hop scene and the troubles she came across despite her skill and love for the culture. In tracks like ‘Live’, MsSupa spits about the unexpected struggles often faced in life mainly due to self-doubt and not pushing through in the dark times. Although the EP is not packed full with the illest punchlines, when she does drop a dope line, the need to instantly rewind, replay and tweet it hits.

The most special thing about this EP is that MsSupa is taking almost a completely different route to what the biggest rappers at the moment such as Nadia Nakai or Kid X are taking in terms of content. In SA, our biggest hit-makers and hits are mostly party-orientated and the females are mostly spitting about being a female, their sexuality and being the hardest female. If any, there is such little of this here. Sharing a similar mentality up-and-coming rapper Gigi LaMayne, MsSupa raps about how, given the fact that she’s a female rapper, she already has had certain connotations placed against her and has faced too many struggles. “Somebody said Hip Hop is like basketball, it’s cute when girls go but it’s the men that score.”

With boombap beats, the motif in this EP is MsSupa’s passion and love for the Hip Hop culture – which is beautiful. Accompanied by guitar picking, tracks such as ‘Who’s That Lady’ made the album a very personal one. Her ability to spit on a fair range of beats and adapt her flow accordingly really came to life which was dope to explore with her. Tracks that stood out to me were ‘Who’s That Lady’, ‘Female Dog’, ‘The Game’ and although the EP wouldn’t be any less greater had the features been cut out – ‘Your Girl’ with appearances by Qba and Skye Wanda and ‘Follow Zero’s’ with PDotO are some of my favourites on the EP.

Easily one of the best EPs I’ve listened to in a while. I’m excited for the next release already.

IT’S SUPA BABY!

Content: 3/3

Production: 2/3

Lyrics: 2/4

Overall: 7/10

Sake of Skill: Last of South Africa's Rhyming Heroes

"No fool, the underground is not a genre, but an oppress situation due to a lack of power.
That's why I'm grabbing this mic and spitting 'til my last hour.
Keeping it real, keeping it real.
What's keeping it real? Is keeping it real when you spit what I feel? Painting a picture for me cause what you speaking is real?
Are you not keeping it real when you rap with a deal?"

Sometime ago I saw the need for there to be some sort of serious documentation on exactly how the Hip Hop culture in South Africa is really growing and evolving - specifically focusing on the rap side. I decided to reach out to my favourite underground rap crew in the country and get them involved.

I met up with Sake of Skill and discussed their views on the current state of Hip Hop. I found out about The Skill last year at Back To The City where they were one of the first performers to hit the main stage. That electrifying performance has to go down as one of the best ones I've experienced. The energy they gave off spread far beyond what they intended and instantaneously birthed a number of new Sake of Skill fans. They had hip-hop headz spitting along to hooks they had never heard before, yet somehow felt they knew off by heart. Sake of Skill, you are truly a group of mad influential dudes that restored my love for what I thought was a failing SA rap culture. Its unfortunate that the crew is now splitting up but your service to the Hip Hop culture has been appreciated.

"What's your name?"
"Its IAmaze."
"Where you at?"
"The underground"
"Do you do it for the love?"
"Sure!"
"And the money?"
"I wouldn't mind."

Look out for their interview on the documentary.

Peace, love and Hip Hop
KTTIB