"Let there be Hip Hop!"

As another addition to the Wednesday interviews I need to add Tania on tonight. A true walking, talking Hip Hop machine, I arranged to interview Ms Tania Moeng after reading about three or four articles that she had sent to HYPE Magazine a few years ago. Go back to the older Hype issues - the Game Changers issue might be one - and see what I'm talking about. Her views on Hip Hop were so profound that I found myself contacting her begging to feature her on the blog. As a female myself, I always look up to woman older than me that have such strong voices in the culture because at the end of the day, they're who I'll essentially be following and learning from as I help pass the culture onto future generations after me.

Below are just a few questions from the in-depth interview we had. You can check out the Hip Hop Video Diary 2 if you'd like to see Tania herself preaching.

The rap in South Africa, you seem to like that a lot?

Tania: I do! I advocate for local hip-hop a lot. As much as I listen to international hip-hop actually, I try to rep local hip-hop as much as I can and support the shows, buy the tracks, promote, download and stuff like that, so I’m a big supporter of the local scene because, I mean, it’s not where it used to be. It’s growing, it’s evolving, you know? So it’s in a good place. It needs more support as well because if you’re gonna be about J. Cole and Kendrick and whoever, you need to also be about Kwesta and AKA and Nyovest and them, you know?  Because it’s here! It’s in your reach so if you can buy a disc ya-120 ya-Kwesta or whatever then do that! Go to the shows and if there’s links out there, download it. I listen to local hip-hop, so it needs to start from home…

What do you think the world would be like if the Hip Hop culture was never born?
Tania: There wouldn’t be that! 

(Pointing to a group of teenagers in Hip Hop clothing.) 

There wouldn’t be your blog! It would be weird, I think.  The world would without Hip hop would be very weird. Well, all-in-all, the world without music; I don’t think it would be the dopest place to be at. Hip hop has that thing of being inclusive. When they say you’re mad, you’re crazy, you’re wild; you know “Okay, I’m a Hip Hop person.”  It has those people that feel that they belong to the culture. Where would the graffiti people be? Where would the DJs be? Where would the artists be? No man, let there be Hip Hop!

Do you have any children?

Tania: I have a kid! I have a daughter!

Do you think Hip Hop is a good influence on the youth?

Tania: It’s both ways, but I think the hip-hop now is not as hectic as the previous one because you had Tupac with ‘Hit Em Up’ and it was that aggressive hip-hop. As much as people love hip-hop, hip-hop has gone soft. I think in that sense, it’s quieted down a bit, it’s softer. Its not like “imma kill you, you’re gonna die” like, Eminem, when he came through in the beginning. So I think it’s got a good influence because now when you write a positive song, then you’re doing something. If there’s a show or campaigns and stuff and the hip-hop artists are involved, then it’s gonna grab onto their fan bases and it’s gonna spread in that way, so, I think it can’t be more positive than it is negative but it’s definitely more positive.

How do you think the culture should be passed on to the next generations or what things should they keep in mind when adopting the culture?

Tania: Always pay respect to the people that came before you. I think if that can be carried on and being done, because if AKA doesn’t respect Skwatta Kamp then the next one to come through won’t respect AKA so that chain needs to continue. I think, if you study from them, that respect must be there. And then, just make good music – good, sensible music! Music with sense! You know what I’m saying? Don’t just be all about the turn up. I mean, okay turn up and stuff but say something also! Say something that people are gonna listen to, they gonna hear, they gonna take something away from you, they gonna be like “Okay, Hip Hop is positive. This person is saying this thing in their music. They’re addressing the social issues, they’re addressing the youth.” I always say that there’s a lot f things our rappers can write about and rap about because we’re not from the same background so not everybody is turning up, so why are we al making turn up songs? Tell us where you’re from! Tell us what you’ve been through! Touch on those subjects and let people know a bit about you, not just turn up, dancing, party music. Give me a good balance. So, I think that’s how it’s gonna be maintained.

Thanks for the interview, Tania!

PEACE, LOVE AND HIP HOP

KTTIB