And the letter says;
To: @raptypemag
Here’s to always keeping it Classic.
Enjoy the Classics
From: Vans Team
Ride or Die is about the music, “The music of Brian Bomba speaking to people” the music of Brian Bomba being timeless.
How long did it take for the whole Album to complete?
After My Mother passed on, Music was the only thing that kept me sane and woke, because that is what we knew what to do best together with her…
I’ve recorded close to 40 songs since My Mother’s passing to date
Who have you worked with in this album and how was the experience working with them?
Worked with Moose & Steven Makhongela on most songs and reeves as well as Skoroza
What challenges have you faced in the process of making this album?
Lots of Load Shedding to start with, time scheduling, but we sacrificed and made it work…
Which song is your favourite on this album and why?
Marharhani, it’s a song we sang a lot together with My Mother.
Follow Brian Bomba On:
Facebook – Brian Bomba
Instagram – @brian_bomba_world
Twitter – @bomba_brian
Rapper, Singer and Song writer Dollar Cream takes us to his Musical Journey where he talks about the ups and downs, challenges and achievements.
He talks about how he managed to engage and worked with some of the Biggest Xitsonga musicians including the likes of Papa Penny and Joe Shirimani. Watch the video on YouTube and Enjoy
Follow Dollar Cream on:
Facebook – Nhlanhla Kubayi
Facebook page: Dollar_Cream
Instagram: @Dollar_Cream
Relo, Shugela, Bozza, Nemza, Slikour… Hauweng!!
When did Mzansi Hip hop evolve and who were the few artists to be on the Spotlight by the time around the area where Skwatta Kamp come from?
I think… That’s a broad question because it’s either commercially or just in the space but like Prophets of Da City and Black Noise literally were the pioneers of hip hop in South Africa and they were travelling the world and Skwatta Kamp introduced the mainstream as the South African hip hop and that’s when started seeing greater participation because we were rooted in Johannesburg where things happened while Prophets of Da City and Black Noise where from Cape Town
So easily, one could say it started really evolving commercially around 2003/4 but from existing; it could have easily been like 1990… something like that, I mean we are on 40 years of hip hop in South Africa this year
What were the Good and Bad things about Mzansi Hip hop back in the Days according to Your Experiences?
At a time when we started, we were trying to convince everyone in the market that hip hop is valuable, the challenges were that the market thought it was an American thing because they had experienced hip hop from international acts. So we almost looked like copycats and it looked like it was not original. So first we got resistance from your community, radio, consumers and business, so it was the first thing that we needed to do with hip hop; and that was to convert people to see hip hop from a South African lands through South African artists and I think that was really the challenges when we started back then,
And the good thing was that it was highly communicative, the people who were doing hip hop, literally stuck together, although we had to do that factions of guys who were competing cos it’s competitive but essentially we stuck together and we had one goal and we all wanted to have one voice as we shared the same platforms, so I think that was the really the most powerful part of it when it started, it was the unity as different clans in different people from different areas, it brought communities together
Back in the days, Crews used to be Stronger, Nowadays Artists Prefer going Solo, How did you guys manage to survive as Skwatta Kamp?
I think everything is a sign of time that you don’t know you, don’t know… the bigger group at the time was Wu- Tang Clan, you know, we had groups like, Onyx, De La Soul… I mean there were so many hip hop groups that it felt like it was a norm, and yes you had your solo artists, but the group thing was more of a thing back then, so I guess it wasn’t a matter of survival because we weren’t in it for money, we were in it because we enjoyed the spot and firstly, we never even thought we would make money from it, so we then started making money, the money that we made was a lot for us, even though it was little when we split it, but it was still a lot and we figured out how to survive. It’s not like we were looking at some at the benchmark of this is how much we should have and we don’t have enough so we struggling, nah it’s never like that. So that was it, the survival wasn’t like a question, it’s like you weren’t get the money, you getting it now, how do you use it best
How did Hip hop manage to survive in the Midst of Kwaito back in the days ?
I don’t think hip hop literally survived, they Co-existed.
The question of how anything survives is almost like saying; how did the group of young people survive in an environment where there was a larger group of other young people who were interested in something else. It was just Co-existing, you know, there was no need to survive. It’s taste, you know, we see the world of social media, world of algorithms. People have different tastes you know and you can have a small community that has a certain taste, so I don’t think it was a matter of surviving, it was just a community that was Co-Existing and was also gradually growing at the same time
One of the Greatest Hits “Umoya”, how did the song come about and what did it mean to you guys that the song took the whole South Africa by a storm?
Umoya is an example of a song that was in part of our creative process, it wasn’t even a song that was like earmarked as a single, we were looking at a song just like “Animal” in the album to release as a single, the album was “Mkhukhu Funkshen”
So Umoya wasn’t even a song we had foreseen to becoming a single because the sound was different you know, it never sounded like the hip hop songs that were out there at the time. We had “Animal” which had the aggression of hip hop and the bounce of hip hop and the metaphorical approach.
So that’s what we thought was gonna be our song, because when people heard it, they just caught it right?
But Umoya Radio played and we saw how the crowd received it, it was really the song that changed the trajectory and the perception of South African hip hop from an audio perspective for the Masses. So we never saw that coming, Everything is in highsight at this point, in the process saying we know what the song was gonna say
https://youtu.be/nNLOSjC2jd4
Would you Say Amapiano is slowly Silencing or Killing Mzansi Hip hop?
I think that every genre has it’s s phase, similarly to kwaito has its phase and hip hop has its phase then there was Afro pop… Afro pop was a thing, then hip hop came back, then house a little bit, then we had Gqom, then now it’s amapiano.
Everything has its phase and window of existence. Sometimes it is not the genre that dying but actually the youth that’s evolving, you find a new group of young people who have a particular sound (that is amapiano) and there’s a new generation of young people who will have another sound.
But what we see today is that kids are not even basing their interests in music based on one genre ,
We have this variety of interests in music right now, where people are doing different genres, so I don’t think it’s dying but once again it’s co-existing but it is not Co-existing with the momentum it had a few years ago and it’s the natural cause of consumer and music genres
Do I think the genre dies? It will never die because you find the amapiano guys dressing like the hip hop guys, it’s just the sound that literally evolves. You look at Uncle Waffles, she looks completely like she’s a hip hop chick you know, so it’s just a sound but the hip hop will never die if you look at the culture, hip hop won’t die, hip hop will always be the wardrobe, it will always be the move, a mind state, it will always be Co-existing in young people’s minds, it will always be the rebel which is what hip hop is.
So… maybe the sound not impactful as it was but I don’t see it dying,
Follow Skwatta Kamp On:
Facebook – Skwatta Kamp
Twitter – @Skwattakamp
Instagram – @Skwattakampofficial
Stream / Download / Order their Music on the Link Below
https://go.slikouronlife.co.za/SVN
Brian Bomba takes us through His Xitsonga Soul Music Journey | Yellow Bone Song + His Upcoming Album
Skwatta Kamp Drops an Album - “SVN” on Freedom Day | Here’s Why…
Here’s what Makes Dizzie Vee different from other Rappers around Bungeni | Homie + More
StanWizy shares his Experiences doing Gospel Hip hop in the Midst of other Rap types
K.pRO drops "Mabone" The Mixtape Dedicated to his Late Uncle, also Featues the likes of Big Xhosa
A Quick Chat with ZuluBoy: Skandi Rap | What makes a Good Rapper | Childhood Memories + More
RTee Dope drops - Family (Single) Dedicated to Family, Friends and His Fans
The SeVeNth album, recognising the SeVeN rappers that held the group’s core, while paying homage to the uncensored and rebellious young spirit that would have seen the SVN (sex, violence & nudity) restriction being parentally advised on anything the Kamp would release.
They gave us Landela, Umoya, Rau Rau, Manyisa, Eskhaleni, and dropped an infectious beat that moved and united South Africans with The Clap Song. 2023 marks the eve of a fifteen-year hiatus since the last SK studio album, so it’s only right that SVN is set free to the masses on the 27th of April 2023. Freedom Day.
The murder of Nkululeko Habedi, affectionately known as Flabba, inspired the group to give life to the upcoming studio album and the covid related passing of Nish (after a great deal of his contribution including naming the album) made it a critical matter that SVN is made available to the public ASAP.
SVN is a tribute to the group’s long-time friendship, experiences, dreams, shared conversations and a continued commitment to speaking one’s truth and producing art with high creativity, integrity, and deep passion, while remaining uncompromised, unfiltered, and uncensored for the many voices that resonate with the Kamp’s expression.
Their recent single, ‘In The Name Of Love’ reflects their journey, South Africa’s hip-hop history, how far we have come as a country, and a reminder that making music should be about more than fame. ‘Phezulu’ which is the lead single from the album, is a reminder that the Kamp has always been about being honest and relatable to the people that made Skwatta a movement and an institution.
The emotions that the beats evoked, the personal and collective experiences and memories that surfaced in the studio and the issues they are interested in conversing with South Africa are what inspired the 14-track masterpiece. Supporters can expect eclectic collaborations from Sketchy Bongo, Max-Hoba and more.
“What holds us together as a group and moves us to keep going is our common ambition to educate through music, the love and respect for each other, our people (music enthusiasts), our sense of family within the group and the unending desire to share different perspectives through our life’s journey with the music community. With this album, expect the same honesty and magic you have come to know and love us by.” said Nkosana Nkosi, also known as Bozza.
Follow Skwatta Kamp On:
Facebook - Skwatta Kamp
Twitter - @Skwattakampofficial
Instagram - @Skwattakampofficial
Stream / Download / Order their Music on the Link Below
https://go.slikouronlife.co.za/SVN
Relo, Shugela, Bozza, Nemza, Slikour… Hauweng!!
Vutomi Ralph Mashele popularly known as Dizzie Vee is a rapper and producer based in Limpopo, South Africa who started writing music in 2018
Citing his best influences being Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Nasty C, and Toosii. He strives to be like them some day with his unique and intriguing voice that he uses to prey on his audience.
What makes Dizzie Vee different from other Rappers around your hood?
What makes me different from all the other rappers where I'm from is actually the way I sound, like nobody sounds like Dizzie Vee expect me
What is the Good and Bad thing about being a Rapper around Bungeni?
The good thing about being a rapper in my hood is being able to know yourself and connect with people and the bad is not yet known
You dropped a song “Homie” where a lot of people jam along to it, what do you think grabbed their attention?
What really got people vibing
to Homie is actually how catchy the whole song is, especially when it comes to the hook if I step on stage and start screaming HOMIE!! who wouldn't understand what I'm saying?
What do you write about in most of your songs and why?
In most of my songs, I barely write but when I do, I write more about growth and myself, you know like anything that is centered around me but someone else can still relate to it
If there could be One thing that you would change about Hip Hop around Bungeni, what would it be?
If there was one thing I could change about hip hop in my hood, I'd make sure that every rapper works as hard as they could if their lives were on their rapping
What makes a good Rapper in your opinion?
What certainly makes a good rapper is what I call the 2C's CONFIDENCE & CONSISTENCE in their craft
Few Years to Come, where will Dizzie Vee be?
Few years to come I'll make sure that I'm in a position a hundred times than the one I'm in now
Shout Outs
I’d like to hola out Everybody who's been with me on my journey, and of course The 9ine Shotz?
https://youtu.be/uD1s4Wt02rk
Follow Dizzie Vee On:
Facebook - Dizzie Vee
Instagram - @dizzie_vee
Twitter - @dizzie_vee
Brian Bomba is a South African Xitsonga Soul Musician, brought up by a single mother, a legend inthe Xitsonga Traditional music Culture, I am from a town called Malamulele under the Collins Chabane local municipality,
What are the Good and Bad things about Tsonga Soul and Pop according to Your Experiences?
I’m not sure what other musicians face according to challenges but for me music is Spiritual, and I do it for the love of it, it heals me and it builds me..
Yellow bone is one of the songs that was loved the most by the fans around South Africa… What’s the story behind the song and how do you feel about it?
Yellowbone simply was a way of life expressing how one feels about their woman and the impact that this lady has on one getleman, I am a story teller and it was simply a story that anyone can relate to,
How did Brian Bomba’s life Change after the hit Yellow Bone?
Well, i grew up in a well known family and in tens of attitude I remained grounded as I was my mother influenced a generation in terms of culture and music and to be honest I was just grateful that I got to walk in her shoes and continue her lagacy which is also my lagacy and it will also be within the bloodline I know that for sure.
What makes a Good Musician in your opinion?
Staying true to yourself and being different is what makes a great musician, we can never be the same if we really want to make an impact..difference is what makes us.
The Upcoming Album, how is it communicating to the Audience and how do you think they will respond to it?
The upcoming Brian Bomba album titled “RideOrDie” is the ultimate example of what Brian Bomba stand for musically “Rethym” and to touch someone out there , to heal someone and happiness..as well as to cement what I have pioneered as Brian Bomba the unique sound of Brian Bomba.
Follow Brian Bomba On:
Facebook - Brian Bomba
Instagram - @brian_bomba_world
Twitter - @bomba_brian
Leon Hlabathi, a rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer from South Africa, was born in Tzaneen, Limpopo. Later, he relocated to Chavani, a quaint village also situated in Limpopo. From a young age, Leon displayed a great interest in music. As a student in primary school, he eagerly collaborated with friends to write songs, create covers, and experiment with remixes. Eventually, he became proficient in music production, creating beats accompanied by his own vocals.
In 2018, Leon Hlabathi released a Hip-Hop/R&B single called "Be My Guest," featuring Lester Matthews and Manotry. Later on, he released “Dominance” together with Manotry, with an accompanying music video. These releases paved the way for ongoing collaborations with these artists. In 2022, Leon dropped several singles featuring Manotry, which resonated with listeners and garnered positive feedback. Leon keeps working on his skills, making more music and visuals in a laid-back, creative way.
Being the only Rapper who had over 1M overall streams on Spotify around Chavani, What would you say to the fellow rappers as motivation?
The path to success is never a straight line. Focus on enhancing digital marketing efforts by creating visual content, promoting new releases through ads, find other creatives who have a similar vision to yours to collaborate with, and reach out to playlist curators.
What is the Good and Bad thing about being a Rapper around Chavani?
If you’re really passionate about what you do, the good thing about being an artist in Chavani is it’ll make you work harder than everybody else to reach a global audience. The bad would be having limited access to studio facilities, proper musical venues and a lack of like-minded creatives.
Out of all the songs you’ve released, which one would you say it gave you a “big break”?
Depending on the aspect of my artistic persona, “Dominance” would have to be the one that had more reach that introduced me to new listeners around Chavani and established an online presence. I've also achieved huge success with other releases in the Lo-Fi and Neo-Classical Instrumental genres.
Most Rappers have Stage Names, what made you to stick to your government name… Leon Hlabathi?
Didn’t really start out as a rapper so I never had the urge to come up with a stage name. By the time I ventured into rapping, I had already grown comfortable using my own name as my artistic identity. Plus, it feels natural to me when someone calls me by my own name as it's the identity I've known since childhood.
What do you write about in most of your songs and why?
My lyrics typically revolve around personal experiences, emotions, and vulnerability, encompassing themes such as heartbreak and self-reflection. Writing about genuine life experiences and emotions comes more naturally to me, as I find it challenging to create content about fictional or completely unrelated topics.
How is the response from Family and Friends towards your Music?
My friend group is small and mainly consists of fellow creatives, so there's not much to discuss regarding our shared experiences and interests. My family is fully supportive as music is not only my passion and what I love doing, but it’s also my main source of income and I make a living out of it now.
If there could be one thing that you would change about Hip Hop around Chavani, what would it be?
I’m barely in touch with what’s going on in the Hip-Hop scene at Chavani, but not seeing local artists on my feed means they're not doing enough to market themselves. Like I said before, content is key, so these artists should focus on getting their stuff out there digitally.
Few Years to Come, where will Leon be?
As far as God lets me.
Who do you want to send your shout outs to?
Shout out to Lester Matthews, man’s working hard on visual content with an upcoming film which is inspiring to see from people around.
Follow Leon Hlabathi On:
Facebook - Leon Hlabathi
Instagram - @leonhlabathi
Twitter - @LeonHlabathi
Katlego Stanley Malesa aka Stanwizy, born 1994, is an influential Rap and Gospel Rap artist, entrepreneur , farmer and health care professional who’s determined to make a difference through his music.
Lives in New Polokwane, Originally from Phalaborwa
He’s a Dialysis Nurse and Electrical engineering student
StanWizy started writing music at age 14 years and only started seriously recording in 2014 and hasn’t stopped since then.
he has been mainly focused on conscious/ influential rap until early 2023 when he intergrated his faith to his sound to give it a Christian feel after seeing all the injustices caused by the recent churches that emerged lately and has managed to bag few hits under his name
He started a bottled water company called Salate and also founded the record label called Trueth Records previously
known as LED records
He’s a passionate farmer aswell and raises sheep and goats in his home village in Phalaborwa
What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of being a Christian Rapper doing Gospel Hip hop around your hood according to your experiences?
I would say that; in my hood I don’t know anyone who genuinely is a Christian Rapper,
They just have a moment when they do a Christian Rap song and I didn’t start off as a Christian rapper, I was an influential Rap / Conscious Rap artist who along the way found Christ. Giving myself to Him had to include my sound aswell. The biggest challenge is finding the right collab with people who genuinely wanna do music for God.
What achievements have you encountered in the Gospel Hip Hop Industry?
Haven’t reached the milestones I’m planning to hit, I just converted my sound to Christianity recently but so far I would say it is being able to transform people through Music to have a relationship with God.
How is the Response from your Family and Friends towards your Music?
Family and Friends understand my spiritual journey because I ignored my calling for a long time and wanted to do things my own way.
They are more excited to see me finally walking in the light
StanWizy… What is the story behind this Stage Name?
It initially was spelt Stan Wise , meaning Stan who brings wise words through music
Fans started calling me Wizy then the name adapted
If there was one thing you would like to change about Hip hop / Rap as a whole around your hood, what would it be?
Yeah, we lack authenticity, Rappers need to be original and genuine to their sound. We need to do away with copy cats copying what the popular artists are doing. And change the stereotype that rappers should curse and sexualise everything we do but rather use the platform as a tool to teach and reach out
How would you encourage people or artists to Shift to Gospel Hip Hop?
Firstly; I mean I encountered God through music and would hardly go to church, so most people who Hardly go to church listen to music, I mean everyone who seriously listening to rap is more interested in finding out something. I think it’s a great platform to preach. Churches are getting less and less trusted recently either way.
So i also I try to be an example so that people will follow, consecrate my life to God and be about what I preach and not be a hypocrite myself
Which One Song would you say People started loving or noticing StanWizy with?
Letter to my unborn baby - a song I wrote to my son before he was born
Dialysis, Bottled Water Business, Farming and Music, how do you balance all these?
It’s hell but when you love what you do you make time .
I work 4 days a week as a dialysis nurse
I record on my off days and I have a small circle of friends so when I’m alone it’s either I’m reading or writing something.
I partnered with a company that does the water for me upon only when I get orders so far.
As for farming I love animals more than anything so it’s not work for me but something I can do any time. So the animals I see them during weekends and there are people back at home who keep and care for them, I just overlook their overall health
Few years to come, Where will StanWizy be?
I see myself working with big names in the Christian Rap community even artist from overseas like Lecrae, Bryann T, Young bro
Who do you want to send your shout outs to?
To all the fans, My son Kgoshi and everyone who’s in this Rap industry to make change for the better. Christian or not
Not forgetting the Almighty God
Follow StanWizy On:
Facebook - StanWizy
Instagram - @stanwizy
Twitter - @katlegostanley
