Saturday, December 27, 2008

A producer's album

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Yo! Corporate Nemesis is planning to have interviews with some of our favourite artists real soon. We'll post them up, in audio form, once they are done. Look out for chats with Skebza, San the Instru-Monumentalist, and possibly Konfab.

Front

Talking about San, here's the finished product of RE-Invention: A producer's album. Check the facebook group to get the full list of producers, and to read further about how the whole project came about.

Back

Click here to download the project.

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Friday, December 26, 2008

Expansionary movement

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I've been keeping mum for over a month, but it's [partly] not out of my own doing. I did an interview nearly two months ago with Cape Town hip-hop crew Ill-Skillz, and have been waiting for their management to approve it ever since. The guys promised to get back to me after they'd checked it out, but that still has not happened to this day. So, pending their approval, let's talk about other things.

Knock-Off

Corporate Nemesis has been a constant supplier of jingles across a number of radio stations in Lesotho. We've formed a number of alliances with deejays, but the strongest thus far is that with DJ Dallas T, who hosts the afternoon drive show on Lesotho's premiere youth radio station, Ultimate fm. We've got a segment on the show called the "Fifteen Minutes of Fame" in which we prepare fiteen-minute hip-hop mixes which are played from Tuesday to Thursday. That has been going on for about a year and a half now.

We also produced and presented another segment called the Artist Feature in which we interviewed people in hip-hop who are making moves. That came to a halt earlier this year. However we are back again, and this time around, we are doing a hip-hop chart show called the Home-Brewed Five; it is on every Monday from 1730hrs to 1800hrs. We're only in the fourth week, but the reception has been pretty dope. The concept is to playlist five hip-hop tracks which just happen to be made in Lesotho, and let people vote for their favourite songs. The two songs which get the most votes get to hold the number one and two positions on the next week's show. The other three tracks are randomly selected.

NemesisRepublik

The Nemesis RE:publik t-shirt range has been doing rounds amongst a selected few people, and everyone who has seen the designs is showing much love. It is quite inspiring, and motivates us to put in more effort into producing doper designs. The I AM FRESH range (code# Rep_001), is nearly sold out. No more of it shall be printed; if anyone wants that particular design, they shall have to pay a premium price for re-print. The next range shall be ALPHABET SLAUGHTER (code# Rep_002), so be on the lookout for that!

The Corporate Nemesis website is up (click here). We are still working on a theme, but shall be updating it every now and then in the interim. Keep checking it out after a while; we shall also put up podcasts of the Home-Brewed Five show.

Producer'sPimped

Lastly, San the Instrumonumentalist from Other Intelligences has been on a grind this year, releasing singles and beattapes for all who care to listen. He has also been coordinating a remix project which sees producers from Lesotho, South Africa, and Zambia collaborating to do some re-workings of hip-hop classics from yester-year. The full list of producers on the project is:

Myth
D Cha
J-One
Daliq
Alias
Cymptom
Trompie
SubZero
The Rebbi
DJ PeeWee
Dharma Bums
Biz-ark-human
San the Instru-Monumentalist

Producer's album

The album shall be dropping in a bit. For now though, you can grab a digital download of the sampler here.

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Thursday, November 20, 2008

The Cipha - Part Two

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What's good people?!! We've decided to do the second part of our on-going review of The Cipha documentary which features a range of emcees from the LES. The clip under dissection today features Anonymous, who needs no introduction since I've talked at length about him in previous posts. Please note that we've posted other segments of the documentary on our Youtube Channel; you can gladly go there to view them.

Dim-1

We shot Anonymous' scene on the same day that we did Blitz' and Kislev's scenes. The latter two shall be reviewed in due time, but I reckon it is a significant point to note since the three emcees' appearances are interspersed within their respective scenes. For instance, Kislev can be seen on the last shot of Anonymous' scene. Incidentally, they were also the first scenes that we shot and edited, and, to our eyes at least, the level of experience is quite evident. Some of the techniques we used make for quite interesting viewing tough!

This part of the documentary opens up with a video we shot for Anonymous. In it, him and Sanhedrin (from Other Intelligences) happily sit in front of a shop while munching on some fatcakes and kicking freestyles. The video then progresses into other scenes which deserve a totally new post all on their own. For the sake of this review, I shall not dwell on them. The narrative gels in well with the different scenes as the narrator tells of Anonymous' maturation over the years, using phrases like 'prolific rhymes and style' to bring to the viewer's attention this emcee's genius.

Dim-2

This has got to be the most left-field of the emcees we managed to interview while compiling The Cipha. He talks of the perfect cipha as taking place during night-time when zombies and wolves come out to play. The snare will be provided by some other-worldy figure hitting a spade against a huge chunk of metal, and an eyeless figurine would be centre-stage, ripping his fair share of the microphone apart. I don't know about you, but that is some pretty hectic stuff, legendary indeed. It is just a whole lot better when you view it yourself.

After his anecdote, the documentary cuts into a cipha scene where Anonymous himself is representing, bringing lines like:


"Kicking freestyles is what I do per night see/ I'm kicking freestyles on a
super-mic/ you can't touch this/ Anonymous I am the roughest/ and if you look in
my eyes, you'll see enough shit".

Stylistically, we went for pretty interesting edits as mentioned earlier. We had just discovered how to do the split-screen effect, and made very prolific (if I should say so myself) manipulations of it. We also put the mirror effect to good use by taking a single shot and pimping it so that it seems as though the scenes were shot at different times, albeit with duplicate hand motions and all. Once again, it makes a whole lot more sense when you view it yourself.

Dim-3

Anonymous' scene ends with another cipha. We went into the crates and dug up a gem we took the day Dunamis was shooting his "Mastered seed" video; we'd decided to go to the location just to show support. Hymphatic Thabs, who is the video's director, joined us in the cipha, and we all had mad fun. Shout out to Matz and Karabo who were also with us. Anonymous' genius is revealed as he freestyles lines like:

"You can't have it/ cuz now it's mine, under my matress/ I'm that kid who comes with that black magic/ I stab anthems/ I kick freestyles and, you can't imagine the stuff that I come with/ you know that you new to here/ I cut your head off and take you to souvenirs.../


dim-4

Check out the clip in question below, and please leave your comments. We will highly appreciate your support. Peace!




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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Beatsmith who makes things happen

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What's good people??? Great! I thought I should share this great newspaper article on Phil the Kritik with you all. The interview was conducted by Sechaba Keketsi for The Weekly Mail. Read on...

Phil-3

One cannot help but get their ears glued to the speakers when pumpin out Phil the Kritik's production. Sechaba Keketsi, Weekly Mail reporter, took time out to find out more about this talented, hardworking produer.

Sechaba Keketsi: Sir, can you please introduce yourself and tell us what you do?

Phil: My real name is Philip Lionel Luru. I am originally from Uganda, but have been in Lesotho for about six years now. Basically I am a produer/beatmaker, and also a graphic designer.

SK: When did it all start for you?

Phil: It started back in 2002, but I was not really serious then. In 2004 I met Core Wreckah, whom I have been working with ever since. So I actually immersed myself into production in 2005. The very same year I met Skebza, who greatly helped me to acquire necessary skills.

SK: You said you are a beatmaker/producer. Do you mind shedding light on the difference between the two?

Phil: A beatmaker, as the name says, is someone who just makes beats, while a producer makes the beats being the sound engineer, the composer, and manager. Hence, the producer shapes the music.

Phil-2

SK: Thus far, who have your worked with (locally and internationally) ?

Phil: Locally, I have worked with Core Wreckah, Mic Vandalists, Codi Cox, Z-Digi, and Mpho Brown (Poltergeist). Internationally I have worked with people like Hasty, Merel, Trompie, and the Academics from the US.

SK: What do you think about the standard of music in the country?

Phil: We have talented artists down here, and there is progress, but some people are less determined to come out and show off their work, while others are lazy to put more effort into perfecting their work. All in all, one could safely say that we have a long way to go. One thing that can also weaken the standard of music is lack of competition. Without much competition, artists and producers are likely to realax in lieu of working towards sharpening their skills.

Phil-1

SK: What major challenges do you come across as an unsigned producer, especially based in Lesotho?

Phil: The main challenge is that of distribution problems; every cent spent to burn CDs, print sleeves, and distribute the full product comes from my own pockets. Due to that, progress is greatly hindered. The second challenge worth mentioning is the lack of proper recording facilities. As a producer, I am negatively affected by that.

SK: I was fortunate enough to have watched Corporate Nemesis' documentary entitled "The Cipha" in which you feature. One thing that you mentioned that caught my interest is something about producers regularly meeting. Please clarify.

Phil: What I was talking about was a case where producers regularly meet to exchange ideas and skills, and show each other different useful techniques. In countries like the US, you find that many different producers come together to hold what is known as Producer's Conferences. It is in these meedtings that they learn new techniques, know each other, and exchange beats. If such conferences were held down here, our standards would rapidly improve...


To gain full access to the article, click here. Check out Phil's segment on The Cipha below. ONE!!



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Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Update on the t-shirts

1 comments
Yes y'all, this is just an update on the whole t-shirt situation I posted about here. The t-shirts have been printed, and are looking good. In case you want to place an order, leave a message/comment on the blog and we'll get back at you. Alternatively, go here to join the Nemesis Republik group on facebook.

Thebe
Code: Rep_002

In true Corporate Nemesis style, we've decided to share some of the designs with you guys. I personally think they rock, shout out to Fairo!

Alphabetical_Slaughter
Code: Rep_003

Hearts
Code: Rep_004


I_AM_Freshhh
Code: Rep_001
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Sunday, November 2, 2008

Core Wreckah and Anonymous

1 comments
Yo, peace to all. Nothing much to say really, just wanna drop this clip of a freestyle session featuring Core Wreckah with emcee extraordinaire Anonymous. The beat's provided by Dim Light. Enjoy!




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Saturday, November 1, 2008

The Cipha - Part One

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Yo!! Hope all are still well in this field of life. The post today is centred around the first part of 'The Cipha'. I shall walk you through what went into shooting the scenes, and how they were put together. So, hang on, and enjoy the ride.

Blk_ICE_3

The scene opens up with a shot of the National University of Lesotho's main entrance, then cuts into the first emcee to bless the documentary, Black Ice. We shot the scenes with a beatmaker called Symptorme (nuff shout), who assissted with some of the camera angles. During editing, we managed to get hold of some old footage which had Black Ice on it, and it became a perfect fit into the whole plot.

Blk_ICE_1

After a short interval/break in transmission, the documentary cuts into a scene of Black Ice spitting freestyles (something the man does quite well). The reason for this stylistic decision is that we had edited the second part of the documentary prior to the opening scene; actually, the opening scene was dictated by the narrator's script, which, by the way, wasn't scripted at all! This was another stylistic decision - to keep true to the tradition of the cipha, it was only fitting that the narratives should be freestyles.

Another break in transmission comes after the freestyle, and the documentary proceeds to the section where Black Ice breaks down his definition of the cipha. We used two cameras (another one courtesy of the man Symptorme), so the different angles make for quite an interesting view. Poisonfoul, another emcee from Lesotho, sits in the background as Ice carries on with his thoughts.

Blk_ICE_2

Black Ice's scene was one of last parts we shot for the documentary, but ended up being the opening part. We had already gotten the hang of the editing software, so for the hallway scene where he's freestyling, a split-screen stylistic effect was chosen. I find it quite amusing how people who have seen the documentary in my presence become boggled by this particular scene. Secret: well, there is not secret at all, we used two cameras - camera1 on the left side of the screen, and camera2 on the right, on either side of the emcee. One can even see Symptorme holding his camera if proper attention to detail is paid.

Blk_ICE_5

The documentary then reverts back to the interview where Black Ice continues to explain what the cipha means to him, amidst noise from a passerby truck (the joys of filming outside!). All in all, that's a bit of info on how this first part of the documentary was put together. If you dig it, leave comments. Please forward any questions through, we'll be happy to answer them.




Peace!!!


Friday, October 24, 2008

The Cipha - Intro

1 comments
What's the deal people??! Still staying alive I hope, and keeping positive vibes flowing. Today's post concerns a film project me and Fairo worked on towards the tail-end of 2007. It's a documentary details the gwaans in the Lesotho hip-hop circles, especially the cipha scene.

The Cipha

For them who don't know, in hip-hop terms, a cipha happens when emcees form a circle and start rapping - simple as that. It's a big thing all over the globe, and we as Corporate Nemesis wanted to get a Lesotho-based emcee's perspective on the cipha scene; how it influences/inspires them, what they get from it, etc.

We've uploaded a number of clips from the documentary on youtube (check out: www.youtube.com/nemesisRepublik), and I'll be uploading the links here on the blog and giving inside information on how the particular clip was put together.

NadaPimpin'

First up is the introduction. The beat on the clip is done by a fairly unknown Lesotho-based producer who goes under the moniker Profane Hermit. For those who don't know, the quote "Time for s**** y'all n**** ain't heard yet/ cuz the radio is repetitive bull****", is taken from a Lootpack song off of the Antidote album. Madlib recites that particular line.



Check it out; love it, hate it, and please, give some feedback. Peace!!!

Friday, October 17, 2008

Poltergeist

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Hey y'all, princes and poets across the universal sphere, what's really good? Another day, another opportunity for us to discover more about artists in our beloved land, Lesotho. Today's post is on the emcee Poltergeist, a part of the Lesotho Rhyme Force crew who is now based out in New York City.

Poltergeist_01


He's been on the scene for quite a minute now, and, through the extensive amount of work he's done with Corporate Nemesis, I've come to respect him as a well-rounded artist, fully worthy of a record label's money. Trust me, he is that good! We did some stuff with him over these past June holidays when he was at home. Didn't get a chance to edit all the tracks, but peep the link below for this one banger that he left.

Poltergeist_02

Currently, dude is down with a label called Invent Horizons (check em out on myspace, a Ney York City-based independent label founded by Jonathan Tanners about three years ago. Big things are currently in the pipeline, so keep an eye out. The following extract is taken off of Po's myspace page:

About Po

Poletrgeist as an emcee emerged from frlorida streets in Maseru, Lesotho in 2002. I started rhymin after meetin up wit my boys poison foul, kislev, spit ferrocious, and Fairo to mention a few. These catz were all emcees and i loved and still love what they do lyrically so i started spittin as well. the crew, then Cutz on Rapz, was where i grew as an emcee under the wing of Fairo and the Catz mentioned above and alot more actually... Basically that's about it...if u wanna hear more just holla at yo boy. One.

So he's on the grind, and has recently started a hip-hop society at Columbia University, the place where he's stationed. I've decided to post a good number of goodies, so check em out and leave comments in the comment box. Respect!!!

Fresh joint:

Untitled Track (Biz-ark's mix) - approx. 4MB

An interview I did with him (he comments on important issues related to emceeing, air play, and the authenticity of certain elements in hip-hop):

Poltergiest interview - approx. 8MB (10 mins.)

P.S. If you want me to post up part two of the interview, leave a comment in the box.

Oh, wait up...more goodies. Check out this video of a performance he did!!!



Now, please say thank you! Happy weekend ;-)

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Empty Tin Can event

1 comments
Word! Check out the flyer pertaining to this event.

EmptyTin

ONE!!!

Re: Nemesis Republik

0 comments
Peace to all! In case you don't know already, my man Fairo is hard on the design front, and we've got a whole clothing label concept that's taking quite a while to get off the ground. But, once that's done, it'll be HOTTT. You can join the facebook group for more updates. This is the message that's been sent out to all members of the group:

NemesisRepublik

A brand formerly know as strange fruit a.k.a. Nemesis Re:publik is dropping a limited number of "i ma fresh" units [10], on the 25th October 2008 to coincide with "DURBAN FRESH DESINGERS" exhibition hosted by [loopin' events] at KZNSA Art Galley.
Since this is the first release, an item of clothing will be going for R250.00 without shipping. The second time around the price will increased by 50% in order to discourage influx of the same material streets.
"fairo"


Peace!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Internal Affairs EP

1 comments
Quick one...what' good everyone??!! The Internal Affairs is a free, downloadable EP released by Childakapoet, under his Wes-Creations imprint based in Bloemfontein. It features production from the likes of Blacksperm, Phil the Kritik, J-one, and others. Featured emcees include Rob One (England), Isosceles (Lesotho), and Childakapoet (Bloemfontein). Here's the tracklist:

Internal_Affairs

01-intro-produced by stainless
02-food fight-rob one-produced by shoxxen
03-internal audit-childakapoet-produced by 4824
04-get pissed-isosceles-produced by phil the kritik
05-balance the scales- relevence-produced by madnotes
06-lost plane ticket-produced by stainless
07-tequiller shots-rob one and the I.O.C produced by Shaister Master/ relevence and shoxxen
08-out the gates-childakapoet-produced by blakksperm
09-rider music-l dub-produced by blakksperm
10-child raps (remix)-childakapoet-produced by J one
11-hot 16-the I.O.C feat rob one-produced by 4824
12-not okay-the I.O.C produced by 4824

And there goes the link:

Internal Affairs (approx. 39MB)

Download and enjoy. Have a blissful weekend.

P.S. Check out the cool gadget we've added on the sidebar panel. Planning to do more of those. Peace!!!


Thursday, October 9, 2008

Phil the Kritik

3 comments
Other

Peace be to all of you and yours, ladies, gentlemen, lads and lasses. Hope all are staying up, positive, and recharged to make an impact upon the world.

I've decided to do a write-up on one of Core Wreckah's favourite people to work with, the Uganda-born produer Phil the Kritik. And I would say the single most favourite, but that would just be undermining the man's [Core's] underpinning philosophy: "be cool with everyone as long as they are cool with me."

Phil's musical achievements, according to me at least, are nothing short of staggering. In a period of about two years, he has managed to go from a regular bloke to a very respected producer, held in high regard by his peers and other beings in and out of Lesotho's hip-hop circles. His profile states that he has done work with, among others, Codi Cox, MOX(one half on rap group One Clip), and Poltergeist. He is part of the Mic Vandalist crew, but also does a lot of work outside of that camp. I reckon that refusal to conform is what forms the basis for his success. Apart from that, his humility just elevates him a step higher above a good couple of producers.

Sleeve

Recently, The Kritik released a promo, Loud and Out EP, as a prelude to his forthcoming LP/compilation which goes by the same name. To be honest, I have no clue why he chose 'Loud and Out' as an album title, but it sounds cool nonetheless. Featured on the EP are an array of artists from within the Mountain Kingdom right through to North America. Now tell me, isn't that dope?!!

Before I leave, these are direct quotes from The Kritik's profile:

On Loud and Out, the profile has this to say: "Although it has been a difficult and challenging experience since it was my first music release the project helped me gain a positive attitude and increased my abilities in the production field. The mixtape features various artist from Lesotho and South-Africa."

And another quote follows...

As part of networking with other people in the production field, I have with Dj Macs on a street cred mixtape which featured a lot of Local artist from Lesotho. With the success of the street cred mixtape we are currently working on the second installment.

Kritique

Peace people, thank you for visiting. Oh, and some goodies for you to download and enjoy:

Loud and Out Vol.1 EP

And check The Kritik out on his space:

The Kritik's myspace page

N.B.You can also become friends with him on facebook. Just search for Phil Lionel.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

...the loudest nise...

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EmptyTinCanFoundation

Yo, what's good people??!! I usually stay far away from posting about stuff that I get up to, preferring, rather, to use this magnificent platform to share, expose, and perhaps liberate heard and unheard voices. But, like everyting else in life, I experience tangential moments - maybe because the event influences me in a very strong way - and decide to share what it is I get up to. Note that this by no means meant as a statement downplay nor demote some of the other things I get involved in. For this post and the next one, I shall be sharing what it is I get up to.

The person who sent me the mail I have quoted below is a strong, beautiful Venda woman who goes by the name Masana Mulaudzi. Apart from studying, she is a noteworthy poet/performer/writer (amongst many things), who believes very firmly in her work, and in the power and ability of a Higher Being to provide for whatever it is humankind may want, given that the very same humankind asks humbly. Read through it, get schooled, hate, deliberate...it is all up to you really. Pace!

This is a personal invite to each and every one of you to be a part of our Empty Tin Can Arts Showcase and Fundraiser next week Saturday, 18 October.

I have met all of you personally and find you to be amazing performers, writers, artists, actors, story tellers, photographers, musicians, poets... The list of your infinite God-given talent is humbling. You have leadership skills, are initiative takers and vision makers and this is a call to you:

Empty Tin Can, founded June 2006, is an organisation committed to reconciling artists to a need in the community. It is based on the saying "the empty tin can makes the loudest noise" and is a social commentary on artists with so much things to say and too little of a platform to do anything. And here is the opportunity to fill the empty tin can by helping us reconcile the Cape Town community with skills, hope and arts.

To date we have been working under Young In Prison, with Sent, for a few months with awaiting trial young women, bringing in artists every friday to have a skills exchange. This has proved fruitful and inspiring - the depth and magnitude which arts reaches is beyond what any Life Orientation book can teach. However, it is not enough that we as artists stop there, there is a whole world of people with creative juices flowing within them and hopeless circumstances in need of you, as skilled performers to show them how to put hope, vision and initiative into what they do using arts.

For too long, art has been the "poor man's" life, with little or no pay and indeed money pays the world to spin on its axis... But we hope that by merging life skills and career options (in partnership with an organisation called Sent) that we would not just teach people how to use arts but to make arts work for them.

At the same time, this organisation is committed to growing and expanding the vision of you as artists and what you can do for those around you. Not just painting visual images that might fade with time, or speaking words that will drift beyond the ears of men, but rather for you to make use of the canvas of young people's lives and help make an everlasting artwork.

I hope I have you all interested!

Grafitti

The Arts Showcase is going to be on 18 October 2008 and will serve as a fundraiser for our expansion next year: still working under Young in Prison, we hope to work in the juvenile male awaiting trial and sentenced section and the female juvenile awaiting trial section. We will also be working in two homes, one for boys and one for girls. And we need to raise money and on top of this we need volunteers to work with our participants and share in their lives as role models.

We need artists to perform at the showcase, who will also be interested in helping Empty Tin Can as a family reach into those communities, to perform and help us raise funds.

We also need a team of comitted leaders to take ownership of Empty Tin Can and be a part of its leadership, held accountible to the participants, the performers, the community and God. The posts available are Chair, Deputy Chair, Treasury/Finance, Logistics, HR, Curricula, Public Relations and Fundraising. These are volunteer posts and need application in the form of a CV and letter of motivation. However, volunteers are not judged by what they have already achieved but by what they aim to achieve.

If you are interested and would like to hear more please reply to this email, drop me an sms or a call back or ANYTHING (smoke signals maybe?) and I will get back to you.

Also, I know all of you, so on top of that, I will probably follow you around begging and pleading for you to help us help others...

Finally, there will be a meeting this week Thursday between 2pm and 3pm as a debrief and a QnA session on Upper Campus UCT. More information will be sent tomorrow as a confirmation.

I look forward to hearing from ALL of you... otherwise, please expect my phone call.

Be blessed,

Countless Regards,

Masana Mulaudzi

Founder, Empty Tin Can

For more information regarding the activities:

mldmas002@uct.ac.za
empty.tincan@gmail.com


Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Some good music

2 comments
Yo, wassup party people??? I'm good y'all, mic check one two.

KOLProDux

First up, shout out to KOL Productions for another perfectly-executed video in the form of Dunamis' "Time has come" (with Glory). I'll try to figure out how to embed the video on this blog (if there's a way). But yo, it's really dope!

I_AM
Shout to Fairo for the design

Next up, a certain guy called Laurentstumbled upon this blog, and mailed me requesting some Lesotho hip-hop joints (check his website out here). So I uploaded some joints featuring a number of artists, some of whom I've included in the list below. If you just want one particular track, holla at me and I'll upload it for you.

- Hymphatic Thabs: Who said (2007)
Produced by Kanife
Published by Iapetus

- Skebza: Errah (2005)
Produced by Maphoza
Published by

- Papa Zee: Mokhotsi (2006)
Produced by Papa Zee
Published by Struggle Ent./EMI music (?)

- Pasco & Anonymous: Ha Peete (2005/6)
Produced by Anonymous
Publisher unknown

- Metal Jacket & Dunamis: High stakes (2008)
Produced by Metal Jacket
Published by KOL Productions (?)

- Core Wreckah: Dooinit (2007/8)
Produced by Phil the Kritik
Published by Uhuru Underground/Corporate Nemesis

- One Clip: One Clip (2006)
Produced by Third World
Publisher unknown

- Mighty Records: Praise chants (2008)
Produced by Benni B
Published by Media Graphics

And here's the link: Lesotho Hip-hop (approx. 60MB)

(DISCLAMIER: Corporate Nemesis is only filling in an empty place in Lesotho hip-hop, which is putting music that is inaccessible from anywhere else. In case you think we are contravening any Copyright laws, mail us, we can sort it out)

Monday, September 29, 2008

Still alive

1 comments
In case you are a session visitor to this our humble blog, you might've noticed the unsettling absence of updates. Good (or bad, depending on how one looks at it) news is that I am still alive, not sure about Fairo though.

Amongst other things to look forward to:

Rah

Rattex

The man's got an album coming up. I've had the chance to hear an exclusive preview of the tracks, and they sounding hot. Will post some audio clips of performances and freestyle sessions. Otherwise, you can always check out for any details.

Thabs


Hymphatic Thabs


I figure it's time I wrote a proper review of the said artist's album. Proper music if you as me, still bumping the tracks to this day. Mind you, it's more than a year since I got it.

So yes, I'm still around. Peace and love!

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Luminaries in Lesotho's hip-hop scene

1 comments
It's been close to three weeks now, and I rose with one question at the back of my mind every morning: when shall I update the blog?? Well, by some hand of fortune, I gathered enough strength and might to holla today, and figured that Lesotho hip-hop has been making strides over the past couple of months, qualifying it as a candidate worthy of mention on these parts. So here goes a list of some of the people who've been making serious moves.
Note: this is by no means an ordered list, so please do not interpret it as some sort of 'top-five' grouping.

Z-Digital

Z-Digi: He is one of the signees on an upsurging label called Mighty Records, and dude's been on a personal grind for the better part of 2008. His launch back in May has been deemed as one of the biggest in Lesotho hip-hop; not bad for someone whom a good number of people had never heard of before. To his claim thus far is a mixtape entitled Street Culture Music Vol. 1. Check out the sleeve below, I managed to grab a hold of the copy. While it does not possess that wow factor, it is worthy of giving it a bump. Through my conversations with him, I discovered that he's begun work on another project, tentatively titled The Instruction Manual. Production shall be handled mostly by Benni B, with guest spots from, amongst others, Core Wreckah (I hope!!!).

Papa Zee

Papa Zee: It's approaching a full year now since I last heard from him, but the noise he caused with his Signature Album is still causing chills to this day. This fact is evident when one listens to radio in Lesotho, and one of the songs from the compilation gets played. It's not really his album solely, but a showcase of various signees on his Struggle Entertainment imprint. And just so that people know, he is one of the first people I know who put in mad amounts of work into the establishment - and consequent acceptance - of Lesotho hip-hop amongst people. Definitely one of my inspirations.

Dunamis

Dunamis: Now, you know that someone is making moves when you google Lesotho hip-hop and come across comments like this one. His first video, Mastered seed, received mad spins on a lot of television stations (including Channel 0 and SABC1). But the man hasn't rested on his laurels; he actually shot another video, Time has come (featuring Glory), to keep the momentum going. This time around, eTv and MTv Base have jumped on board in terms of screening the video. Not only that, his label, KOL Productions, has recently released a compilation featuring a range of artists in and out of the Mountain Kingdom. A review will follow shortly, I just have to sort a couple of things out. For more information on this guy, check out the KOL website.

Kommanda Obbs

Kommanda Obbs: I bought this guy's album immediately after hearing his tune on radio, a track called Ke lorile (produced by Dim Light). It did take me a while to sink into the rest of it, but he's definitely on point with the flow. Being that he isn't based in Maseru, I do not get to hear a lot of the stuff that he's doing. I did get to have a chat with him in July though, and he let me in on some of his plans. I'll upload what he had to say (yep, I managed to get it all on tape baby!!!), just to share with y'all. Amongst his plans, he wants to start, or, more appropriately, has started a movement called Ts'epe, which pushes distinctly Sesotho raps.
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I shall push myself to update the blog more, share whatever lies in my thoughts. And, just for old time's sake, here's the Time has come joint by Dunamis. Download, enjoy, and share. ONE!!!

Time has come - 3.3MB

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Mortal sin!!!

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Wassup people?! Sorry for not keeping my promises, but life goes on, right?

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I've been enjoying home, can't complain really. That's a picture of Core Wreckah performing in Zaire back in 1970 (actually, it's at the Poetry Buffet which was held two weeks ago at the Maseru Sun Cabanas). It was a dope event overall, shout-out to Pytur, and the whole Poetry Farm collective.

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My man Phil the Kritik is on the grind, working on his mixtape, Loud and Out Vol. 1. The tracks thus far are, to me at least, hot-a-lot (trademark that word!!!). A couple of artists are featured on it, but I won't be name-dropping lest I'm forced to re-tract my statements. It deserves a post all on its own. The lady on the picture is that pretty in real life!!!

Yo, later days. Keep warm people. Oh, the chick on the picture is that beautiful in real life! Peace!!!

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P.S. As an extra, how would this look on a t-shirt??! I know, we dope. Shout out to Fairo.