NEW MUSIC: Platinum Gee - We Not The Same (feat. Geekozi)

The Oloyol Rapper is back with another banger, do check out the new Platinum Gee track titled "We Are Not The Same"

Link: www.datafilehost.com/d/d04f1c5c

MUSIC: Meezy's New Mixtape "Stuck In The Booth" Cover & TrackList

One of September's most anticipated local Mixtapes "Stuck In The Booth" to drop on the 14th of this month... Surprisingly this is Meezy's first Mixtape, as he claims that he's never formally combined tracks as a packaged tape. The well known Swagger also goes on to reveal his tracklist and features while stating that what makes this mixtape special as it includes South African remixes, American remixes as well as original composed music. The tape also features Dope Boy Keon, an American Rapper from Minnesota Dope Boys whom which they have a track with Maino titled "50's Out"

What inspired you to title this mixtape "Stuck In The Booth"?
haha, its basically to show that I was dedicated on making this mixtape, I stayed in there a lot of hours to make sure its got quality & quantity and also the studio at Damelin has a problem with the door, you can easily get trapped in there, hence the name "Stuck In The Booth". word to Acematic & Lookie

Which are your favorite tracks on the mixtape??
uhmm.. I'd have to say Versace, New Slaves, SITB Freestyle and The Body Party.

What took you so long to release your first mixtape seeing you're a well established rapper?
Honestly I wasn't focus enough, I was busy with other features that I didn't invest enough time for myself.

After the mixtape is released, what is your next major move??
MUSIC VIDEO'S !!!! , I want my mamma to see me on Channel O soon so she knows that this wasn't for nothing. I stay repping my city all day therefore I also want to make my city proud. Radio, Blogs, Magazines, The take over is only beginning.

So there you have it folks, real hiphop taking over the streets hope you all will download and enjoy this mixtape, it'll be available 14th September... ;)

Stuck In The Booth Tracklist
01. Gods Will
02. Gusheshe (ft. Acematic)
03. New Slaves
04. Aint Worried Bout Nothing
05. With You
06. Beautiful (ft. DaKid Jay & Acematic)
07. The New Church
08. Ego Freestyle
09. Light Up
10. Confessions
11. Versace (ft. Lucky)
12. Body Party
13. Goldie
14. SITB Freestyle
15. Threestyle (ft. Jay T & Lucky)
16. Kontrol (ft. Acematic)
17. 180 (ft. Dope Boy Keon)

MUSIC: Da Les To Drop New Album

Da L.E.S is on one right now. This might just be his year. The rapper has recently been visible in media and pushing his solo music career, giving killer performances all over the country and even dropped a music video that has so many people talking. And now, he has just announced the release date for his sophomore album.

The album, simply titled “Mandela Money” will possibly drop in the last week of September. The leading single “Heaven” featuring AKA and Maggz, has already won the hearts of many. L.E.S is currently is studio finishing up one of the most anticipated local hip hop albums of 2013.

MUSIC: Arthur Mafokate Robbed And Wants His Ish Back

King of Kwaito and dance, Arthur Mafokate cries out to the public to help find his studio equipment that was stolen from his luxurious multi-million rand home in Midrand yesterday.

Mafokate who owns 999 Music record label says he is disconcerted by the break-in which lead to him losing equipment worth R400, 000.

“It’s a strange break-in. I can’t even think straight, there is usually someone inside the house but randomly yesterday no one was around to witness the burglary.

“They broke in through the door and took all my valuable equipment,” he says.

More than the money spent to purchase the studio equipment, Mafokate is pleading to get his computer hard drive back which has Chomee’s upcoming album that was to drop this festive season and other content.

He is offering a reward of R20, 000 to anyone who could help him locate the 'thugs' who went off with his equipment.

“What’s more important to me right now is to get the computer back, we have music that needs to be released. I am concerned about all the material that they went away with. Chomee’s album and other artists that are meant to launch their music are all in the hard drive.

“I am willing to forgive who ever did this, I can replace the equipment I just need my content that is in the hard drive,” Mafokate says.

Just two months back, Kalawa Jazzmee’s DJ Zinhle’s DJ school was broken into and all her equipment was stolen.

Should you have any information please contact 999 production on 082 452 1912.

via sowetanlive.co.za

Ranking Kanye West's Albums From Great To Worst

During his recent interview with The New York Times, Kanye West discussed his discography in a way he really hadn't done before. He made some bold claims, but we couldn't act like most of them weren't true. He said that 808s & Heartbreak "redefined the sound of radio," while admitting that "the fact that I can't sing that well is what makes 808s so special." Meanwhile, he called My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy a "backhanded apology."

Ye's typical candor, along with the release of his new album Yeezus this week, got fans to restart the never endingdebate: What is Kanye West's best album? Kanye has one of the most impressive rap catalogs ever, spanning six solo records and two collaborative efforts, all released in the last 10 years. We're sure you're tired of arguing. So as a personal favor to you (thank us in the comments!), we have settled it once and for all, ranking Kanye's albums from worst to best.

8. Cruel Summer (2012)

Label: G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam
Producers: Kanye West (also exec.), Che Pope (also exec.), Andrew "Pop" Wansel, Anthony Kilhoffer, Boogz & Tapez, Dan Black, Hit-Boy, Hudson Mohawke, Illmind, Jeff Bhasker, Ken Lewis, Lifted, Mano, Mannie Fresh, Mike Dean, Mike Will, The Twilite Tone, Tommy Brown, Travi$ Scott, Young Chop
Features: R. Kelly, Teyana Taylor, Jay-Z, Big Sean, Pusha T, 2 Chainz, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Cyhi the Prynce, Kid Cudi, D'banj, DJ Khaled, The-Dream, Mase, Cocaine 80s, John Legend, Travis Scott, Malik Yusef, Marsha Ambrosius, Chief Keef, Jadakiss
Sales: 438,000 copies

The best teams are said to be greater than the sum of their parts. Cruel Summer actually feels lesser than the sum of its parts. Released on September 14, just six days before the end of Summer 2012, the G.O.O.D. Music collective album is widely considered a flop, despite the fact that it boasts two smash hit singles in "Mercy" and "Clique," two legitimate bangers in "Cold" and "New God Flow" as well as an all-star remix to Chief Keef's massive "I Don't Like." Cruel Summer's undoing is its grandiosity, from the R. Kelly album opener to that unbearable "Sin City" spoken word interlude. It also suffers from lack of focus. Who exactly is part of the G.O.O.D. Music crew? One of the most prominently featured artists on the album, 2 Chainz, is not. Nor are Ma$e, Ghostface, Raekwon, Marsha Ambrosius. You know who is a part of the crew? Kanye West. Guess who we wish was on the album more? —Rob Kenner

7. Late Registration (2005)

Label: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
Producers: Kanye West, Jon Brion, Devo Springsteen, Just Blaze, Warryn Campbell
Features: Adam Levine, Lupe Fiasco, Jamie Foxx, Paul Wall, GLC, Common, The Game, Brandy, Jay-Z, Nas, Really Doe, Cam'ron, Consequence, Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, Rhymefest
Sales: 3.1 million copies

Generally, people who love Late Registration more than any other Kanye album rank Graduation at the opposite end of the list. People who think Graduation is peak-Kanye think Late Registration is the weakest of the solo releases. But the first time I heard Late Registration, I heard the Kanye West album I'd wanted to hear since before College Dropout arrived: A lush, beautiful hip-hop chamber pop album, chock full of brilliant hooks and train-stopping lines that could vacillate from hilarious ("Gold Digger") to serious ("Diamonds") to poignant ("Heard 'Em Say") and double-back again, into expertly distilled Kanye braggadocio.

The best part about revisiting Late Registration—an album that ages beautifully, and doesn't date itself at every possible juncture (hello, Graduation, with your Daft Punk and your Chris Martin and your painful Weezy verse)—being reminded of all the album's contributors that everyone often forgets. Sure, you've got Adam Levine doing the opening hook, Jay-Z throwing up the Roc, and Jamie Foxx doing his Ray Charles schtick on "Gold Digger," but what about Nas, on "We Major," on the same album as Jay, at the height of their feud?! Or Killa Cam's knock-knock verse on "Gone"? Brandy? Lupe Fiasco's career-launching verse on "Touch The Sky"? And, most notably, the presence of producer Jon Brion throughout this entire album, lending Kanye a level of technical expertise and pop mastery that he had yet to achieve on his own. Clearly, this album was crucial in terms of Kanye's career development. Is it perfect, though?

No. Hell no. The Paul Wall/Common/Game midsection suite is a trifecta of clunker beats and clunker guest verses. [ed note.: This is insane. "Drive Slow," "My Way Home" and "Crack Music" are as strong a string of songs as Kanye has ever recorded. But I'mma let Foster finish.] And do us Late Registration fans really think that any of these songs match up to the sheer genius of "Can't Tell Me Nothing" or "Champion," or that "Heard 'Em Say" compares to "Good Morning"? Of course not. But that's also why we love Late Registration: It's imperfect. It's flawed. In a lot of ways, it's quaint.

It's the last Kanye album to follow any kind of conventions (like skits, or Cam'Ron verses, both of which now seem downright precious). It's too long by at least five tracks. But it's also the last time we heard the mortal, rapper-Kanye on the mic, as opposed to stadium-status Kanye, broken-hearted-robot Kanye, outcast monster-Kanye ("KanYeti"?) or demon-deity Kanye. And the socially consciousness Kanye raps—from the "Allah-u Akbar and throw 'em some hot cars" bars that start the album, to the first verse of "Roses," to "Diamonds," and so on—are as contradictory and nuanced as they'd ever be, at least until the extremist reckoning that is Yeezus. But the reason we really love this album is best summed up by the album's closer, "Gone." It's odd. Why put Cam'ron on a closing track? Or let Consequence deliver a filler verse? Especially on this, the original Kanye-Otis Redding sample song, that already has so much going on?

Kanye's resounding response is Why not? In many ways, it's just another solid rap song, and yet, it transcends another-solid-rap-song norms, with Kanye slapping together bars too clever for their own good, and overindulging his guests. But at the end of the track, he runs through a theoretical scenario in which he abandons rap and imagines what that would be like for us, the listeners. Given the drastic tidal shift Graduation represents, the foreshadowing couldn't have been more prescient. Because that Kanye, the mortal rapper Kanye, did basically disappear after that. Years later, it still stands out as one his best verses. And it's been forgotten by many, too. "Gone" in its own way. But it's representative of the smallest (but a key) reason why we love Late Registration: Because you don't know how to. And that's fine by us. —Foster Kamer

6. 808s & Heartbreak (2008)

Label: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
Producers: Jeff Bhasker, Mr. Hudson, No I.D., Plain Pat, Kanye West
Features: Kid Cudi, Young Jeezy, Mr. Hudson, Lil Wayne
Sales: 1.7 million copies
In one of the most fan-challenging moves since Neil Young recorded a vocodered version of his folky 1960's classic "Mr. Soul" for his proto-electronica 1982 album Trans, Kanye scrapped rap for his fourth album. Relying heavily on the 21st-century version of the vocoder, Autotune, he sang his songs this time—fully realized melodies, emotive torch songs, over a cool, futuristic backdrop of all-synth R&B arrangements.

It was shocking at the time; some people thought it was a joke. But the melodies are very strong, the pain Kanye was in is tangible and moving, and as you look around today's musical landscape, 808s & Heartbreak stands as the most prominent blueprint for what's happened in the five years since it came out. —Dave Bry

5. THE COLLAGE DROPOUT(2004)

Label: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
Producers: Kareem "Biggs" Burke (exec.), Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter (exec.), Damon "Dame" Dash (exec.), Evidence, Kyambo "Hip Hop" Joshua (exec.), Kanye West (also exec.)
Features: Syleena Johnson, GLC, Consequence, Jay-Z, J. Ivy, Talib Kweli, Common, Twista, Jamie Foxx, Ludacris, Mos Def, Freeway, Boys Choir of Harlem
Sales: 3.1 million copies

Say what you will about the skits, about Kanye's drums, about the "New Workout Plan." The College Dropout was a great album. It wasn't just that Kanye West proved himself as a solo artist with the vision to become a major star. It was the moment of impact that would create a sea change in hip-hop and open the floodgates for entirely new approaches to what rappers rapped about.

He'd already shifted the sound of hip-hop on The Blueprint, blending soul music history with contemporary pop instincts; now it was time to rewrite the rules of lyrical content in hip-hop, reaching the intersection of the streets and the classrooms, the backpackers and the ballers, the underground and the pop charts. As he said on "Family Business," "A creative way to rhyme without using nines and guns."

Many of his followers focus on the latter part, but the first part—creativity—was key, too. In retrospect, it's harder to see how radical his first record really was; The College Dropout opened up a number of lanes that artists rushed to fill, and as a result, its thematic novelty is harder to see through the thicket of history. But it remains a startlingly unique, diverse record, and one of the most relatable records ever made. Funny, flawed, and emphatically human,The College Dropout may not have fully expressed what made Kanye who he was. But it created the space for him to do it. —David Drake

4. Yeezus (2013)

Label: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
Producers: Ackeejuice Rockers, Arca, Daft Punk, Mike Dean, Gesaffelstein, The Heatmakerz, Hudson Mohawke, No I.D., Rick Rubin, RZA, Travis Scott, Symbolyc One, TNGHT, Kanye West, Young Chop
Features: Chief Keef, Justin Vernon, Kid Cudi, King L
Sales: N/A
Yeezus might not go down as Kanye West's most popular album—if anything, it seems explicitly designed to alienate all kinds of fans, some of whom have run this week to J. Cole's more traditional (read: inspired by The College Dropout) approach to hip-hop, or Mac Miller's streamlined product of the dorm room canon. Rap has changed a lot since Kanye first broke out of the gate as a solo artist nearly a decade ago; back then, no major hip-hop artist would make an album about the humble beginnings of a College Dropout, and make his struggle to break into the music industry the central drama of his album. Today, those everyman stories are commonplace, so of course Kanye's taking a different tack. Where he began his career desperate for approval, he's now seemingly looking to piss fans off. No one at his level of success would think of releasing a record as confrontational and divisive as Yeezus. These days, the rappers we celebrate are successful by consensus. Kanye breaks the mold of what rap today sounds like, intending to provoke rather than soothe. The album also shows just how much he's mastered the art of bridging—or in this case, aggravating—the underlying seams of conflict between his audiences.

As time unfolds, this record will be accepted as one of his best records; despite its flawed, grotesque structure, its abrasive, brusque mood, and its unrepentant anger, there is something substantial here. It is a wholly unique album that seems to take up physical space. It won't be what you spend your summer hearing at the club (although "Send It Up" has a shot) and it isn't—thankfully—the righteous political rage many expected on the release of "New Slaves." But his lyrics will sustain, even the corny ones. Sure to be a favorite of critics ("abrasive" is critical manna, word to Death Grips), in the real world, Yeezus will divide his audience. But everyone will remember it. —David Drake

Via Complex Mag

( Stay tuned to know which album makes it to number 1)

Which one do you think best fits the number 1 position? 

NEW MUSIC: J Cole ft Nas - Let Nas Down ( Remix )

Nas responded to Cole's SOS by remaking,murking and letting Cole know he aint let Nas down. He made Nas proud.

\\

Download: http://www.sharebeast.com/udqv0wl4oyhk

EXCLUSIVE: Acematic - Stolen Beats Vol.2 [The Mixtape]

It's finally here , the hottest mixtape in the game right now. from lyrical content, to delivery to the quality. This is by far the most impressive mixtape's of the year. The upcoming GMCMRD artist has surely set the bar up high better than our leaders in this rap game but that;s just my opinion though. Please do get  a taste of this EP.

do enjoy

Download Link: www.audiomack.com/artist/acematic

NEW MUSIC: MeezyIV - New Slaves (Remix)

ahhh hell nahh, the nigga Meezy back at it again. Ya'll gonna love this one. So Meezy just confirmed with us that he working on a remix mixtape titled "Stuck In The Booth" that will be dropped on the 5th of July. Basically he done took all the hot joints and done made em even hotter. Yeezy gonna be jealous of this one. Do enjoy...

Link: http://www.audiomack.com/song/meezyiv/new-slaves

alternative link

link: http://www1.datafilehost.com/d/d4962551

NEW MUSIC - MeezyIV - Smoking Section (ft. JewJew) [Prod by Jae Maq]

MeezyIV is back at it giving us something we can expect in the "So Far So Good" Mixtape... this song may not be your typical club banger but it's definitely the type of track u can pull out a blunt and smoke to. I'd bump it in my whip... I'm sure alot of people will be able to relate to this one. Do Enjoy...

Link: http://www1.datafilehost.com/d/9414b2e0

FREE DOWNLOAD

New Music: MeezyIV & Acematic - Kontrol [Remix]

Wow, it's finally here!!! PE stand UP... the  AKA's Kontrol Video debuted a couple weeks ago and these two remix killers "Acematic & MeezyIV" decided to hop on this track and kill it. Major props to Jae Maq, the legendary producer from Motherwell, who produced this master piece. It is also rumored that Acemeezy will be working on a new mixtape together. But without any further due, check out the track.

Do Enjoy.

Link: http://www1.datafilehost.com/d/6d751eb7

New Music: Acematic - Adorn

Acematic's 3rd single from Stolen Beatz Vol.2 is finally hear and this is one special joint as you can tell by the cover *winks to the ladies*...  Stolen Beatz Vol.2 drops this June.. okay now sit back and relax and listen o this dope jam coming from the Marasdigga Rapper that you know and love #cuffyochick.

Do Enjoy

Link: http://www1.datafilehost.com/d/bf3d2971

Free Downoad

New Music: D'Banj ft Kanye West - Scapegoat + Why You Love Me.

It was D’banj weekend over in Naija pop land where not one but three tracks with differing levels of Koko Master involvement were dropped. The most high-profile of those, “Scapegoat (Remix),” features an appearance from D’banj’s G.O.O.D. Music label boss Kanye West — which finds Yeezy rapping two verses about getaways with a significant other and causing hysteria soon as [he] hop off the plane in Nigeria. The other single “Why U Love Me” is an electronic Naija pop concoction from D’banj’s collaborative D’Kings Men album. You can also grab another DKM,”Ibadi E (Let It Bounce)” featuring Olamide, Durella, K-Switch, which was made its way online this week over at NotJustOK. Stream and download “Scapegoat (Remix)” and “Why U Love Me” below.

D'Banj ft Kanye West - Scapegoat (remix):

http://okacdn.okayplayer.com/wp-content/uploads/DBanj-Records-Scapegoat-The-Fix-ft.-Kanye-West.mp3

D'Banj - Why You Love Me:

http://okacdn.okayplayer.com/wp-content/uploads/DBanj-Why-You-Love-Me.mp3

Do enjoy.

New Music: The Dream ft Jay Z - High Art

While juggling making new material for Jay-Z,The Dream is currently working on his up coming album which is yet to be announced the date release but for now do enjoy his first single.

http://soundcloud.com/the-dream/high-art-ft-jay-z

A Rise To Fame History About Rapper Kiernan Forbes - ( Stage name AKA )

No more beef. Now rap is also known as wit, acumen and a touch of arrogance

When rappers dropped “beef” as a business currency, the battle moved on to wits, business acumen, fashion sense and well thought-out marketing strategies.

Think back to the 1990s and early 2000s to the great hip-hop feuds of Tupac vs Notorious B.I.G.; Nas vs Jay-Z; Ice Cube vs Common; and Dr Dre vs Eazy E.

On these shores, the industry gasped at the latest snide remarks and poison thrown at the enemy in the cases of Brenda Fassie vs Senyaka; Mdu Masilela vs TKZee; B.O.P. vs Arthur Mafokate; Skwatta Kamp vs Jay Stash; Proverb vs Prokid; and then L-Tido vs AKA.

There was always tension and “beef” found a place in our lexicon as more than just a form of red meat, but, as Wikipedia puts it: “Controversy in which multiple rappers defame and confront each other in a number of ways.”

The times have moved on and these days the tough gangsta rappers have left the spoils for those softies of R&B such as Chris Brown vs Frank Ocean, most recently. There’s even

girl-on-girl action thrown in for good measure: Lil Kim vs Nicki Minaj; Nicki Minaj vs Mariah Carey; Etta James vs Beyoncé; and Beyoncé vs Aretha Franklin.

Enter the modern-day rap star. He is smooth, suave and well groomed. Tailored suits, designer shades in place, he could have been plucked from a catwalk in Milan. Rap has really cleaned up.

Also cleaned up is AKA, born Kiernan Forbes, South Africa’s reigning prince of rap. He came onto the scene after beefing with L-Tido over a song and he went on Facebook to diss it, but now he speaks a different language. In fact, he is the model citizen for modern rap.

Under the trees of Moyo at Zoo Lake, Joburg’s premium eating spot for tourists in a faux African village setting, the 25-year-old prince awaits.

And I am careful here because these kinds of titles often land one in a pool of controversy. But when you consider that AKA is the reigning winner of Best Male Artist at the SA Music Awards (Sama), he swept the boards at the Hip-Hop Awards, raking in four trophies, he is currently dominating the charts with his hit single Jealousy and is fresh from opening Kanye West’s concert in Joburg last weekend, I’m willing to take my chances.

He could pass for a basketball player, if only he weighed a bit more. He is tall and wears a crown of healthy black hair. As always, his eyes remain a mystery behind the Ray Bans.

The husky voice and low energy levels point to traces of a rough night or someone in need of a break. But he gets on with the interview.

His story is peculiar. His album has been out now for less than 18 months, yet he is already touted as a prince of hip-hop.

“It’s been great – many successes since the album came out. The awards have been very very nice. I’ve always wanted to win a Sama and I ended up performing with Jack Parow on the Sama stage.

“Altar Ego was a landmark album for hip-hop. If you look at the Samas, it pulled hip-hop into the mainstream. I won the best hip-hop album and best male artist and I was nominated against people like Jimmy Dludlu and other highly esteemed artists. With a lot of hard work, we managed to walk away with it.

“I want to carry on the momentum from 2011 to 2012 and now into 2013. It seems there’s no stopping us,” he reflects.

“I’m growing as an artist and a producer, which I didn’t have time for in the past. The video of Jealousy is one of the best. It raises the bar for videos in the country and I’m proud of that.”

Does he feel people are jealous of his meteoric rise to the top in such a short space of time?

“Yes, some people are.” Then he quickly shifts the focus to the song. “Well, firstly, the song is fresh. The idea of making a song about jealousy didn’t come from me. It stemmed from what the sample sounded like.

“If you listen to the lyrics, it doesn’t talk too much about jealousy, people and haters, because I really don’t like that rhetoric. It’s a great song, it’s energetic. I have a great time when I perform it and people seem to love the song.”

AKA knows, along with the industry, that in hip-hop your reputation and street cred is all you have. And beef – especially fabricated and orchestrated – will get you nowhere. Fans can see through the charade, so he keeps his eyes on the prize, which is making good music.

And the song is indeed a great precursor to what should be another good album. But he is pacing himself. “I’m gonna take my time and get it right, like

I did the first time. My next album has to be more dynamic in terms of the music in it.

“I also want to see myself have a bigger impact on the continent, and possibly have more overseas performances.”

And how he spends his time in the studio points to a consummate professional driven by passion for what he does.

“Putting together an album is a lot of stress. It’s very draining. You put your life into an album. It becomes your baby – everything you eat, sleep, breathe. Coming off the back of a successful album like Altar Ego, there’s a little more pressure I put on myself. My aim is to take risks and make great songs and great albums.”

AKA has also caught the eyes of casting agents. While his music show on the embattled TopTV fizzled out just weeks after it started, he is to feature as a reality star. This weekend he will debut on Tropika Island of Treasure, a local celebrity reality show loosely based on the popular Survivor format. This year it was shot in Jamaica.

“It was quite a lot of fun. I just went to have fun. A million rand (the show’s prize money) is not a huge fortune really.

“I’m not big on reality shows but I had good times with a great group of people,” he says.

And what attracted the TV producers to him? “I like to have fun. I like to laugh. I like to make jokes. I like to make other people laugh and I get along with everybody.

“I also stand up for what I believe in. I guess those personality traits work for me.”

On his character, AKA reveals he is more than just a rhyme-spitting smartass rapper, but is always up for a good challenge.

“I thrive under pressure for another single, people wanting to see what I’m gonna come up with next. It’s an opportunity to challenge myself and to grow as a person,” he says. “It may get a bit tiring and the schedule may be too much, but it could be worse. I could be at a desk doing a nine-to-five.”

For someone whose business thrives on attention and who trades on his talents in the public space, it’s surprising AKA doesn’t subscribe to the idea of celebrity. Instead he gets philosophical. “I don’t have a brand of celebrity. I don’t believe in celebrities. The easiest thing for me to do is to be myself.”

While beef may be irrelevant to today’s rappers, ego, arrogance and self-importance have proved to be essential ingredients. AKA is known to have a reputation for being highly strung. Feigning modesty, he says he is not arrogant. In fact, he displays some displeasure at the notion.

“I don’t pay any mind to anybody who says I’m stuck up.

I don’t even talk about it. It doesn’t excite my thinking and doesn’t factor into who I am,” he says. “My attitude has always been it doesn’t really matter what people say. It doesn’t affect the truth. The truth is what I’m living in, that’s that. The only person I have to please when it comes to stuff like that is myself.”

Our conversation takes a serious turn as we talk about lessons from the music industry.

“I’ve learnt to choose my words better, to ignore negativity, to speak up when you really believe in something in terms of creating music or videos or content – because at the end of the day you’re the one who has to perform and represent what people see and you need to follow through with your vision,” he says. “I’ve also learnt to be a private person and keep a small circle of friends.”

Rise to fame

January 28 1988 – AKA is born in Cape Town and moves to Joburg a few years later.

2002 – AKA joins friends to form hip-hop group Entity and releases their first single Touch & Go.

2005 – Entity nominated for a Kora All Africa Music Award.

2006 – Entity splits and AKA finds an office job.

2007 – hooks up with music collective IV League.\

Alongside it he helps to produce some of SA’s biggest stars such as Pro (Dankie San), Tuks (The Monopoly), Khuli Chana (MotswakOriginator), Teargas (Wafa Wafa), Psyfo (The Afterparty), JR (Y.B.R.F) and Proverb (Super Official).

2009 – Wins Best Newcomer at the Hype Awards as a solo act.

2010 – Features on MTV Base Brand New Artist show, a stamp of approval that launches him on a bigger platform. He adopts the nickname SA’s Prince of Hip-Hop and opens for Rick Ross in Cape Town.

2011 – Releases his first single Victory Lap that goes on to top the charts MetroFM for five weeks. Releases his debut album Alter Ego. And picks up gongs at the Channel O Awards and the Metro FM Music Awards and the Hip Hop Awards. He places fourth on GQ South Africa’s Top 10 Best Dressed Men.

2012 – Wins major categories at the SA Music Awards and the South African Hip-Hop Awards. Releases Jealousy off his upcoming untitled second album, the video features top South African celebrities such as Bonang Matheba, Benny McCarthy and DJ Cleo

2013 – Opens for Ne-Yo and Kanye West at their respective concerts in Joburg.

Kid Cudi: Life After Death ( 2013 Complex Mag Cover Story )

Kid Cudi’s brain is wired differently.

That’s not to say the human brain doesn’t differ from person to person, but a unique set of circumstances has shaped both the career and circuitry of 28-year-old Scott Mescudi, one of hip-hop’s most cerebral artists. Cudi’s trials and tribulations have been splashed all over these pages throughout the years: the come-up, the drug use, the birth of his daughter. As the Cudi cycle has played out in the public eye, it’s become a rinse-and-repeat formula: drop an album, take a few acting gigs, disappear until it’s time for another album. But Cudi is far from formulaic. Where many rappers and actors pursue endless press exposure, Cudder prefers seclusion. Where others are uncomfortable discussing depression and death, Cudi fluctuates between dark thoughts, funny voices, and laughter.

A visit to Cudi’s newly purchased luxe bungalow in the relatively sleepy L.A. neighborhood Los Feliz—far from his previous digs in the celebrity-stacked Hollywood Hills—reveals Cudi’s muted mind-set. Tall opaque windows line the exterior so that Cudi can see out, but onlookers can’t see in. Once you get past his bulldog, Freshie, the interior yields more clues to Cudi’s psyche: A framed hologram of Jimi Hendrix hangs on a wall near the front door. In the living room, an easel holds a white canvas with the word “immortal” painted in bold, capitalized, black letters. The word is both the name of the second single from his forthcoming release, Indicud—his fourth album in five years—and a signpost for the themes of mortality that have always been undertones in his music. Yet as brooding as one might expect Cudi’s home to be, the mood inside is bright. His protégé King Chip and another friend sit on the couch as he clicks through beats he’s created. Time is split between discussions of crafting the Cudi sound and Googling YouTube clips of Chris Farley, until a decision is made to watch Norm Macdonald’s ’90s cult-comedy Dirty Work. The night ends with an episode of AMC’s zombie apocalypse drama The Walking Dead.

I said, 'Something’s wrong with me. Why do I feel like I want to punch an elephant? Why am I so irritable?' I finally got off the pills and then I started feeling normal.

The next day Cudi’s all business. He rolls to Glenwood Place Recording Studios in his black Range Rover wearing a vintage Lakers Tee, A.P.C. jeans, and Converse Jack Purcells with the words “I’m not like them, but I can pretend” written across the toe boxes. It’s a Kurt Cobain lyric from Nirvana’s drug ballad “Dumb.” Is Cudi referring to other rappers? He’s always been a hip-hop iconoclast. But after the experimental rock EP WZRD, he’s ready to get back to rhymes and beats. In fact, he's handling most of the production on Indicud himself. Cudi's rebirth as a producer has reinvigorated his passion for hip-hop, just as his spirit has been revitalized by coming off anti-depressants following a breakup with his longtime girlfriend. As he explained on “Just What I Am,” a self-produced song that charted on the Billboard Hot 100, the pills weren’t working and he was suffering from side effects. On this overcast day in L.A. he feels sharper than ever, with a focus on rocketing himself back into the conversation about rap’s heavyweights.

Inside the studio, there’s no entourage, no girls, just Cudi, his engineer, and the Maschine, a producing tool that Chip bought him for Father’s Day. He uses it to construct a beat in the space of 30 minutes, adding keys and an electric guitar, then spits a chorus to the song with the working title “Mr. Digital.” As the engineer plays back the day’s work, Cudi does the robot, obviously pleased. Then it’s time to return to his Range Rover for a frank discussion about being and nothingness, and everything in between.

 When you were working on “Efflictim” for the WZRD EP, you said you would wake up in a terrible mood. Are you having fewer of those days now?

Hell yeah. Every day is an adventure. [Laughs.] My last relationship took a lot out of me. I needed to reboot and rebuild my life. I’m in a positive place now, a happier place. I’m enlightened. It’s better when you get older because you start to see things from a different perspective. Whether it’s love, or just trying to figure out what you’re going to do in life.

Are you enjoying being single?
I enjoy living my life for me and not by someone else’s rules. It gets lonely but the loneliness doesn’t bother me. I have time to think, time to write, time to myself. I’m winging it every day. I hope love finds me. I always hope for that. But now I’m super happy. I got my party shoes on every night.

Last time we spoke was in March. What’s been going on since then?
It’s been crazy for me. I took a trip on antidepressant lane for a little bit. After the WZRD song “Dr. Pill” everyone thought I was talking about molly or ecstasy. But I’m talking about prescription meds. I had just gotten a shrink. I was having an emotional breakdown with this breakup. I kept trying different pills for five months. It fucked me up.

You addressed that on “Just What I Am.”
They weren’t working. It was every side effect on the bottle. I couldn’t fuck. My body didn’t work. It was not good. I said, “Something’s wrong with me. What the fuck? Why do I feel like I want to punch an elephant?” [Laughs.] “Why am I so irritable?” I finally got off the pills and then I started feeling normal. My brain went back to where it needed to be. I was able to analyze things and get my shit together.

What about therapy? Was that helping you?
A year ago I wouldn’t even go to a therapist or psychiatrist. But I gave it a shot. It’s working for me but it’s not for everyone. I’ve got some fucking problems. [Laughs.] It’s good for me to talk to someone who helps me see things. I had no other choice.

I was like, “Damn, I have to take a pill in order to be OK?” It bothered me. That was a real good moment after I got off the pills. I started to feel like myself again. I was happy and shit. I don’t need anything to make me feel good. I just need to get my mind in check and stop trippin’ on bullshit. I need to stop letting motherfuckers break me down, and make me feel like shit. I got to be a little stronger for myself and for my family and my fans. I can’t be out here like some simp, letting something beat me down and make me feel like a peon. It was about reclaiming who I am. It’s like “All right, let’s go. It’s time. Fuck everyone.” [Laughs.]

Who’s everyone?
Anyone that’s ever said anything negative, anyone that’s ever doubted me. I was a nice guy early in my career, and people in the business still found a way to call me a dick. Now I’m just like, whatever man. Fuck it. I’m trying to be nice to you cocksuckers and you don’t even deserve all that. It’s war. People don’t know what cool is.

So, what’s cool?
It’s not hard to grasp. Cool is just being fucking authentic. Being yourself, being straight up. Legit—and have some type of fucking taste.

NEW MUSIC: Em-Zet-Oh - Broken Promises #FameFridays

PE's very own but residing in East London, this is Em-Zet-Oh... here's his 1st Single "Broken Promises" off his upcoming mixtape... talk about starting winter with a heat wave.

Free Download

Link: http://www1.datafilehost.com/d/f97b49eb

Do Enjoy.

5 Things You Should Consider Before Releasing Your Next Mixtape.

“If an artist doesn’t take the time to design good artwork, he most likely also didn’t take the time to buy good beats and pay for studio time at a decent studio.”

In an era of hip-hop where every Vuzu Reality show star thinks he has what it takes to make a career out of rapping, listeners have been bombarded with new mixtapes and EP’s from unknowns hoping to be the next AKA.

Having covered local hip-hop for the better part of the last two years, I’ve seen an influx of artists come and go between mixtape releases; very few leaving a lasting impression. This sparked me looking into why some mixtapes transform careers, while others go straight to the recycle bin. I’ve identified five aspects I feel rappers need to consider BEFORE releasing their next Mixtape. Look no further….

1. Artwork

As far as I’m concerned this is one of the most important, and ironically also one of the most overlooked parts of releasing a mixtape. I can understand why, because the rapper will usually be focused on creating the music and leave the artwork to his management, or a friend that’s a wiz with Microsoft Paint. The reason I place such a high emphasis on artwork is because when it comes to unknown rappers, I’ve started using artwork as a way of determining which mixtapes to download and which ones to skip.

My reasoning is simple. If an artist doesn’t take the time to design good artwork, he most likely also didn’t take the time to buy good beats and pay for studio time at a decent studio. Harsh? Maybe, but with so many mixtapes being released these days it’s impossible to download all of them; which makes your artwork the perfect first impression. Hire a graphic design student or enlist a photography student, and create the artwork that you know your mixtape deserves.

2. Marketing

Marketing has proven to be the downfall of many a good mixtape, and this happens more often than you’d think. This is a direct result of the rapper and his management having no clear plan of action when it comes to marketing and promoting the mixtape. Release dates are not abided to, tracks are released randomly, there is no selection of singles, and most frustratingly, they stop marketing the mixtape after dropping the download link.

Make sure that you and your management team work on a marketing strategy for your project. Select a release date, select suitable singles to promote, decide on channels through which the mixtape will be promoted; including how long before and after release the mixtape will be promoted. Treat your mixtape as if it was your debut album.

3. Production

As tempting as it may seem to jump on the latest Kanye West or Jay-Z instrumental, DON’T DO IT! Nobody wants to download a mixtape only to find out half of the tape consists of recycled beats taken from popular US hip-hop artists. That’s that sh*t I don’t like. If you can’t afford to buy new beats, save up until you can, and if you really have to use instrumentals, try and keep it to a minimum of 2-3 tracks on the project.

4. Concept

What is the concept of your mixtape? Do you even have one, or is it just 17 random tracks slapped together, zipped into a folder and uploaded to Hulkshare? The concept of a mixtape will usually be tied to the title of the tape, so if you’re struggling to select a mixtape title, chances are your mixtape doesn’t have a strong enough concept. Now, if I take the artwork and title into account, I can determine which mixtapes will be worth downloading without even having listened to a single track.

Before you even think of booking a studio to record, sit down with your team and conceptualise your vision first.

5. Purpose

While this may not directly affect whether or not somebody actually downloads your mixtape, it’s critical that you analyse why exactly you’re releasing a mixtape. Is it because you think you can rap and just happen to have access to a home studio? Are you passionate about what you’re doing? Do you want to make a career out of rapping?

I feel that a lot of the time people release mixtapes for the wrong reasons. They think somehow a label executive will download their mixtape, love it and sign them to a lucrative deal. Or that C-Live will be blown away by their project and playlist it on Hip-Hop PowerNights. Successful Hip-Hop careers are hard to come by in South Africa, and if you’re doing this just for a quick buck and to get some girls, please spare us from having to download and retweet a link to another dud tape.

If music is your passion then by all means go ahead and release your EP or mixtape, but please have a look at the five points I’ve mentioned in this article before you end up as just another struggle rapper with a mixtape.

Written by: Ashraf Stakala (@ASHownsCHEKA)

New Music : Acematic - 5am In Port Eli.

This is the second single off Acematic's "Stolen beatz'' mixtape vol2.

Listen,share and support local music acts.

Free download.

Link : http://www1.datafilehost.com/d/cbb693a7

Enjoy.

Pictures Of The Kanye West Concert That Shook SA.

In front of no less than 10,000 fans, Kanye West did one thing and one thing only; he shut down the Dome in Johannesburg with his unforgettable performance. Fitting that in Swahili his name means ‘Only One’, this was a one-night-only extravaganza.

On February 2, droves of eager fans dressed in white to see one of the most awarded artists of all-time perform as part of Castle Light’s Feel The Beat Experience. The tickets were sold out months before the actual show and that came as no surprise. With the Dome transformed into a distinguished glacial setting as Africa’s largest igloo, there was also a 95 meter screen, the largest ever concert screen in the Southern Hemisphere. And what’s a party without a good cause? The ‘all white’ attire was in support of Castle Light’s No Regret Friday campaign which encourages South Africans to consume alcohol responsibly and the rethink reckless behaviour towards drinking and driving.

The opening acts and talent was out of this world as the South African Hip-Hop culture was celebrated in full effect with the line-up including Hip-Hop veteran Tumi from the Volume, “Bosso” star HHP, TKZee member and kwaito original Magesh and the newest sensation in Mzansi hip hop, Zakwe. Twin DJ sensation Major League DJs and Ms Cosmo kept the crows dancing, and twerking, but the one who ultimately stole the show was AKA who appeared on-stage in a larger than life ‘ice cube’ and warmed up the stage proper for the man we fondly know as Yeezy.

2 Chainz coming to SA for Durban July.

   

We’re a lil late. We know. But what matters is that you know 2 Chainz will be headed to the country in July.

Alcohol brand, Miller, have announced that 2 Chaaaiiiiinnnnzzzz will be the live act to tear down the stage this year in the Miller Marquee, which was aptly been renamed to Miller BOOMTOWN. With 5FM as the local radio media partner, this year’s Durban July may just be the best one yet, and it’s all compliments of the Genuine Draft. Carmen Hobbs, Miller Marketing Manager, released a statement saying: “After four years of Miller being at the Vodacom Durban July, we needed to take it up a notch again in 2013″. She elaborated saying that “adding hip-hop sensation 2 Chainz to BOOMTOWN’s already steaming hot local line-up just made sense to the brand. He is a firm favorite right now with the urban youth.”

Limited tickets are on sale at Computicket with VVIP costing R2500, VIP R1600 and the General Access tickets setting you back R550. If you’re a fan you’ll be digging into your pockets to be a part of this shut down.

Follow the Miller handle @MGD_SA on Twitter and also Miller South Africa on Facebook for live updates.