36 replies to this topic

[blacknoise]

In 1982 I fell in love with Hip Hop through b-boying/breakdancing and writing/ graffiti. My crew back then was Pop Glide crew. Like most kids who fall in love with Afro-American music and culture, we also fell in-love with how cool hip hop was and how it spoke to us. Later, when many people stop b-boying we combine MCing with a b-boy show and Black Noise is born. So like many people from back then we all spoke with that slang and accent, no matter how hard they sound now. But we learnt to love how we sound and started rhyme about what we go through. We do a gang of shows for free to get a track record and just build a portfolio. The shows become our calling card and people start calling around for us to book us for school carnivals and other community based events. In 1993, I left my job as a teacher to do what is my first love - Hip Hop Culture.

Step one ... How the hell do I pay the rent. OK. I sell newspapers and recycle stuff for extra cash. At the same time I use part of the cash to call for gigs at clubs around town. Most want to know where else we performed, so we need to show our track record right... they are impressed. As we improve the show and earn more money we start to invest in ourselves. We buy a 808 and 909 drum machine and one of the crew members learn to make beats.

Step two ... We continue to do gigs for free at schools and other community based organizations. We rehearse constantly to create the best show. We ask people who have nothing to do with the group what they thought and what they liked about the show. We ask people that we meet about the process of managing a group. We start to record demos and video footage of the show, so that we can send it off to promoters and they are impressed and often bring us the JHB and P.E. clubs. We realise that their is a shortage of gigs in the townships, so we greate our own shows. Hire the venue, the sound, the make the poweters, DJs, etc and make extra cash from shows in places where people cant afford to go to clubs etc ... mostly younger kids.

Step three ... We read about getting deals as that is what everyone suggest is the way to success.. I speak to Steve Gordan of Making Music productions and Shaheen of POC to hear exactly what it is like to be signed and what it amounts to as a performer. You see you must learn from those who have gone before. The rest of the group thinks that we will be different in the recording industry, but you know how that is ... we all think that we will make the difference and that it wont happen to us ... So we sign the deal and that is the biggest lot of bullsh*t that you can go through, but you have to go through it to really know its crap here in South Africa ... everyone thinks they will have an easier route ??? .We have national tours, our videos are on TV and people know the group and the songs BUT, we starving in Durban while the show organiser is nowhere to be found. People all think you are living the life and most artists live the lie for the record labels and even keep the masses believing that its good being a signed artist ... mmmm maintaining that lie as a hip hop artists today becomes evident when they do solo albums to get some more of that cash than to divide it with the other 7 members of your crew and producers and record label ...

End of part one ... In the next part I will explain how to manage yourself and release your own album as a hip hop group or just an MC or b-boy crew or graf artist. If you have any questions or contributions for others wanting to make a living from this GOD GIVEN CULTURE , let me know and I will try to answer it when I have time or others who have the solution can assist with information. You never to old to learn and I do not have all the answers, but someone out their does.

LEARN TO SURVIVE IN HIP HOP / LIFE !!!!!
Emile YX?

[kast1]

yo Emile!!

this is some truely elevating stuff!!!!!! its an honour 4 AHH 2 hav u on this site!!! keep blessin us with ur knowledge!!!!

!P!E!A!C!E!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1

[kast1]

WTF ppl??? seemz as if u dont respect this knowledge!!!

get in here and learn!!!!!!!

~F~U~C~K~

[blacknoise]

Intro

I put this up as a test to see if hip hoppers were actually serious about their craft, skill or love for hip hop culture ... and my assumption seemed to be right. We talk all that hard lies, but are uninterested in really making a living from what we love. You see , truth be told, we love working for the man and on weekends, hip hop is that escape from the truth, when we act all hard and lie about how we're gonna blow up ... Yeah! Right really. You watched 8 mile and now you know how to make it big ... You see it is one thing to front that you love hip hop, BUT will you take that step that puts you in its hands to make a living for you and your family like you lie to your buddies, who dont believe you anyway, because you will never sacrifice that extra beers for rent money or studio time. You live too well to challenge the man ... So I hope that The African Hip Hop Community will be real about what they really feel for hip hop. Its seems that to most people Hip Hop is like the lotto, they HOPE they are gonna win. They dont want to SACRIFICE to get what they claim they want ... Stop fronting, sacrifice your security

Self management:-

Step One:- YOU MUST LEARN ... Do all you can to find out about the managing yourself from others that have done it before you. Tell them you would like to learn from them and you will find that many of them are eager to help the next generation. Call local arts and culture for places where you can get information as well as access funds for ideas you had for creating platforms for you and other MCs. Go to the meetings. YES, its boring, but if you never go, they will give the money to Ballet and Modern Jazz and Drama that never come to your community. I have been many of the meetings and hip hoppers are never at these meetings. And if they are, they never say anything to show that hip hop is more than what the mases think it is

Step Two:- Read the information and develop and plan for getting your skills seen and heard by others. As an MC this will mean writing a profile or a list of shows and references of gigs that you have done as proof that you are serious about this as your career. These people you are approaching already have a bad idea of hip hop, so dont be late or try to act like the stereotypical hip hopper with accent and unrealistic expectations. YOU BIOG and PICT needs to be direct and to the point. You need to choose what you direction as an artist or album will be so that people will know what to expect from that calling card you are leaving with them. This could later develop into a video presentation when you have the money and your history and details as an artist can then be on a website. Do not promise to do what you cant.

Step Three:- Once you are doing gigsat schools and community centres, try to get letters from them that can be used to approach sponsors to assist with a large variety of things. Your main concern should be how sponsors can enhance your performance and presentation like website, CD, DVD, tour, etc. All this is only possible with regular shows that many times should be organised by you to survive. You can also drop your CV or BIOG with advertising agents for those times when their are no shows and you need to pay the rent.

Step Four:- Managing yourself is about being honest with yourself. If you are not business minded then maybe someone else should handle that for you and you should be incharge of your show or performance. Dont lie to yourself that you can be everything, when you know you weekness.

Step Five:- When you eventually get paid gigs. Research what the crowd liked about your show and what needs to change. This will cause the show to become better and the interest in the crowd will ensure that you will hired again and again. PErFORMANCE is about paying crowd satisfaction. How do you survive if they dont wat to pay to come and see you. You being angry at them wont make them pay the next time. They pay your rent, so consider that. Yes, you want to satisfy yourself,but you need to find exciting way to do that ....

Gotta run, I have the African Hip Hop Indaba this weekend, so we will talk later OK ...

LEARN and SHARE
Emile YX?

[Uncaged Thot]

Quote

Step One:- YOU MUST LEARN ... Do all you can to find out about the managing yourself from others that have done it before you. Tell them you would like to learn from them and you will find that many of them are eager to help the next generation. Call local arts and culture for places where you can get information as well as access funds for ideas you had for creating platforms for you and other MCs. Go to the meetings. YES, its boring, but if you never go, they will give the money to Ballet and Modern Jazz and Drama that never come to your community. I have been many of the meetings and hip hoppers are never at these meetings. And if they are, they never say anything to show that hip hop is more than what the mases think it is

first of all i gotta echo Kast! it is a true blessing to have u on this site! u ooze knowledge and thank God
u are not selfish with da info u have! lotsa UNCAGED RESPECT 2 U


so how does one go about managing oneself?


poetry is an element of HipHop and that's what i do.

i have a very honest and hard working manager. i am content, im merely asking for those who would

wanna manage themselves! managing an artist of any sort is hard work that's why i'd rather have a manager to do all
the running around while i concerntrate on my art!

i'm not saying managing oneself is crap but i'm cool with how ma thing are @ d moment.

i dnt think i have enuf tym to do everything! school, work, motherhood, guitar practises, tai-chi and trust me
da list goes on!

[Bcom]

Quote

i dnt think i have enuf tym to do everything! school, work, motherhood, guitar practises, tai-chi and trust me
da list goes on!

Ya my sister u got a point. That’s why I think It might just be that much easier breaking into the industry as a group rather than a solo act. Then the pressure does not fall on one individual.

I know this is a hip-hop site but take Tkzee for example. At their prime Tokollo was the man with all the right vocals but as solo he is no where near Kabelo, he has even stated his own label and bringing new acts into the industry.

My take. Hook up with other people who are just as passionate as U are get know AND KNOW, then take on the world by yoself

[Bcom]

Quote

lotsa UNCAGED RESPECT 2 U

I like it

[Oakes]

[size=24]I couldnt help noticing the lethargy of peops to responding to what should be HipHop101 for would be rappers who wish to take their art to the next level and it does seem as if from West to South Africa its the same,everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die,posted below are my thoughts on the subject which I posted on the forum a while back,I believe it has some relevancy,good lW/African HipHop Politics/Economics,Can I get a witness?

Lets start with the obvious we have got rappers in Africa that can spit more verbals than Mobb Deep,Nas,Eminem(...um okay maybe thats pushing it),mad talented MC's(I call them bedroom rhymers) cos only their bedrooms ever get to witness the exposition of pure genius they spit to no one cept themselves they have got nothing to prove,no vain ego trips,no need to battle rhyme to prove some antiquated outmoded versions of male virility...and the world loses out,the industry loses out,we ALL lose out because the systems as we have them right now hide our shining stars,I was stunned to see my old freind Jaffaar on this website,questions we have to ask East to West North to South Africa is: why are we so weak as a power bloc in the global Hip Hop industry- 14 BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY that is as one rap afficionado said "the only industry we control and still dominate"by virtue of skin color.Answer is simple for every 1000 Ice Cubes there can only be one Eric Wright(Eazy-E)Only One Russel Simmons,Only One Damian Dash or Puff Daddy who can marry the talent to the cash register,I love my brothers in arms but I would love it more if our respective individual and subregional skills/peculiarities can translate cos it should translate,lets appreciate the skills but today to say can Africans rap is like asking can Micheal Jordan jump?Can we move units?...................helloooooooo?


So lets look at the politics of it,market,demand and supply,the Sean Combs poser:What you need to do is check your distribution"Biggest Market?Obviously Nigeria,Most organized?Obviously South Africa,Most Cohesive?Obviously the Francophone Blocs,now if all this regions have a historical record of cooperation and trade,caravans crossing the Libyan desert,Berbers chitchatting at the Pyramids,etc and our problems only began when some flaxen haired pointy nosed peops introduced articial barriers,lil thing called taxation,export duties and all,shouldnt we collapse the barries create a HipHop free trade zone,collapse the internal borders Schengen EU style and place a stranglehold on OUR intellectual property viz a viz the airwaves,the British Media hype Beckham as the best thing since sliced bread?,Brits buy that,ASIA buys that,Okey Dokey,lets replicate: We have a million TEN,TWENTY Million people across Africa that swear MC XYZ of the Kickass Crew is 3 much.Respect Eminem but BUY that bloke from Senegal with that kickass beat,that posse in Tanzania that did the collabo with Jigga cos Jigga couldnt AFFORD to ignore them.So the deal,Hip Hop has at its roots a sub versive nature,it gives its users an avenue to break out, break free,to escape from slavery,mental,physical societal or otherwise, therein is its political connontations which we HAVENT used YET,we'v turned Nigga into a title of honor,we'v forced recognition of ourselves on the world consciousness,long jump from Muhammed Ali spitting rhymes about being a "beautifuly black man"to Kanes"I'm black and Im proud"to all this white folks who wanna be us and have our babies,that my freinds is POWER.


Black people are our own worst enemies,yo let the policticians @#$! us over but pleeeease lets get it straight,business is business,there is no white or black,American or Zulu,there is rich and poor and one cant understand the language of the other,HipHop ANY HIPHOP is pure business,certain dictates hold true and will hold true for a thousand millenia,whoever produces a superior product and can make it faster cheaper distribute it faster cheaper,save the most money on overheads,WILL make it a thousand times again and again whether he be a Swahili goat herder or a redneck from Talhahasee,atheist or bigot,money respects adherence to its principles,NOT race!My fellow MC's, props you will get ad infinitum,legions of people will bob their heads and scream you are too much!,the bomb!,better than Dre!but they WONT give you a pension plan,learn how to read a balance sheet or get someone who CAN,go where the money is,after the after party,go to the BANK,talk MONEY,Understand economies of scale,Gangstarr refined the art with KRS One,Run DMC took it world wide with Mick Jagger,In Nigeria Distribution(bootleg) is controlled by cartels(an ethnicgroup that will remain nameless and blamess but which those in the know.ahem know!),together they can(and do) pool 200million dollars in 48 hoursif and when they have to ,they got money allright but no finesse,W/Africanrapper named 2 shots was a visionary how he parlayed them but the coup de grace is yet to be applied,the finishing move to take this thing into the next stratosphere is dangling right before your eyes,that globalization thing the whole corporate merger business is NOT a Western scenario its GLOBAL,my peops you gotta think GLOBALLY,act LOCALLY,in America Hip Hop is popularised by innercity disadvantaged youth,in Africa the best at it willynilly have a college degree tucked away somewhere,DONT let us wait for an N.G.O from Europe or somewhere to come be like HEY why dont you fellas do it like this and like that and work that like its astrophysics when actually we were too chickenshit to take the challenge.The Challenge is this:The talent is unquestioned,the money is there,in Africa and Diaspora,we have got voices people can listen to,THINK as a power bloc,put your people on the MAP via hiphop.Stop the hate,we playaahate toooooooooo much,took 12 men to jumpstart a whole new religion,Mohammed was just one man(SWH), COLLAPSE,marry the talent to the cash register,y'all are rappers,poets,not economists,work with the economists the finincial specialists,pool everything as in everything SKILL,KNOWLEDGE,CONTACTS,and most definitely MONEY.And you know my favourite story of all time,its about the Tower of Babel when God said "if this people speaking ONE LANGUAGE could do this then NOTHING(emphasis a million times:NOTHING!!)they put their minds to will be beyond them."Thats the Big Alpha talking y'all,Lord God Almighty agreeing that nothing a people united in purpose put their minds to is impossible,and think what happened when the first portuguese,dutch,French or British ship hit our shores:they made SURE we stopped talking,Anglophone!Francophone!Y'all know Oakes is the truth!Dont censor me,right here right now reach out,connect the dots,you KNOW I'M RIGHT!LETS TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALK![/size]

[Uncaged Thot]

yo Black noise plz bold and space your posts!
we cannot read them. they hurt the eyes. someONE,ANYONE please CO-SIGN!!!!

U HAVE VALUABLE INFO BUT IT GETS LOST IN DA UNBEARABLE TEXT!!!

YOUR TEXT BECUMS SORTA A BARRIER.....WE WANNA READ BUT IT IS TOO SMALL AND TOO

MUCH AT THE SAME TIME!!!

COMMUNICATION OVA-LOAD!!

[TeeZeR]

Uncaged Thot said:

yo Black noise plz bold and space your posts!
we cannot read them. they hurt the eyes. someONE,ANYONE please CO-SIGN!!!!

U HAVE VALUABLE INFO BUT IT GETS LOST IN DA UNBEARABLE TEXT!!!

YOUR TEXT BECUMS SORTA A BARRIER.....WE WANNA READ BUT IT IS TOO SMALL AND TOO

MUCH AT THE SAME TIME!!!

COMMUNICATION OVA-LOAD!!

I think you meant to say OAKES

[TwiG]

I agree with the whole deal on getting out there, sounds really good. But im trying to get out and gig but im not in a group. So how on earth does that work. Its cool, im doing my albumn, but i wana start gigging! Any advice?
TwiG

[MicWizard]

and How did i miss this

Yho Blacknoise keep the food for the thought coming man
i appreciate and sure hope other cats appreciate the knowledge you share
keep it coming you could nt be more right even if you tried
and to the other cats who share their knowledge and expiriences with us

.Much Respect dogs

[blacknoise]

Peace from New Jersey, USA

I finally have some time away from the madnes of self-management and able to get back to my African brothers and sisters. Last I checked someone asked about self management and others spoke of how they wanted to get others rep them instead of taking away form their creativity. Thats a good point and if you can find management that is not just a buddy that thinks they can help you, then i say take that option so that you can do what you love doing.

Self-management is needed in South Africa, because our reality is not like in the USA. We cant aford to even pay ourselves, let alone cover the cost of paying a manager. You see, whoever is dong your management, needs to know what your agenda is in detail, so that you get what you want from your career. You see , hip hop in South Africa and Africa as a whole has still not created its own following for local hip hop. We have to ask ourselves how many people really buy local hip hop in comparisson with those that buy USA hip hop. This shows that par of our marketing and management needs to dal with development of the culture and growing the audience in places where the audience does not yet exist. Hip Hop Artists in Africa are preaching to the coverted and they do not create a new following and ths its not possible to really make a living from the music as many wish to do. managemnt has to know the following:-

1. Every show that you or the artists does is their last calling card. Because you are new, you have to deliver a good performance that the people want to see. You see ... contrary to popular belief, people dont have the time to understand you as an artist or are eager to be insulted after they paid for your show. So they remember that the last time they were at your show, you sucked, so why should they go again. Also, you are the face of local hip hop, so not only are you messing up for yourself, but everyone else too.

2. As I mentioned earlier ... you have to think about your future and that people want to be entertained and get their moneys worth. you have to ask what it is that you would like to see when you go to a show as well and if you offer the people anythng that is worth the cash that they are paying. it is best to actually be honest and ask the crowd what it is that they want to see. I go to many local shows that really suck and the artists never blame themselves for the bad performances. They always blame the crowd, the sound and everything else, but never ourelves when the people did not like the show. In South Africa a hand full of groups are able to really do a show. When I say that i talk of people who pay for gigs. Goddessa is a good example of that type of group. But we also have to ask ourselves where the show is ... I was at Zula bar in Cpt to watch Goddessa and other grups. the crowd loved it and i wondered who of eveyone on that stage could rock a school ... primary and high school. who will hold the audience for a set of 30 minutes ???? Goddessa was the only one that i thought could hold that new audience. My reason for that self-questioning was to see if hip hop is really everywhere like we claim.

3. I just completed a school tour with Black Noise with 2 schools a day for the last 5 weeks ... we rocked every school. I know that kids at all that schools will love to see another Black Noise show and will remember the group. i also know that Blakc Noise have been doing the same show for very long time, so that means that kids will think twice at present if they come to more than one show, if they will come to another when they already know that it will be the same show. So thats me being honest to myself about what needs to be done to secure an ongoing fan base and following.

4. See, honesty ... brutal honesty is waht you need for yourslef to make sure that you can servive as an artist. Create your own following if you feel that others are not what you want. For eg. You want a hard crowd that listens to the rhymes, then you should spend the time to create these types of heads that pay. Speak to schools where you can attend an english class and read your rhymes slowly to them. Ask them to listen and then give each person a copy to follow what you are saying. Then you get them to ask questions about what you read and then do the rhymes as you always do and ask if they got it before they could read and follow the rhymes. You will be surprised how few actually knew what you were saying, but how many knows what is being said after you do this exerise. you are also approachable and able to answer many of the questions they had about hip hop and rhymes. This interaction is actually what MCing is about.

5. Lastly, for this session. HAVE FUN, but be creative and wise about how you plan to make the things you say a reality. I have survived from just hip hop culture for the last 13 years. you have to think about what it is that the people / audience wants. How can you give them what you love and help them help you ...

LIVE & LEARN
Emile YX?

[Black Noise]

Peace Again my Brothers and Ssisters

I thought that seeing that I have just completed a tour with Black Noise to schools in Cape Town and then travelled to the USA and now am in Sweden and will tour with Black Noise again in Norway, it would be interesting to explain how such a tour is possible.

When I first started doing these exchnages I had contacted people that I knew from these places and asked about us doing shows in their communities. It quickly became apparent that it would be too expensive for them to arrange a tour where we only performed in clubs or big venues. I then asked about doing gigs in schools like we do in South Africa. Where I asked the local schools if they were interested in us talking about anti-drugs to the youth and what they would chanrge the youth for us to do such a show. It then worked out that we were able to save up from the initial tours to buy our own sound system and then made money from that not being an expense as well. So locally in South Africa it involved understanding that we needed to be in teh communities and then be at the schools prior to say a big gig on the weekend.

Internationally this was very easily accepted in places like Sweden, Denamrk, Norway ...because they wanted to know that it was like living in South Africa. It did however take us time to reposition our grouyp fom a big show grouo to one that considered that the audience did not speak to good english and that the show should be more interactive. It was so good that we were hired to tour Sweden for three months and each Black Noise member earned about R5000 per month and also got to sell about 500 Cds and posters. We also made new friends and people who wanted us to come back every year. You see they also covered the cost of the accomodation in each town, but we were willing to live in school halls and gymnasiums. We also were willing to save up and I paid for the flights for the 5 Black Noise members, while the they would repay me that expense at the end of the tour. So YES it takes personal sacrifice and willingness to not be a superstar mentally before you are making enough money to survive.

Live and Learn
Emile YX?
Black Noise

[kast1]

man!!!!!!!!! ur knowledge is always appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

keep blessing us man!!!!!!!

~P~E~A~C~E~!~

[Black Noise]

I watch many of these young rappers and some who are not that young any longer and wonder if they are serious about making this a life-long career or is this just a hobby that they will discard when they get a real job. They do gigs as if they are superstars and already have millions of people buying their CD or supporting them. Some say that they are real and hardcore and that they dont buy face for sales ... OK, thats cool but it still does not excuse their behaviour towards the people they are performing to or sharing their skill with. Insulting the crowd will not make you sound better than you actually are. You have to admit to the fact that your show sucked and work on it. You unfortunately are not only an advert for yourself, but also for the rest of the growing South African or African hip hop culture. It thus does matter, as you are destroying a way of life for many others. I have heard many say that hip hop should not be used to make money ... please ... Our slave masters are making millions off a culture our ancestors created and they are using it in every way possible ... dehumanizing our sisters by calling them hos and brothers as drug dealing killers of other black people. If you dont want to make a living from what you love, then do a nine to five and work for the man anyway, but dont try to stop others from doing what they love and put back into their community.

This is always a difficult thing in South Arica. Most MCs or Hip Hop Groups nowadays have too much ego to do those gigs that will only get a few new converts, but it is definitely needed. It unfortunately never ends. Irrespective of the venue, you should make sure that you give the audience the best you can, as your last show is your last advert for your groups ability and dedication to the crowd. i have done shows to 3 people in a hall and at first I was like ... lets can this ... then I saw the excitement on the faces of these fans, that went out of their way to come and support my crew ... I put extra into the performance and at the end of the day these fans became some of our best friends and lifelong financial supporters. They are the ones that get others to come along to the show and support the group. Then in a short while you have hundreds who com to your gigs, then you have thousands and then millions. Its not just about TV and radio. Thise fans seldom travel to gigs and stay with the crew, as their introduction is not personal and they are easily influenced by the next media hyped crew. Those ones that come to the gig are priceless potential lifelong supporters of your crew.

You must however learn to respect them the same way that they respect you. It is easy to misuse that postion when you ae a guy group and its female fans. I am aware that it is easy to be close to sisters afetr gigs, but it is important that whatever happens is between you and that person and that the more respectful you are to these fans of yours the more you will ensure that they will be your friend or fan no matter what happens. Be discrete and not damage their reputation with trying to copy these American pornstar rappers ... you will just perpetuate a lie and in South Africa continue a short lived career as a hip hop artist. Also in Southern Africa you have to keep in mind that AIDS is more REAL than anywhere else and as a serious artist, you will live tat reaity to show respect for your fans. Also be aware that people approach you with the intention of just getting to see if you are real to what you rhyme about and you character.

These are people that will buy your t-shirts, CD, DVD, posters and attend your concerts. The more you do to show that you appreciate them, the more they will go out of their way for you. If you treat them well, they will support you and your families survival for many years to come...

Create a future for HIP HOP

[Black Noise]

The month long tour in Norway with Black Noise and Jamayka Poston is over and I am back home in sunny South Africa.

In South Africa, artists think that the best way to make money is from selling CDs. What most artists have not ye learnt and thanks to record labels,will never learn, is that you can make so much more from marketing your D on the road and selling tickets to gigs n smaller towns throughout the country. You see, people who see you on TV or hear you on radio want to see you in person and hope that they will get that opportunity. I remember back in the day when Black Noise toured to JHB, Bloem, PE, Kimberley and Durbs. It was crazy and obviously between record labels and manager, we were told it was all promotional, but when we toured on our own later on, we realised that it was very beneficial to have your CD with you for sale and posters and DVDs and t-shirts and whatever else we wanted to sell to market the group, but also make more money for ourselves. And this was all just local touring. I learnt a great deal from that and also knew that if I left an adress where they could write or laer email us, we would be able to sell more CDs to them and their friends because we were selling it for less than stores and in actual fact because we did not hae a deal, they could only buy it from us anyway. South Africa desperately needs a touring circuit for local artists and to create a listenership for the local hip hop scene. BUT, that ca only be done if locals artists create shows that have good results that will ensure that the public wan to come back for the next tour.

Now for the international tour circuit. I just toured for a month and with sales of CDs and books, I can enjoy a very lekker holiday period. People are willing to pay you well if they are given a very good show. This is the real deal ... you must deliver in performance. I am not talking about rhyme skills even ... I am just talking about putting on a good show. These places have tour circuits that artists travel through all year long and make a living on that alone. I think that we have to create our own in South Africa. You see this creates an audience willing to listen to new acts and even create a buying public. It is something that will bring artists to communities and have locals want to see more of that and not just have clbs that have cover-version groups play that crap for the old folks. Hip Hop has to follow the dancehall soundsystem way of getting their stuff out to the masses and tour that if they cant get songs on radio and you know that radio is afraid to play what does not sound like American crap here in Africa.

Well, think of that and let me know what you think. Im gonna be touring as much as I can this new year 2007. So I hope to see you around the country and hopefully get to talk some more OK.

Peace
Emile

[kk]

what u r saying is true.
as a person breakin in2 the hip hop scene
i apprieciate it and so do many others.
hip hop is a way of expressin urself
and im finally able 2 through my graffiti.
bein exposed 2 ppl's work whether it b poetry,
breakdancing or bboyin makes me feel complete.

[Black Noise]

Although it was started here with Black Noise, POC and others back in the day, it definitely has become this strange pittiful excuse loving and blame placing culture that does very little except complain about those who are doing something. This does not imply that the ones trying to get something done in the communities are doing a perfect job, but at least they are trying and thats a good thing, right.

Well, wrong, according to these hard heads that represent the underground and know what is best, but very seldom do anything about what they are saying is wrong. These MCs that insult and find fault with everything and everyone else trying to get the ball rolling, so inevitably less people assist Cape Town to get up from the flatline that is growing with all forms of the expression in CPT . I was shocked to find out that MCs in Cape Town think that the older groups are stopping them from getting bigger paid gigs???? I was shocked to find that they feel that the state of hip hop is because a few people are holding on to the resources and thus they cant grow or become successful ... mmmmm. That is some crazy slave shit if ever I heard it. Do these MCs, writers, b-boys and DJs know that these companies call these crews because they have a track record in delivering an entertaining show and thus they are called back again and again and instead of making excuses, maybe they should ask what it is that they can do to their shows to get interest from the masses. Maybe they should even try picking up the phone and calling to get shows or do presentations so that they can pitch for gigs. Maybe they should realise that people want something that they are not offerening in the form of entertainment that is not insulting the audience, but celebrating and being thankful that the crowd wants to see them. Just maybe they will admit that they are not giving the crowd what they want and thus have to create a fan base that will come to the gigs and pay to see them. Maybe thats it, they should create a market for their type of hip hop and thus when they perform those new converts will come in thousands to see their shows and thus the organiser will hire them again. You see these organisers dont care what you rhyme about, as long as you bring the crowd to the venue and get bums on seats ... thats what it boils down to. You exposing their project, product or event to as many people as they can get to the event. Thats the bottom line. They do care that you bring numbers and deliver a show and not just rap for the 5 heads in the crowd you got in for free on your guest list.

Be real men and woman and ask yourself how you can change the current hiring of the same bands. How you can battle others shows so they start hiring your group. Thats how its done. Create a better gig and win over new audiences and we don't all have to rap about the same thing (heaven forbid), but PUSH your marketing in places that it is needed to be seen and that will bring you the results you are looking. They cant hire you if they dont know about you and the bands they are hiring are just too happy to get work because the work is so scarce in Cape Town anyway. You need to do the work and I AM TELLING YOU THIS IN THE HOPE OF HELPING YOU AND NOT DISSING YOU. READ READ READ & LEARN Stop being so hard headed and take action and not just bitch about your lack of exposure. JHB and everywhere else does not give a f*ck about you and your problems, they are just to happy that its one less crew to battle for work or a deal. CAPE FLATS RISE UP FROM YOUR SLEEP, stop being SLAVES and make excuses while the rest of the world is moving forward, your making excuses and blaming others for your situation .... I feel its time I worry about me too, these ouens dont want to learn and hate you when you want to help them ... Its strange how they stay brasse only with the other ouens that are also blaming others and not doing shit for themselves. What I find amazing is how slaves direct their anger at people attempting to be revolutionary or freeing themselves, while they just love the slave master. ....

Ek het genoeg gepraat en genoeg gehelp wa ek kan. My track record praat vir syself, so is gran ouens ... ekke need a holiday van die self-distructive slave mentality. Julle might as well tik of virrie son werk, julle praat net k*k van mekaar en los 'ie slave master om te benefit. Its time to work with new laaighties that wanna learn and let these old excuse loving crews get 9-2-5's, get married and be old skool and talk about "back in the day".

Peace - Set your mind free and your body will follow
Emile YX? "If you take action and rebel, you will be cruxified" Jesus, Martin Luther King, Marcus Gravey, Steve Biko, Ashley Kriel, etc were all killed because they took action and in many cases their own people killed them .... ACTION is never popular if its against the slave master. Slaves protect their master with their lives.

[Black Noise]

Peace Brothers and Sisters.

I have been checking the reality of what hip hop has become and the seriousness of people sharing and interest in getting their work out for the masses to see and the read. But, its a sad reality that we are actually just fans of what is happening in the USA and in actual fact we are not that serious about our shouting that we wanna "blow up". From the responses that I have had and seen from the hip hop community in general ... its all just fronting and they really dont care about finding out about being able to make a living or improving their performance. Most people are just bedroom MCs and internet/ garage b-boys, or book page graff artists and thus they spend the most time complaining about shit because in actual fact they are not interested in moving from this safe spot. They wanna freestyle on MIXIT or on this site because thats actually all they want. Its also a real eye opener that most people find the REALNESS to be gangster, when thats not at all what hip hop is all about. Yes, thats a small part of it, but not all of it. People actually dont really want to learn from anyone that has not made millions, (which is their measurement of success) NO, they want to believe the rich man, who still is the white man and they front being hard and in charge, while we know who really runs the shows like MTV, BET, Channel O, EMI, BMG, etc etc ... We are still slaves and fake being free while working for the enemy. How fuck*ng cheesy and stupid is that. Well, enough complaining and pointing out the errors. Heres a solution:-

I have decided to have an audition and create a one year hands on performance scholarship for hip hop artists to go through that will involve learning and performing locally in South Africa, as well as internationally. Interested artists can mail me at emileyx@hotmail.com

Peace