Hip Hop all grown up!!!!!!!!

From the very moment I heard  slum village and well  suga hill gang’s “rappers delight” I knew hip hop was definitely not narrow, it was not one sided it was more than just clothes it was more than a genre it was a lifestyle it was a religion. it was a feeling of joy in my soul more like a moment of comfort hip hop made me realize I was not alone hip hop made me realize life has to have meaning to have feeling, from soulful to gangster rap like the notorious BIG “mo!money mo!problems” to 2pac’s “dear mama” . To your panties rap mos def’s “brown suga sound track” and commonsense’s “faithful”, to the roots “shining star” to foreign exchange’s “I hope she’ll dream of me” its a clear indication that  hip hop can never be contained hip hop by far doesn’t need to fit in its always chosen to be different. 

. well I prefer it that way as much as we have a community of likeminded individuals who like to jam and well burn incense. we also  respect and love the culture cos to most of us its become tradition to me hip hop has been by far my longest relationship to date. I don’t have to explain myself I don’t have to be pretty or skinny or tall to get it I have to feel it move through my body like a session of meditation its my medication hip hop heals me loves me,from listening to jay dilla beats and some of the music he produced by the likes of erykah badu I find an origin that’s something I’ve always struggled with the feeling of wanting some other body to take me when I’m busy rejecting myself, listening to tumi and the volume made me realize I was making a good decision to choose hip hop to be my lawfully wedded other.

kabomo made my nights comfortable he made the tough life days so bearable and ever so short he made me see and know how the perfect match should make me feel like I was beyond the concept of conventional beauty, like a letter hip hop is romantic and chic, the truth is hip hop hasn’t changed its evolved much but that doesn’t mean he loves me less and it doesn’t mean I judge him much, we all grow up but with hip hop in my life it’s just alil easier. 

text by : SINAH GADI MOKOENA

photos by Morris 'ltb' Mohanoe

Stay Rooted

By: Girl Zinah 

Black History

Politicians 

John Tengo Jabavu (11 January 1859 - 10 September 1921)
Political activist, activist for Women’s rights and Higher Education for Blacks, took ownership of Isigidimi Sama Xhosa (the Xhosa Messenger), founded Imvo Zabantsundu(Black Opinions).
“The Black Renascence Movement”
Black History is more than just listening to beats and bumping hip hop even if the music is black or by black artists, it’s so much more than boozing and blazing, as much as bumping Dilla, Doom, Rock, Roots and Badu is too fun, and for some of us, takes us back to the days when hip hop was more of a culture and tradition than a just a mere lifestyle. It’s also about honoring the pioneers of the black movements of not only liberation but empowerment   as well .It’s about talking on more than just the identity but also letting our skin wear our thoughts and motives with pride; for we want to change people and also liberate the black society from mental captivity and social confinement and start accepting our skin as kissed by the sun and not a physical deformity we are trying to run away from.

The Cure in the Vaal Sharpeville recently hosted the annual Black History Celebration; this was its second year running since its inception last year, this welcomes the Black History month as celebrated in the US in the month of February. This event is mos’ definitely one to look out for in the social calendar in terms of the Hip Hop Community in the V sec. It hosts a lot of well known hip hop djs in the V sec, and well.. other people who think their celebrities like me haha!!!!!!!!!!!!O_O.

The event show cases which dj or up and coming under ground rapper to look out for this year. Well..the dj line up didn’t look like it shook much, we had the usual suspects: dj Optimize, Ali Kazzam, Hallal, Mo, Shimchronic, Tank1, Moho Catalyst was there, Silver G too, M.O.K was there as well, laid back and chilled, oh not forgetting Diabolic and this new kid Freshe Prince of Sharpeville, Toxiking who also performed and got the folks jamming and showing him love. All in all it was a day spent with buddies and making new ones. BLACK PRIDE (BEST EMBRACE THE BROWN).

text by : SINAH GADI MOKOENA

photos by SINAH GADI MOKOENA, Silver G