The Rude Boyz are in Johannesburg. The trio of Andile, Masive and Menchess has begun a journey to world domination. The story of Gqom and the Rude Boyz begins in KwaZulu Natal, it is a Durban story, and while it cannot be confined to a single article or artist, it can be traced by the rise and rise of the Rude Boyz.
KwaZulu Natal is the land of rolling hills and hips, and the home of Gqom. Dancing is deeply steeped in the culture there, resulting in the most authentic centre for dance and rave culture in South Africa. Nobody gets down like Durbanites, the clubs in the city are fuelled by ecstasy and house music and it is from this scene that Gqom emerges. A subdued, deep house made to hypnotize and enchant dancers. The Rude Boyz gained recognition in this scene with their first EP; Rude Boyz, The Best. Masive, debunks his hometown celebrity status but Menchess and Andile, being high schoolers when the first EP came out, admit that their profiles have exploded somewhat since then. Their debut was followed by Rude Sounds 2, Durban House Mafia and the critically acclaimed Rude Boyz EP which reworks their most favoured tracks and has been released internationally by Goon Club All Stars.
From growing in the same street in Mount Moriah, north of Durban, to pioneering the proliferation of Gqom, the Rude Boyz are en route to big things in 2016. This tour to Johannesburg sees them in studio with Stilo Magolide, working on what they claim will be a huge hit. I don’t doubt it. Their energy is palpable, and their output is outstanding. Their music is being lauded by tastemakers and clubbers the world over, and it seems this is just the beginning.
Listen to one of their latest tunes below.