Bubblegum Club

Tag: YoungstaCPT

  • AFROPUNK returns to Constitution Hill

    AFROPUNK returns to Constitution Hill

    It is fitting that the first AFROPUNK Festival to be held in South Africa took place on the historically significant Constitution Hill in Johannesburg. The festival, inspired by the documentary ‘Afro-Punk’, which spotlighted black punks in America, was first held in 2005 in New York City’s Brooklyn. Originally aiming to help black people build a community among the white dominated punk subcultures, it has grown to include a wider audience and a broader range of music, yet still highlights alternative black artists.

    With this shift away from pure punk culture towards celebrating blackness in its many forms, the festival has grown. Events are being held in Atlanta, Paris, London, and Johannesburg, with a total of more than 90 000 attendees. Utilising their platform for entertainment as well as change, the mantra of AFROPUNK is: “No Sexism, No Racism, No Ableism, No Ageism, No Homophobia, No Fatphobia, No Transphobia and No Hatefulness”. A free space for black and other bodies that do not fit into the moulds presented by mainstream media.

    Judging by the expressions and attitudes of those who attended South Africa’s first instalment of the festival, it is clear that this approach is highly welcomed in the country. For many this is a cathartic experience, beyond just the amazing music that is on offer from local and international musicians.

    And it is this fact, that the festival both provides a high standard of music along with a safe environment to enjoy it in, that has led to its success. Returning to Constitution Hill, this year’s AFROPUNK line-up is no different, with a strong balance between forward-thinking local and international artists. From the likes of Los Angeles’ future R&B superstars, The Internet and Thundercat. To experimental electronic music from Flying Lotus, who is debuting his 3D show on the African continent for the first time, to the superb dance grooves from producer Kaytranada. The legendary hip hop group Public Enemy and the queen of New Orleans bounce, Big Freedia. The international acts are a highly diverse showcase of black creativity.

    Similarly, the local acts on the line-up have all carved out niches for themselves in South Africa’s competitive music industry. They have stood out as artist that not only make a difference, but sound different. Local hip hop in its many guises is represented by Mozambique’s Azagaia and Cape Town’s YoungstaCPT, and Dope Saint Jude. Each of which are incomparable with their unique take on the art of emceeing.

    Other acts on the line-up include Joburg’s performance duo FAKA with their sound that is familiarly South African, yet utterly futuristic. As well as the sex-positive performer Moonchild Sanelly with her leanings towards Gqom and alternative pop. Joburg’s Thandiswa brings her revolutionary fusion of modern and traditional African sounds, while Nomisupasta brings a unique take on locally inspired music. Rounding off the local acts is Soweto’s BCUC, AKA Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness, with their highly energetic and emotionally charged rhythms.

    Themed THE PEOPLE RESIST, this year’s AFROPUNK is a call to action against racism, patriarchy and any form of hate. With 20 000 people descending on Constitution Hill for the first instalment of AFROPUNK Johannesburg, this year’s event promises to be even better and bring people closer together. Aside from music, the festival also encompasses Bites & Beats, Activism Row and the SPINTHRIFT Market as well as the chance to earn tickets via the Earn a Ticket programme. In the build-up to the event, the Battle of the Bands Joburg competition is held that seeks to unearth new musical talent.

    To buy your ticket click here, and keep your eyes on AFROPUNK’s social pages to find out which other acts are announced and for more details about the event.

  • Naye Ayla wants her music to articulate your emotions

    Naye Ayla wants her music to articulate your emotions

    “‘Dude, this is what you want to do with your life, you need to get the ball rolling!’ and literally within a month I recorded and released my first song” explains Naye Ayla of her decision to focus on music at the age of 18, although the Joburg based singer and songwriter has always been attracted to music and performance. “Since before primary school I used to sing in church, I’d go with my grandmother and I’d always be the lead singer in the children’s choir.”

    Although she has fond memories of her mother playing the likes of Sade, there was never a strong musical influence in her life. “The music thing was something that was my own”. Writing her first song in Grade 1, it developed into a favourite creative outlet of hers. “Writing’s just always been my thing. Writing poems, writing short stories, writing plays, things like that.“

    Having released two EPs thus far, the most recent being Exi(s)t which featured YoungstaCPT as well as her Culture Cartel band mate, Una Rams, she is currently working on her follow up EP, although a single in collaboration with Langa Mavuso and Una Rams is to be released soon. “The cool thing about the song is that it has all three of our vibes. That’s another thing I want to do in music, I don’t want to become a different person, because I’m doing another person’s vibe. But we can create a song that gives people three different feelings, that puts people in three different spaces and to me that was the most exciting part.”

    In comparison to Exi(s)t she feels her upcoming release is a lot lighter. “I feel like my transition into music made me go through a lot of things in my own mind that made me see things in a darker perspective, not like emo, just very honest and very raw. Now I’m in a lighter place, I’m in a more celebratory place and even the introspection isn’t very dark. So I think it’s a lot more relatable and it’s a bit more fun.”

    Apart from the upcoming EP, Naye’s current projects include a video for last year’s single ‘Waves’ and a residency at Hard Rock Cafe Sandton starting in mid-March, and a performance at the We Are One festival, something she wants to do more of. “I want to be on world stages, like festivals. I really enjoy the festival feel. Oppikoppi, Rocking the Daisies, Coachella, Lollapalooza, Red Bull Stages, that kind of vibe. I really like things that make you share spaces with artists that are completely different from you.”

    When it comes to her music, Naye Ayla hopes that she can connect with her listeners and help them articulate things they otherwise couldn’t. “I’ve always said that people don’t have to understand what I’m saying but if it evokes some kind of feeling, that’s all I want. I wanna speak for people who don’t know how to put their thoughts together. I’ve listened to so much music where I’m just like ‘aw that’s exactly what I wanted to say that’s what I’ve been trying to say my whole life’ and I couldn’t get it together and someone else did. I want to be able to do that, even if it’s just one person. Then my job is done.”

  • Exploring the ambiguity of winter with Ribongia

    As winter descends upon the Southern Hemisphere and days become colder, a longing for companionship and the warmth that it provides emerges. It is often the casual partners that fill this void and it is this ambiguity of feelings that is explored on Sydney-based producer Ribongia’s latest release ‘Before the Winter’.

    Playful, with tropical rhythms and an infectious groove, the track features the signature melodic raps of Sydney emcee and long time collaborator Jannah Beth, and a tempo-flipping verse by our own YoungstaCPT. The two met after Ribongia watched YoungstaCPT perform at a friend’s insistence. “I was a bit dubious at first, but once he started performing I was hooked. The next day we were in the studio!” he explains of their collaboration.

    Born in Italy, Ribongia moved to Sydney in the early 2000’s. Starting his music career as a drummer, he produced electronic music as a hobby and only took the electronic path by chance. “It was thanks to a local radio station here in Sydney. They showed support for my music early on so I decided that I was going to drop the band that I was in and concentrate on production.”

    His music includes a wide array of indigenous sounds which are inspired by his travels. “I think the world has so many amazing sounds, cultures and traditions that often are overlooked. This inspires me deeply.” On tour Jannah Beth joins him as vocalist. Explaining how they met Ribongia says “I saw Jannah perform for a local collective and was blown away. She’s a good rapper but I think there’s something real special in her voice.”

    Jannah Beth – Photography by Adam Scarf Photography

    Speaking of the writing process for ‘Before the Winter’ Jannah Beth says “that [the] first version was very different! I’d say we developed a lot of the structure, melody and mood of the song together” with the lyrics driving the concept. “The concept of the song was born through the lyrics and became a very relatable topic! I went for more of a singing approach on the track, so it was perfect to have Youngsta come in to drop the rap vibes.”

    With both ‘Before the Winter’ and it’s b-side, the instrumental but equally playful ‘Sonder’, both appearing on Ribongia’s yet-to-be named upcoming album, he hopes his music will have a positive effect on those who hear it. “[In the early 2000s] multiculturalism was celebrated and I feel the people of Sydney where proud of this stance. These days things have changed and unfortunately for the worst. I hope the music I make will inspire younger people to keep an open mind and be curious about foreign cultures.”

     

  • Uno July x YoungstaCPT – ‘Native Yards 57’ video

    Tell our readers more about you and your journey as a rapper?

    I was born and bred in Gugulethu township, Cape Town.

    What you need to know mainly is that Ill Skillz is my foundation, the inception of Ill Skillz became a catapult for everything that has shaped up for me as an artist to this day. My partner-in-rhymes Jimmy Flexx and I formed Ill Skillz in 2005 in the Gugulethu, through consistency and perseverance we grew our brand from strength-to-strength. Our main highlights being the execution of the 24 Hour Project both in Cape Town and London Red Bull Studios in consecutive years, and also getting an opportunity to perform at the CT International Jazz Fest in 2012. Our catalogue totaled up to 7 projects in a span of 10 years.

    Early 2015, we decided to take a break which became the initiation of my solo career. Today as a soloist, I’ve accomplished 3 projects and 4 videos, garnered tons of PR coverage and gig appearances.

    You describe your video as reflecting the essence of classic hip hop and celebrating music for what it is. Would you like to elaborate on this?

    Nowadays when you look at how hip hop music is generally portrayed it is glamourised or it displays all kinds of generic shit. Not that I’m against whoever decides to represent that generic image, but for me I always feel the urge to standout differently. I recall during the early days of my career with my producer by the name of Planet Earth, where we used to go crate-digging at the very same record store on the video searching for soul/funk/jazz samples to chop for our beats. In essence I decided to take that reflective approach to preserve my originality, hence the use of a old-school soul sample on the song also.

    Elaborate on the sound you created for this track?

    Having substance in my music has always been mandatory, in addition to the soulful sample that was incorporated on the production what really enhanced the song was the trap-influenced drum pattern which Desert Head the producer executed so well. In essence the sound is bridged between 2 generations, to top it all it has the 2 best lyricists from Cape Town, YoungstaCPT playing an exceptional guest role. Instinctively, I also felt that it needed a catchy hook that had an impact to complete it, with relatable quotes within the verses to complement.

    Tell our readers about the thinking behind the name of the track, “Native Yards 57” and the video’s dedication to township kids?

    The title derives from the naming of Gugulethu streets whereby each name begins with “NY” then followed by a number/code e.g. NY1, NY2, NY3… NY55, NY56, etc. This naming structure originates from the apartheid era as the “NY” stands for Native Yards, which obviously highlights a negative connotation, so I often tend to rub it in the face either way the same way African-Americans used the word “Nigger” in an endearing manner.

    As you may also see, there are young kids featured on the video who are from my NY57. Growing up there I understand the challenges of being raised under volatile circumstances especially when the area is well-known for its history in gang culture. My aim was to revive some hope and excitement in their daily lives hoping that they discover beauty in their struggles and find things that can take them off that path.

    Tell our readers about your mantra “What Up Township”?

    Haha. Funny enough this came about during the Ill Skillz-era as an inside joke involving Dudley Perkins whose an artist from Stonesthrow Records in Los Angeles. He came to perform here in Cape Town along with his partner Georgia-Anne-Muldrow around 2010 or -11, he became annoyed of the fact that the architecture style of the Cape Town buildings resonated so much with the European’s kind. So we had promised him mid-week that we would go visit the townships since he was performing there over the weekend anyway, the “Township” became the centre of our topic throughout and it eventually stuck until he said “What Up Township” on stage. It just sounded funny if you had to hear it from an American accent, but we eventually put it into good use by using it to embrace our identity and where we come from.

    Tell us about deciding to collaborate with YoungstaCPT?

    Since I became soloist, YoungstaCPT and I have been always talking about a collaboration we both aim could have a major impact for our city. Now during the time I was finishing off the Uno ‘n Only Tape I got this beat from Desert Head when he came to visit me and Kay Faith in studio. I wrote the chorus as soon as I heard it, recorded the rest of the song and sent it to Youngsta there afterwards since he was based in JHB. I could feel his excitement as well because he didn’t take long to complete it all.

    Tell us about what you think about the SA hip hop scene in general and the new wave of Cape Town rap that you and Youngsta are part of with regards to breaking down barriers in the SA hip hop industry?

    The SA hip hop scene is definitely at its all time high especially when we speak of its lucrativeness and its support has grown exponentially. Meanwhile in Cape Town, we possess a different vibe and energy which I feel is highly-necessary. Only thing it lacks evidently is the media infrastructure to match the amount of talent that already exists. YoungstaCPT and I relentlessly happen to be the bold ones to ever challenge the status quo nationally and its proven today in terms of where we are currently positioned as vanguards in the game. It had to go without even saying that lyrically and musically we stand for authenticity on incomparable levels.

    Anything else that you would like to mention in regards to the video and the track?

    The video represents authenticity at its best, which often isn’t what the general public accepts especially if it’s on mainstream platforms. So instead of targeting those platforms first I bravely decided to build its hype from the ground up by introducing it to the core fan base on the internet initially, then gradually move up. As we are speaking its currently shaping that way. I only hope for the best, just to make my hometown proud and especially those who support me.