UnderGround Style: The Motswako Nation

According to the largest online encyclopedia in the world, Wikipedia, Motswako is a Southern African genre of hip hop most popular in Botswana and South Africa. It consists of a mix of rap lyrics in both the local language (Setswana), and English layered on a steady beat. Other languages used include Zulu, French and Afrikaans as per the rapper's origin. The genre gained popularity in the late nineties as acts like Hip Hop Pantsula (Jabba) and Scar started rapping in Setswana, resulting in an increased followship from the local population.

From an underground perspective, mostwako is an every growing sub-genre of hip hop that should not be overlooked by underground MCs as commercial or sub-ordinate to other underground styles. Just like Cape Town gave birth to Spaza Rap, Mafikeng has given birth to motswako, and with more and more underground MCs preferring the style over the conventional English raps, it has become evident that motswako has firmly cemented its place in underground hip hop culture.

Acts like Jabba, Morafe and Tuks are not necessarily the pioneers or the best at the motswako style. Underground MCs like Katz, Molemi, KT and many more have been actively promoting social awareness through the motswako style and have gained a substantial following whilst doing so. This proves that though many perceive the style as a ‘good party mood tracks’, motswako should not be regarded as just that, and can be utilized to spread knowledge to those who are attracted to the style.

In Cap City, artists like Lyrical Eye and crews like Expressionists have managed to re-define the boundaries set for motswako and subsequently have brought more headz into underground hip hop. Other artists like Hakeem (Flex Boogie) have taken socially conscious lyrics and a message of power and prosperity to a national level through this style.

Disliked by many, understood by few and utilized by a minority, motswako has not only opened up another avenue for MCs to express themselves, but has also given back to the disadvantaged through financial returns. So as corporate companies pump money into motswako, underground headz should be the first to use that money and spread knowledge, social awareness and messages of peace, power and prosperity to all.

Motswako Nation Rise Up!



Pix: K Steph
Writing: Oblivious Truth

UnderGround Crew: Illumenati Getuies (DMus & Maniak)

Getuienis is an Afrikaans duo coming straight outta Cape Town with raw story telling and an in-depth representation of real life on the Cape Flats through underground hip hop culture. Made up of West coast hip hop veterans DMus and Maniak, Getuienis arrive back on the scene with their new project titled Illumenati Getuies. DMus has featured on countless mixtape's in and around Cape Town including the underground mixtape Ancient Men, produced by Hipe and released in 2001.

Their new offering is very well thought out and their content on each track leaves listeners with something to think about every time they get on the mic. Songs like “Freedom Fighters” and “A Place” are excellent examples of the struggle that this crew represents.

"Thabo Mbeki/ Julle system het nog nooit gewerkie/ My mense raak pandiete en bergies/ Want ons kry nie werkie/ Nou hoe kan julle expect, ons moet vir julle respekt/ As julle ons dis-respekt en neglect, Voetsek" – Maniak.

One half of Getuienis is Maniak. This is a guy that needs to be given a platform on the underground as soon as possible. With his socially conscious topics and messages of bringing freedom and justice to the coloured society on the Cape Flats that have been neglected by their government and leaders, Maniak inspires listeners not to accept their situation of poverty and to rise up against oppressors.


The UnderGround Angle was lucky enough to receive some music videos from DMus and Maniak with their new album. Once you take a look at the footage that is shown in these vids, you quickly realize that Illumenati Getuies is about much more than bling and money. Their honest desire to spread knowledge and awareness around the struggle that millions of South Africans go through on a daily basis is to be admired.

Tracks like DMus’ “Rymklets” and Maniak’s “Devide en Conquer” stand out as underground hits. Though the production on Illumenati Getuies leaves a lot to be desired, their content and flow more than makes up for the beats. On the music vids, you can expect to hear some classic Hipe beats such as tracks like “Rebel With A Cause”.

For more information, and to see the Getuienis music video's, look out for The UnderGround Angle's "youtube" channel launching soon.

HIP HOP LIVES!!!!!!!

UnderGround Tribute: R.I.P. Michael Jackson

R.I.P to the legend!

UnderGround Gig: Expressionists Keep It Blazing!

The highly anticipated Expressionists Keep It Warm session went down on the 12^th of June at the TUT main campus hip hop spot, Jamrock. The show served as an initiative to empower all in attendance with expression in its most natural form and help those less fortunate by collecting blankets, clothes and food. Performances by the Expressionists and an extensive selection of other underground MCs, poets and hip hop lovers from around Cap City and beyond.

Though the show went on for a while without a microphone, the poets in attendance kept the crowd entertained with scripts of valuable wisdom, love, death and hip hop. Local food outlet Romans Pizza also extended a helping hand to hip hop culture by donating two umbrellas to give the Expressionists Keep it Warm project a more professional appeal.

All together, many underprivileged families, youths and adults were able to benefit from this initiative and will be kept warm this winter through the power of hip hop.

For more information and to see the show's gallery, get on jamrockexpress.blogspot.com

Expressionists Express!!

UnderGround Review: Mothipa - Cure For The Pain

This album is a definite underground must have. Not only does it add respect to your collection of underground hip hop, but also spreads knowledge and might just teach young hopeful underground MCs a thing or two about lyricism with his new LP titled Cure For The Pain.

Addressing a range of different issues, such as crunk music and “Cap City cats who weren’t ready for his dope style”, Mothipa has put together a wonderful contribution to underground hip hop music. He starts off with an intro that clearly explains why the project had to be made, and progresses through with dope rhymes on nice beats. Tracks like “Hypnotic Hip Hop” and Industry Hijack represent him well and exhibits his excellent writing skill.

So much more could be said about Cure For The Pain but it would be best if you just copped yourself.

UnderGround Theory: June 16 Series - The Aftermath

It is ironic that the first known political activist, of the day, to be arrested was George Wauchope, who was the Chairman of the Johannesburg Central Branch of the B.P.C.

Magaute Molefe, Administrative Secretary at the Head Office of the B.P.C., followed. By the end of July 1976 almost all active members of the B.P.C. in Johannesburg had been detained, including the President, Hlaku Rachidi and the Secretary General, Thandisizwe Mazibuko.

The flood of young people into exile after the uprisings served as a serious indictment on all the liberation movements. The fact is that prior to June 1976, there wasn’t enough pressure exerted on the South African regime military either because the organisations lacked the capacity or the political will to do so.

The formation of the United Democratic Front (UDF), which the B.C. camp aptly named Uniroyal, Dunlop and Firestone after the tyre companies because of the number of necklace murders they carried out against anybody that disagreed with them or presented better arguments to their, was an effort on part of one of these organisations to show a presence in the country.

In 1978 at the Modder Bee Prison where most activists were imprisoned after the banning of the B.C. organisations, some turn coats, as one would expect them, went all out to attack the B.P.C. and the Black Consciousness Philosophy. This came as a result of a Radio Freedom broadcast which condemned the Committee of Ten – forerunner to today’s civic movement in this country – and thus the B.P.C. as “sell-outs” who deserved the firing squad. This broadcast was heard by inmates at the Modder Bee Prison.

In 1979, some of these turn coats went about telling members of the Azainian Peoples Organisation (AZAPO), which was founded on the 28th of April 1978 and had most its leadership harassed, imprisoned and banned, that if they did not disband by the end of July 1979, they would not be held responsible for what would happen to AZAPO and B.C. adherents. Several meetings called to try and address these tensions failed and that in fact was the beginning of the “politics of intolerance” and political hegemony among the oppressed in the country.

Very inflammatory statements against AZAPO in this same year by one cleric after the abortive Ted Kennedy visit to South Africa did not make things any easier.

It is indeed ironic and sad that some of the B.C. cadres that fled the country in the mid-eighties to seek political asylum in foreign countries did so not in flight from savage Boer repression, but form the UDF activists who were hunting them down with obvious intention of killing them in the savage manner that they had grown accustomed to and which had become their trademark, the necklace – Black South Africa’s curse of the century!

All these things were done with the misplaced hope that the B.C.M. would be removed from the South African political arena. How wrong they were!

CONCLUSION

The events leading up to the June16 1976 uprising, the event itself and its aftermath made a significant contribution to the freedom we enjoy in South Africa today. The courage and militancy displayed by those fearless young people on that faithful day, against armed and trigger happy apartheid soldiers, will forever be remembered in the history of South Africa. In declaring June 16 as South Africa’s Youth Day our government recognized the role played by the youth of 1976 in achieving democracy in South Africa.
President Mandela when addressing a rally on June 16 1994 remarked that “the brave young people of the 1976 generation are today eminent premiers, ministers and members of parliament. Today they are indeed the premiers and members of parliament.

Whist the Soweto uprising sparked a movement that led to the dismantling of apartheid, it is extremely tragic that so many young people were killed on the road to justice and democracy. Those schoolchildren who were murdered on June 16, 1976 will always be remembered by new generations of students in South Africa and everywhere in the world. – by Submerged Knowledge

UnderGround Ads: Album and Mixtape drops!

Durban Stand Up! Finally we see some provincial unity! big up Durbs for the effort! [heard this is hot too!!]

This guy is no stranger to the underground. Black Moss up in this!

You might remember PH from the "Money" track with Reason, Driemanskap, XO and Ben Sharpa. Definitely worth your hard earned cash!

UnderGround Theory: June 16 Series - The Uprising.

On June 16 of 1976, more than 10,000 school children went into the streets of Soweto (South Western Township) to protest against educational apartheid. As they were walking and singing peacefully for a planned rally at Orlando Football Stadium, a white policeman threw a tear-gas canister, without any warning, and throughout the rest of the riot police fired their automatic weapons on the students. At least four of the protesting youths were killed. This ignited what is known as the SOWETO UPRISING, the bloodiest episode of riots since the early sixties.

The aim of the protest by the Soweto schoolchildren was to prevent the white government enforcing Afrikaans as the language of instruction to black pupils. They already suffered discrimination with the inferior “Bantu Education” created especially by the apartheid regime.

June 16, 1976, and the defiant young black opposition to white rule, led to many South Africans of that generation stopping their studies or going into exile. Some never went back to school.

The first victim was 13 year old school boy, Hector Petersen, whose near lifeless body in the arms of Mbuyisa Makhubo came to symbolize the struggle of the youth of South Africa. A picture taken by Sam Nzima of the dying schoolboy was soon on almost every front page of every newspaper across the world.

Violence continued, engulfing the West Rand Administration Board and various Government beerhalls, as well as private businesses. The unrest went on for days and started to spread across the country, so the demands of the students became broader. They wanted all those who had been detained to be released, and they anted to end racial discrimination. The students called on their parents to stay at home and many of them did.

The students took it upon themselves to put an end to racial discrimination, and to start a revolution with the expected result. - by Unconscious Reality

UnderGround Ad: Robo The Technician

This one is also already out. You might remember Robo from Back to the City. He was the dude that Hymphatic came on stage to introduce. Mad Dope!

I wonder if he's also gettin his beats done by Kanife?? Should be interesting.

Nevertheless, this album is availible at Ritual Stores inb Newtown, Cop it now!!

UnderGround Theory: June 16 Series - Background

Today, several organisations and individuals have claimed responsibility for the uprising. However, events prior to June 16 1976 will show that no one other than the students themselves, under the leadership of the South African Students Movement (SASM), can claim responsibility. To this end, we will look at events prior to the day in terms of:

-Political trends obtaining at that time
-The Afrikaans Issue

POLITICAL TRENDS
The political balance was shifting significantly against the South African Government through a process that began with strikes in Natal, Transvaal and the Cape in 1972. In neighbouring states, Frelimo in Mozambique and the MPLA in Angola began their guerilla war against their oppressive governments. This inspired black people inside South Africa who saw other oppressed people fighting oppression and racism.
Another philosophy had begun to take root inside the country under the leadership of Steve Biko. Black Consciousness was a philosophy of black pride and a commitment to the fight for freedom. The South African Students Organisation, which played a major role in the events leading to the June 16 uprising, was born out of this philosophy.
From its inception, the South African Students Organisation (SASO) had initially placed emphasis on the psychological liberation, which was the driving force behind the student uprisings of 1976

All Black organisations that were operating above the board in that period were doing so under the broad banner of Black Consciousness (B.C.) – there was this common understanding and approach to the liberation of the country. Even organisations such as Inkatha Cultural Movement, which were at odds with the B.C.M. on a number of issues – such as operating within the Bantustan system, were appreciative of B.C.

Thus prior to 1976, the Black Community did not have the political cleavages currently obtaining. Consultations were held across known political affiliations. Therefore, the Black People’s Convention (B.P.C.) could easily consult with the known members of other organisations.

THE AFRIKAANS ISSUE

If there is anybody who could claim responsibility for the June 16 1976 Uprisings, it could be Dr Andries Treurnicht, who was then Deputy Minister of Bantu Administration, Development and Education in charge of Bantu Education, under Minister M.C. Botha. His Memorandum to School Boards, Inspectors and Principals instructing them to use Afrikaans as the medium of instruction was the direct cause of unrest.

The first group to respond to these instructions was the Tswana School Boards. As early as January 1976, these school boards in Meadowlands, Dobsonville and other areas under the Tswana School Boards had taken an attitude towards this instruction. An excerpt taken from the minutes of the Meadowlands Tswana School Board of the 20 January 1976 is instructive:

“In urban areas the education of a black child is being paid for by the White population, that is English and Afrikaans speaking people…” “…In future, if schools teach through a medium not prescribed by the department for a particular subject, examination question papers will only be set in the medium with no other option of other language.”

The objection of Tswana school boards was the control of their school boards had shifted to the Bophuthatswana government in terms of government legislation and that the central government no longer had any jurisdiction on them.

The B.P.C., through its Secretary General, Thandisizwe Mazibuko, participated in all meetings called by the Tswana School Board, together with Thomas Manthata in his capacity as an official of the Council of Churches. As a matter of fact, at the time of the outbreak of the unrest, the B.P.C. and the Tswana school board had engaged services of a lawyer to work on an interdict against the Minister.

In the meantime, the students in SOWETO had formed the Student Representative Council (S.R.C.)

The B.P.C. was in a better position to liaise with the S.R.C. in that some members of the organisation had been teachers in some of the Soweto High Schools like Ntoane, Naledi and Orlando West High.

It must however be made very clear that the planning of the march was left to the students. The weekend before the fateful June 16 day, a meeting was held between the students and members of the B.P.C. to finalise the strategy for the march.

Earlier I mentioned that the cornerstone of the B.C. philosophy was psychological liberation. The Afrikaans Issue was seen by the community and students at a large as part of a strategy National Party to oppress Black people psychologically. Thus, ways and means had to be found to counter this threat. The war of psychological liberation was therefore imminent. - by Oblivious Truth.

UnderGround Gig: Expressionists Keep It Warm for Charity.

Okay, we back. Lemme not waste any time and get straight into it.
This seems to be one of the coldest winter’s we’ve experienced since forever! In true hip hop fashion, The Expressionists in Cap City have been utilizing hip hop culture to benefit those less fortunate during these cold nights, by having blazing hot hip hop sessions and collecting blankets, toys, books, warm clothes and food parcels.

The Keep It Warm Charity Project will be running from the beginning of June until the 12th, and will end with an underground concert at TB Hall at TUT main campus. During winter, more than 500 000 thousand people in South Africa have to face the chilly weather each day and night with nothing to keep warm. Through avenues like underground hip hop, these crimes against humanity can be exposed and with the help of underground hip hop organizations like Expressionists we can all make a difference.

The Expressionists Keep It Warm concert is scheduled to go down on the 12th of June and will feature an abundance of underground talent. Live comedy, open mic sessions, killer performances and a constant flow of slam poetry can be expected.

To make a donation, simply drop your items off at the student life offices, at the residency entrances at TUT’s main campus, or at the charity concert. Entrance is free and refreshments will be sold. Come through and help sustain the spirit of Ubuntu.

For more information visit jamrockexpress.blogspot.com.

Expressionists Express!