"Hlala Phantsi" is the opener to ASAP Shembe's new two-track EP, Shembe Snacks - which is supposed to hold his fans "down before the main course". The self-produced track sees the rapper from Vosloorus switch between enthralling flows and melodies. The 2:05 running time of the song will surely leave his fans hungry for more, as the creative/visual direction of the EP suggests - the coverart design is borrowed from the BBQ flavour of popular snacks, Go-Slo's.

Emerging rapper Benzo shared the music video to her 031 Choppa-produced breakout banger and title track to her debut EP, "Kumkanikazi". Directed by Katlego Gordana & Franasonic, the visuals vividly depict the bravado of her Xhosa raps; showing her arrival in the game and her firm declaration of being a queen (ukumkanikazi). "Kumkanikazi, nawe uyayaz', yibanembeko xa uthetha nam" (kumkanikazi, you know it, show respect when you speak to me), she raps in a commanding tone in the chorus.

Mr JazziQ, Reece Madlisa, Zuma, Mpura officially link up with DJ Maphorisa & Kabza De Small for the first time on Felo Le Tee's "Nje Nje". The artists have been teasing the song in their deejay sets and performances since the beginning of the year. Amaroto and Mpura's potent delivery and energetic cadence shine through the song's buzzing bassline and fizzy synths.

For his first release of the year, Mr JazziQ enlists Lady Du, Boohle & Kabza De Small on the dance-inviting track, "Woza". Kabza De Small, whose vocally contributing to songs more as of late, and Boohle provide the underlying vox and chorus, while Lady Du takes charge with her captivating flow in the refrains. The track is already proving to be a hit since it's leak hit the streets last month.

"Khuza Gogo was actually M.J's idea," DBN Gogo reveals in a short film that dropped in anticipation for the song. The adored deejay (and all the artists involved) finally released "Khuza Gogo," after being in the works since December. The song asks uGogo (grandmother - DBN Gogo, in this instance) to khuza (rebuke) uncultured and ungovernable people, perhaps at groove.




Jeremy Loops, Shimza, Moonchild Sanelly and GoodLuck discuss what it took to build their names overseas.

Disclaimer: The conversation which this piece makes reference to took place before the COVID-19 pandemic hit South Africa.


"I said it for 10 years that I'm going to work with Beyoncé, and everybody laughed for those 10 years. And I said it with conviction. Today, I'm on a Grammy-nominated album [on a song] with Beyoncé right now," says Moonchild Sanelly referring to the song "MY POWER" in which she's featured in alongside Busiswa, Nija, Yemi Alade, Tierra Whack and of course Queen B herself. The track is a fan-favorite from the Lion King: The Gift soundtrack album curated by Beyoncé. Moonchild is pulling out these receipts to elaborate a point she just made about self-belief which helped her build a career that's recognized globally, a feat very few South African artists have achieved.


A few of those artists— Jeremy Loops, Shimza and Juliet Harding (a member of the versatile electronic band GoodLuck)—are on the podium alongside Moonchild during the Midem Africa Conference in Langa, Cape Town towards the end of February. The four musicians are in conversation with Trenton Birch, musician and founder of Bridges for Music Academy, sharing their secrets to breaking into the highly competitive and advanced music markets of mainly Europe and the US.


Shimza, whose One Man Show franchise was sold out in France in 2019, feels it's important to first build a base at home before an artist can cast their net abroad. It worked for him. "It's really important for you to build a base around the people that really understand the music so that you can have a proper solid base," he says. "Especially in the scene that we are in where we want to export the music that's not really existing anywhere else in the world. Also, for me, building that base in South Africa was a plus because then I had some sort of cushion for if I want to go overseas and they're telling me that they're only paying for my flights, I know I can finance that trip myself. If I need to run a PR campaign, I've got a bit of money from my career back here at home to finance all of those things."


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