It’s that time of the year again, when Africa’s largest hip hop festival is set to see followers of the culture take to Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown to celebrate, debate, and appreciate the life blood of our streets.
Now whether you like it or not, in these modern times, art resides where gigs take place and as far as those go, this one very seldomly disappoints. This year in fact, they are bringing one of the leading three of the seminal Griselda Records from The States.
Benny The Butcher will be on the main stage displaying his rugged and indicate art and that is but the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
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The line-up is brimming with such acts like K. Keed, Qwellers, Mr Selwyn, Usimamane and even Thebe who will be flying the kwaito flag proudly.
Back To The City (BTTC) has always seen to it that South African culture and heritage is carefully interwoven in their offering and the line-up of veteran acts this year is proof of just that.
Those of you who have a real love for local hip hop should remember a gifted wordsmith who goes by the name Zubz. His conscious flows and boom bap centred rhyme schemes live on in the minds of those who crave what is fast becoming a dying expression, true lyricism. Back in the days rappers were given props for budging an audience but it would seem that these days MC stands for more clout.
Despite the alarming shifts in both local and global hip hop, Zubz is focused on delivering a memorable set at a festival he holds so near and dear to his heart.
“It’s a big personal moment for me because it marks 20 years since my debut album Listeners Digest dropped. To get to celebrate this milestone together with the people that made it a timeless classic is huge. You know, nothing hits the spot quite like a dope stage.
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“No matter how many times you jump on one, no matter how long for, the feeling is always beautifully satisfying for me. I’m excited to be back on the BTTC stage. I have such incredible memories of the many times I jumped on that stage and I’m looking forward to the chance to add a new, powerful, and lasting memory this year.”
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Zubz-whose given name is Ndabaningi Mabunye-took a very noticeable step away from the limelight after the release of what was arguably his most successful commercial opus Cochlea-One Last Letta (2009) and says that he spends his days now on family duties.
“Being a present human is a fulltime gig! Unsurprisingly, my days are also filled with creative endeavour and the tech space. I also facilitate workshops for spaces that are focused on making this continent thrive. I collaborate and record with musicians for their projects, too. Some established, and others up-and-coming,” he passionately reveals.
Listeners digest regionalism in rap
The brother has matured and perhaps veered away from rap, but he is still the perfect person to have a conversation with about where rap is heading to right now both here at home and abroad.
“Current rap (as an activity/genre) still does what it says on the tin: reflect where society is today. You hear it in the lyrics and feel it in the beats. There is an exciting energy from the young and a promising yearning from the more experienced. I feel like hip hop (as a culture) is now well and truly decentralized with each region around the continent and the world growing in its own trajectory.
“Where there once was a global tone set in the world of hip hop, now we have more localized movements, grass-rooted and super nuanced. It is an artform and a culture that mirrors the evolution of society and SA rap is no exception to that.”
The Zambian born and Zimbabwean raised rapper does admit that is has become exceedingly more difficult to define notoriety in modern terms, never mind agreeing on how this is measured or if it is even worth seeking.
“In a time when even the assassination attempt of the most spoken about man on earth only makes news for a week, you can understand why. Our society has evolved what it means to be an artist today. In many ways, more is being asked of our creatives (musicians, actors, storytellers etc) than ever before, especially the younger, newer, lesser-known ones. But having said that, given the quality tech available more widely, even to less privileged creators (through phones and social media) it is also easier than ever to impact global audiences today.”
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He believes the culture is doing a respectable job of representing its core stakeholders in its regions.
“I find that SA hip hop has its own unique flavour that is super different to Ghanaian hip hop, or Japanese or Korean hip hop. We really have managed to bring hip hop to the grassroots in that regard. I also love how hip hop the world over continues to evolve in the hands of the youth, for whom it’s still a dominant genre and culture.”
With that said, the 48-year-old does highlight a few of the areas in which advancements could be made to better sustain the movement.
“We could probably do better as hip hop OGs at being more involved in higher levels of decision making in broader society: national governance, corporate leadership, spiritual guidance. We lack overt ‘hip hop values’ influence in these spaces, I feel.”
It has been 50 years since that now legendary block party in New York when hip hop was birthed but will it be around for another 50 years and what of its efficacy.
Zubz adopts an optimistic stance on this matter, “Well, we recently celebrated 50 years of hip-hop and I took stock of what has been achieved by the movement globally in just a single generation. We still have our founding fathers still alive today! It’s true, hip hop is still young in that sense, but when you consider how it’s become synonymous with youthful self-expression, or how it has transcended borders, races and now generations, as well as how it continues to evolve in the hands of the youngest generation even today, it’s fair to say hip hop has grown beyond its infancy.
“Here in SA, the kwaito movement, the house movement, qqom and now the amapiano movement have all fed off and into the hip hop movement. This is a similar story the world over in other regions. The art of writing, DJing, MCing, all may be evolving in their own directions, but collectively the culture of hip hop continues to thrive as it always has.”
Zubz is of the impression that global trends driven by the profit incentive may obscure the true impact of hip hop.
“It’s easy to assume that because it isn’t trending, it isn’t popular or even in existence. I remember a similar conversation happening around R&B in the 90s when hip hop exploded. R&B as a term had been around since the 40s and is still around today, in an evolved form. I believe the same is true for hip hop. My approach is a simple one; if it feels like hip hop and its dope, then it’s dope hip hop. I try not to attach too much to the superficial stuff because while the sensation may change, the feeling remains,” he says dispensing a flurry of wisdoms.
Headphone music in the world of Zubz and the prospect of new work
He comes from a different generation of rappers and although he has been diplomatic with his responses, the people he is drawn to currently are always a revealing truth of the kind of rap music he deems worthy at the moment.
“I’m a simple man: I hear dope rhymes and become a fan! So many of the current crop are sounding incredible to me. Usually, for me when I get impressed by a rapper: the voice, the storytelling, penmanship, or penwomanship and just that X-factor that makes you see the hand of God at work in their joints, these are the things I love about certain artists.
He cites Kain Keid, Mochen, Tasha Hendrix, Landrose, Zulu Mecca and Touchline as some of his go to local acts.
“I’m not close to any of them at all, but when I listen to any of these artists, I feel like I get to know them better as individuals and as a generation, all through their music; that’s how I know an artist is dope.”
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Now, when will we be getting some new music from him?
“I’m constantly writing and recording. My collaborative projects with other artists keep coming and when my next solo project arrives you will be one of the first to know. If you’re seeing this, chances are you’ll be aware of the new music when it arrives.”
The brought us around rather nicely to this notion of rappers ageing out of hip hop. We see this a lot locally where veterans seem to shy away from releasing music. Zubz believes several factors contribute to that, mainly growing responsibilities on the family front, higher risk of perceived failure, even boredom from doing the same thing repeatedly.
Zubz enjoys and still believes in the true essence of hip hop.
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“All these are typical factors that come with time spent in the game and they make seasoned creatives across genres hesitant to put out new material. In Africa especially, the cost of creating something new for established and accomplished musicians is often higher than the benefit of putting it out. It becomes harder and harder to justify the effort. You have to remember, the opportunity cost of creating and releasing at this level is extremely high.
“Some of my peers also feel like they are too boxed in by the most successful versions of themselves, and because they have evolved beyond that guy, they feel the new guy they have become is not as compelling. It used to be that rap was seen as a young-person’s sport which is played on young people’s platforms for a young audience. All these myths have been debunked now, but some rap vets still believe that to be true.”
He believes the rapid rise of technological advancements in society has seen to it that this moment in time might be the most opportune for veterans of all genres to dust their microphones off and drop new music.
Beyond BTTC and the next letta
The chance to be on stage again is one he relishes but his life has become fuller what with being a father and a husband not to mention the various other endeavours in which he is involved.
“I’m feeling good about Spring. My birthday this year meant that I have entered my creation year, so I’m excited to see that unfold over the next few seasons and beyond. The debut I dropped 20 years ago set me on the ride of my life. I can only imagine what my next debut will bring,” he proclaims excitedly.
African hip hop is ever evolving and at a blinding rate. A lot of veterans step back and enjoy the developments from the side lines. Is this to be the case for The Last Letta.
“You’re ending on a profound note here. I try not to project or pre-empt too much. I want to be surprised by life. Ours is the youngest continent on earth, demographically. We are also the most unrealised in our potential. These two things together are a beautiful conundrum for a hip hop OG like me to confront head-on!
“I have come to accept my role as a passenger on this creative journey. But my love for the continent, hip hop, spirituality, and storytelling almost guarantees that whatever awaits me won’t disappoint. I look forward to it.”
Back To The City will take place on 12 October.
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