AKA AND DJ ZINHLE CALL IT QUITS

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Sipho Ramaru

In other news, the power couple, AKA and DJ Zinhle have called it quits just a month after the birth of their bundle of joy, Kairo Owethu Forbes.

The break-up comes as a surprise and sudden to fans of both the rapper and the DJ.

This derives after AKA posted on Sunday, on his Instagram account a picture of a cow being slaughtered, signaling that he has followed the Zulu customs and paid ‘Inhlawulo’, damages.

DJ Zinhle posted on her website to announce the break up and stated that baby Kairo remains their top priority. According to DJ Zinhle, this is an amicable separation and they will always be in good terms with each other for the sake of good co-parenting to their little girl

Official Statement:

After a great deal of thought, reflection and discussion we have decided to end our relationship of three years. We entered our relationship with love and it’s with love and kindness we leave it.

We both wish nothing but a great future for each other and remain dear and trusted friends as well as co-parents to our wonderful baby Kairo, whose happiness and well-being remains our number one priority.

We both deeply care for each other and remain close friends.

There will be no further statements or interviews regarding our relationship as we choose to move on with our lives. Though we choose to live our lives in the public eye we thank you for your understanding and ask for privacy during this time.

Thank you to everyone for your loyalty and support.

Kiernan Forbes (AKA) and Ntombezinhle Jiyane (DJ Zinhle)

http://momentsbydjzinhle.com/index.php/2015/08/26/amicable-separation/

HIPHOP FACTS101. . .

DID YOU KNOW FACTS ???

Did you know that the OG Mr. Warren G aka The G Funk leader, is Dr. Dre’s brother ?

#PASOP. . .THE LOCAL GAME HAS FINALLY REACHED THE HEIGHTS!!!

Pasop Artwork

Sipho Ramaru

South African hip hop continues to break barriers in the local scene. . .gradually becoming the most influential culture within the borders of our country, more especially on the youth.

I can safely say in the past decade, there has been so much growth in the culture and I can proudly state that we have procreated our own native identity.

We have now reached a point where, when a local act announce their single that’s yet to drop or hit the net, we wait in anticipation to hear what fire they spitting on the joint.

There has been so much hype around the #PASOP joint by CashTime Life’s Dee-Jay, DJ-Vigilante featuring his camp. When the project premiered on Metro-FM and the very same night, aired on GP’s hottest frequency, known to be Y-FM. . .Social networks went crazy over the track, even zanier over the Skhanda Queen’s verse.

I have to admit, at first when I heard Moozlie’s verse, I was kind of skeptical, but gave myself some time to listen to the track a few more times. That lady is killin’ the homies on that joint it’s not even funny! I like how she’s handling the pressure, growing and matching up to the standard of some of the best rappers in the game.

Kinda disappointed in my favorite rapper though….Maggz didn’t really bring his A-Game on the joint, he wasn’t that mean. He came through with a nice flow though, as always! I guess he was just being remissive towards them. . .K.O in his very nature, is a chilled out rapper and knows how to come across as laidback but still kill ish and be out! Need I say more…? Skhanda rap is his and he owns it on every joint! Ma-Eezy-Does-It! He’s always the problem child. . .You can tell by his lyrics, “Bavala ngapha, vele s’vule ngapha/ S’khuzwe ngapha, siy’suse ngale”, the homey went in well with his lyrical dexterity. He can never disappoint when it comes to spittin in vernac. The Kid with the X- factor! Like I said in my past articles, Kid-X is a problem especially when it comes to features…His verse always gets set apart from the others. He can’t be on a feature, and not be talked about!

The overall of the project is just too niceeee. . .Exactly how local flavor should be! I am now a proud fan of SA hip hop!!!

D’BANJ’S B-DAY WISH SPARK SIDE-CHICK RUMOURS…

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Sipho Ramaru


JOHANNESBURG - Social networks have been swamping with rumours that Mzansi’s ‘IT’ girl, Queen B whom we thought was now a Nigerian princess could be a ‘Side Chick’.

The South African TV and radio diva, Bonang Matheba started trending on twitter with the hashtag #Bonang, shortly after her Nigarian superstar boyfriend, D’banj took to Instagram to wish his “ex-girlfrined”, Adama Idimi a sensational happy birthday.

This left Matheba’s fans making speculations and creating what could be a worst scenario when D’banj took it up a notch and declared his love for Idimi.

Nigerian media reports that the singer, whose real name is Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo and Adama Idimi have been in an on and off love affair since the year 2011. The astounding move by D’banj comes few weeks after he made his first appearance with Bonang at the MTV Africa Music Awards, which they also kissed on live television.

D’banj also referred to Idimi as “the queen of his heart”, “his princess” and expressed how much he really loves her, stating that she is one in a life time. That’s a bit too much for what is supposed to be an ex-girlfriend wouldn’t you say?

Fans on twitter weighed in on the side chick saga and Bonang Matheba’s ex-boyfriend, DJ Euphonik didn’t waste time to get a bucket of popcorn and watch the social network drama as it unfolds:

REFILOE_#MAMAIMADEIT.31.08.15

REFILOE Artwork

Sipho Ramaru

A video for a newly dropped single is just as important as the artwork of an album cover is to the project (even a single). 
Hence artists have introduced a tradition of dropping an artwork for a single that's yet to be released, few weeks back before the track drop.

Drawing the audience and interest them to a yet to be released project, is a marketing strategy

As they would say: "A picture says a thousand words". Most of the album covers' artwork, tells a story that portrays either the whole project or the artist's life in a picture. . .same applies to a single, an artwork goes hand in hand with the single and draws an image of what the track is about.

Refiloe Phoolo, known by his stage name, Cassper Nyovest, took to twitter to announce the title of his new album and a release date for the now, much anticipated project and the album artwork (cover). REFILOE is the name of the album. I have to admit, it's a simple piece of artwork yet profound and dope. The cover on its own tells a story about Cassper Nyovest. The Phumakim hit maker also announced that the first single to come out of the album will drop on the 31^st of August 2015.

THE KID WITH THE X – FACTOR!!!

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Sipho Ramaru

If you still doubting this homey’s lyrical skills and flow…Then you need to re-evaluate your life and checkidy check yourself! One of the most talented rappers to come out of South Africa….The Kid with the X that marks the spot!

Kid X is undoubtedly that killer emcee who’s murked every feature he’s been on or jumps on. I would put him on my list of top 5 of the hottest and doppest rappers in the game right now and should get the respect!

Skhanda-Rap is some original flavor originated in our local segment. It’s dope what K.O did with that, that’s exactly what we need, artists who will create their own identity and craft their own style and path instead of following everybody else’s. But….I just think it’s not exactly Kid X’s flavor. Don’t get it twisted, this is not a diss, I’m just expressing my views as a hip hop lover and follower.

Listen to all the features Kid X is on…Starting with Amantombazane Remix, his verse caused mayhem last year and was argued over, as being the hottest verse on the song, just that some of the artists on the joint didn’t share the same sentiments.

Then he was on that Sorry Makhe joint…Another hit that came out of, probably the best year for local hip hop, 2014. He came out blazing and killed the joint!! My boy Tshego and I had a heated debate about who killed the track between Kid X and Maggz. . .Personally, I think Maggz did! But couldn’t hold back from giving the homey X credit for his sick verse, I mean respect should paid where it’s due.

Sean Pages, produced the Blind joint. . .which was genius of him to sample and incorporate old skool Kwaito sound with hip hop, something our hip hop acts are starting to do and that’s how it should, we give more credit to international artists sampling their own legends’ music than we do our own. It’s about time things changed and embrace our own culture of music. Again, the Kid murked that joint son! Now let’s go back to his own tracks. Cooler Bag, I wasn’t really impressed with the jam. Nice joint to those that love it yeah, but nah. #Seven is also another nice joint, but I feel like I’m not getting that mean murking Kid X I know!

My point here is….Kid X is one of the doppest acts in the game right now. . .It’s just Skhanda-Rap, is not really his craft, I feel like it’s not really allowing him to be himself and it confines him to a certain flavor, if you know what I mean. Yeah K.O kills it though….

MOS DEF CALLING FOR A RAP BATTLE

Lupe Fiasco has accepted a challenge from Mos Def to a rap battle that will be of benefit to the culture and the needy.

Sipho Ramaru

“No back and forth corny records, we can put it on this feed for the world to see”

Once again it’s ON in the hip hop fraternity and this time…..It’s some real classic hip hop battle.

Two of the best lyricists of all time (arguably), have agreed to a rap battle challenge and no, it ain’t beef! It’s just a battle challenge and it’s for a good course.

Yasiin Bey, better known by his former stage name Mos Def, uploaded a video on social networks, challenging any rapper who think he’s dope enough to run with the real G’s to a real rap battle and not some gimmick ish.

“Me, Black Thought and King Los versus anybody, errbody, battle anybody, I don’t care who you tell.”

Mos Def mentioned that a million dollars is on the table for charity and the winner will also get his. The Brooklyn lyricist emphasized that dudes need to stop thinking they’re dope and should sit down and relax. He further went on to say that; “just because you’re cool, don’t mean that you dope”.

This for me will be one of the biggest and classic rap battles we ever gonna witness in recent years of new skool hip hop. This definitely takes us back to the core values and objectives of hip hop as a culture. Spoken word, rap artists ripping the mic, showcasing their skills, murking each other lyrically and lyrical competence for entertainment, but most importantly, for the greater good of our people...Respect.

STRETCHER . . . ANOTHER BEEF Alert!!!

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Sipho Ramaru

Stretcher. . .whoa, nobody saw that one coming!! As much as Bongs might have contributed and produced hits for some of our most prominent hip hop figures in our local scene, was one of the hottest and intelligent producers the game has ever seen, but was that track necessary???

Bongs got social networks buzzing when he unexpectedly released a diss track to. . . .Almost everyone in hip hop. But my favorite line has to be “Slikour was better with Skwatta Kamp", uhm Bongs, maybe that’s coz Slikour is not behind the mic anymore and now into pushing his online hip hop publication.

Rappers dissing Da Les, I’m gonna say this again, that’s one rapper I believe beefing with another rappers is not even on his To-Do-List. That’s one hommie who’s more focused on pushing his career, making music and getting money like he does. . .oh and throwing the hottest All-White parties in Jozi! The issue of Cassper Nyovest, one of the hardest working rappers in the game, one of the biggest names in the game…First South African rapper to go platinum in the past decade…I don’t think rappers should still be beefing with him. Instead, they should focus on trying to achieve the success he has attained and go beyond that, because I believe a healthy competition is where one is inspired to go beyond their abilities and reach new levels that they never thought they would.

Bongs disappeared for a minute, I’m not gonna say anything based on assumptions but the hommie has been quiet for quite some time and his comeback is a diss track. That’s something else. Now, I don’t think that’s necessarily a good move. A publicity stunt maybe? Attention seeking stunt? Maybe this is just one of those wanting to be relevant again and keep up with the trend move, like most people do.

Personally, I think whoever is gonna want to entertain this would be having too much time on their hands ey. . .Like Drake said, “Cops are killing people with their arms up, and your main focus is trying to harm us”. There are real issues out there that need to be addressed, inspiration that will change someone’s life, and our rappers have so much influence on our youth, they possess the power of shaping our future! Because when they speak, the youth listen…