Wednesday, April 9, 2014

WE DO OUR OWN HIPHOP JOURNALISM



 As a Grass-Root Organizer, HipHop Activist, Poet, Emcee, Writer, Husband & a Father
i understand that there is a divide amongst the culture, such that there isn't anyone to tell our stories and no-one to report for us. Let me not mince words here! WE DO NOT HAVE HIP-HOP JOURNALISM, so we create and do our own.
With more than 15 years  experiencing the Culture i think its only right that i do this. If i do not, who else will. To some am still a ghost, because that's the beauty of being underground anyway. We don't need that fame, our main emphasis & core business is to drop gems/jewels, clarity to the chosen few. Popularity is for my little daughter, Period!

I remember calling this good friend of Mine from the News Print Media House to write up an article for my Album WIZE SCHOLAR, i was sent a Journalist. I was happy for a Second that i got a Journalist to do a write up for my Album. I was at work at that time so we got into the boardroom. I greeted him, there after i asked him this question; 
"DO YOU FOLLOW & LOVE HIP-HOP?" which he said no and he plainly told me that he had no idea and clue about it.
I Simply gave him transport money so he could go back. I told him that this is a Serious Hip-Hop Project and needed someone with some serious Hip-Hop Intel. Someone We as Hip-Hoppaz can relate to.  I simply needed a Hip-Hop Journalist, was that too hard to ask?
To this day no article has been published yet for my album. 

"SHOW ME A MALAWIAN HIP-HOP JOURNALIST & I WILL TELL YOU HE OR SHE IS AN URBAN MUSIC JOURNALIST"

Which is why this blogspot has come to play to bridge that gap. We will be our OWN Hip-Hop Journalists, We will do our own Journalism.
Do not mind my punctuation nor my lack of fancy English words, no editorial team to go through my work, but still we will be our own HipHop Journalists- like the street herbalists. PEACE!

No More Free HipHop Music Anymore!

So Apparently HipHop Artists in Malawi are brain storming on having this one idea
of not letting their creativity, artistly robbed by the consumers. By this i mean by giving out
 free music. I Have been following recent posts in the social media for sometime now,
so this is what they are advocating why music cant be given for free;

1. Money spent (Studio Fees) for the overall production
2. Time spent by the artists to come up with the output product, obviously not for free
3. Artistry though God given Talent, for one to get hold of their favorite artists, they need to invest
   visa vee thus they need to buy(pay Money) records there-by promoting their favourite artists aswel as growing the Malawian HipHop Industry. (Don't confuse with the Album Music, this is Strickly HipHop Music)
4. Artists need to survive. Consumers need to understand that this genre if well managed can be a multimillion industry here in Malawi. As such buy the music so that artists can make and earn a living out of it.
5. If you Love it, invest by buying it; Similary if we want Soda/Juice, We pay for it, why not do the same with Rap Music.
6. Do not complain as consumers that as a Genre/Culture Hip-Hop is not going anywhere. We are where we are because YOU the consumers want to rip artists off their creativity for free. I cant stress this enough but please buy the music.
7. We Understand that Malawi is a third World country thereby we do not have these credit/Debit/VISA cards where one can be enabled to buy digital music, Mechanisms are put in place to resolve this issue. However we still have western Union  where money can be sent back & forth if we really are serious in promoting our local Artists.
8. When One sows, one expects to reap out of it. Similarly this applies to this genre, As artists are investing by sowing consumers have to also invest by buying the products. Either way, there has to be

leverage and benefits.
9. If we seriously want to grow our ever weakening economy of ours lets start with the grassroots( the Youth) thus buying their music.  Rap Music as genre alone is a Multi- Billion Dollar industry. Same way we can by & by do the same here. yes we  can. We come along way to be saying no ways it wont happen.


There you have it. If you want your favorite artists to flourish, support & invest in them by buying their music.I would have loved to see the same critiques come forth buying records same way they do their critics. Love me or loath me, bottom line is you need to invest & Support the industry.

Malawian Hip-Hop Beef

Malawian Hip-hop Beef


Author : Limbani ‘LC’ Chaguluka
Malawian HIP HOP Community ‘Beef ‘ Retrogressive


“There is no need to argue and fight here, lets enjoy the Hip-hop show and go home” rapper veteran Criminal -A’s deep, calm Serene voice was heard in the turmoil. Within minutes the two groups separated from a heated argument, which was about to turn into a fight. Both of the groups did listen , and respected rapper veteran Criminal -A hence the order .Immediately everyone who was watching the commotion including the two groups who had ‘beef’ went back Inside ‘PATS’ entertainment centre near cross roads deep down Blantyre city, to finish the show which was reaching its climax. One rapper had to be declared a winner of a well organised rap show , that was in December 1995, four days prior to Christmas day.
Since 1990’s Malawian Hip-hop music has gradually been accepted among the old and young listeners , especially in 2009, when most of the rappers accepted the grim reality, that the only way they can break into the main stream market was to rhyme in our native language ‘Chichewa’. This strategy seems to have worked as we have ‘emcees’ like Young Kay and Tay grin enjoying a Significant air play on our local radio stations.
But what is causing the feud between rappers ? or in Hip-hop circles commonly known as ‘beef’. Hip-hop inherently is a competitive genre, and this can be evidently be proved by citing its own elements which constitute this beautiful culture . Hip-hop comprises of four main elements, and these are Emceeing, Graffiti, Breaking and Dee-jaying , and of course the new element ‘Entrepreneurship’ which was included, to be in synch with new direction of Hip-hop culture. Battle free styles and break dancing are some elements which promotes a quite considerable competition in this culture. However , this elements promotes what we call healthy competition in order to lever the game and promote the craft.
But Malawian rappers , American rappers , and the whole Hip-hop industry seems to have lost direction by embracing this ‘virus’ called beef, that it Is part of Hip-hop culture. This feud synonymously called ‘Beef’ in Hip-hop circles won’t help anyone promoting this infant culture locally, as a result it Is only derailing the advancement of the culture in Malawi.
As much i understand that some rappers are not keeping it ‘real’ thus in terms of not conforming to the principles of Hip-hop,we just have to accept that all rappers can’t be good, as such beefing someone because he is more entrepreneurial, and making some fortune out of this culture is retrogressive. Puffy Daddy has made millions of dollars by being a mediocre rapper, he is an entrepreneur and nobody can dispute the fact that he using one element of Hip-hop ‘Entrepreneurship’ . In our case let everybody release the music , as we advance people will get acquainted with artist’s who are doing true Hip-hop, who is in game for fame, and of course who is doing this music for self glorification. Let someone who is on commercial tip like Tay grin release his music, and let people like Third eye who are doing hardcore Hip-hop release it too.
At the of the day who are you to judge someone that you understand the craft better than the other artist ? . Both dimensions of the music currently being produced are good for the progress of our local Hip-hop culture , regardless of the grittiness of the music being realised .
In 1994 a group called Black life had leader who his followers got inspired and would listen to most of his advice, including staying away from petty issues like rap feuds, his name is King Baywell C. There were also rappers like Prince E and Tackie T who also had a substantial command from the other side of the town of Blantyre city . These men for being in the rap game for quite some time, commanded a huge respect from rookies to old rappers .This rappers squashed a lot of beefs which culminated from petty beefs. They did understood and knew the essence of eliminating ‘‘beef ‘ for sake of progress and to catapult the image of Hip-hop , which is mostly tainted with obscene language, degradation of women and violence.
The question now in 2010 is , who can act like leaders to settle this rap disputes ? for example let’s take rappers like Junior -C or Dominant -1, who have been practicing the art for the last 15 years , and we may regard these rappers as veterans among the current group of rappers . But do they have the respect and command which the old veterans displayed in the 1990’s, thus to say , can they act as mediators and settle this disputes which are too retrogressive for Malawian Hip-hop industry ? thus a discussion for another day . But for now Let’s respect one another and collaborate for the advancement of this culture . Beef is not part of Hip-hop as most people perceive it , therefore take all necessary precautions to avoid it at all cost, it’s pure counter-productive.

CLASS IN SESSION- HIPHOP 101

HipHop 101, back to the basics- We are trying as much as possible to break it down to all newbies in the HipHop Culture.
I know most are aware about the codes, but i know most dont know what HipHop is.

Hip Hop is a broad conglomerate of artistic forms that originated within a marginalized Subculture in South Bronx  among black and Latino youth during the 1970s. It is characterized by four distinct elements, all of which represent the different manifestations of the culture: Rap Music (oral), turntablelism or "DJing" , breaking (physical) and graffiti art(visual). Even while it continues in contemporary history to develop globally in a flourishing myriad of diverse styles, these foundational elements provide stability and coherence to the culture.The term is frequently used mistakenly to refer in a confining fashion to the mere practice of rap music.

HIPHOP CULTURE

 What is Hip Hop Culture?


Too many people are unclear as to what Hip Hop Culture really is and tend to use the term frivolously. Hip Hop Culture is commonly recognized by its main elements: Graffiti, Djing, Breakdancing (B-boying), Mcing (Rapping), and Beatboxing.  However, these elements are simply forms of art designed to express a deeper meaning.  At its core, Hip Hop is so much more than mere art and entertainment.  Hip Hop is the constantly evolving spirit and consciousness of urban youth that keeps recreating itself in a never-ending cycle.  It is joy, sorrow, pleasure, pain, victory, defeat, anger, happiness, confusion, clarity, humor, intensity, dream, nightmare, life, death, and everything else in between. 
It is the spirit that connects the past to the present and lays a path towards the future. 
The spirit of Hip Hop is the same as Jazz, Reggae, Blues, Doo-wop, Be-bop, and a multitude of other
types of expressions, be it musical or otherwise, that African people throughout the Diaspora have given birth to and introduced to the world.  That very spirit is what breathes life into a simple idea and transforms it into a living cultural movement.  Hip Hop Culture cannot be assimilated, integrated, diluted, watered-down, sold for profit, or pimped.  It will always exist, in this incarnation or another.
What the mainstream promotes as Hip Hop is only a commercial product misleading you into believing that it represents Hip Hop in its totality. 




HipHop Is All I know

HipHop is all i know and i will tell you this, HipHop is all that i follow, others may talk of soccer
off the top of they head, i cant do that i have no clue; no idea about but know this ,
 the same way they talk and atticulate about other issues
 the same way i talk about HipHop right here.


Thursday, April 3, 2014

LILONGWE CYPHER COMMENTARY

Ok so there has been alot of talk about this Lilongwe Cypher that is on Youtube and when some HipHop heards quote & quo Dominant-One/ Me in particular commented and addressed our opinions they got lashed in particular for not giving these up-and coming artists direction, a pat on the back so to speak.

I was following Dominant-One's Post with curiosity, anticipation and being a HipHop critic myself i jumped in having seen what this dudes Comment;

So basically this is what Dominant One Posted on His facebook Timeline;  
 "Now that wackness is exposed I think its time the "Big Boys Club" did a cypher n show these kids how its done"

And here is some of the responses;

"Kaliah Ife' Crouch yea the cypher wasnt as good as it couldve been but you guys shouldnt be downing and calling them "wack" and shit... out of all people you "big time" rappers/producers shouldnt crush the people who most likely look up to you. all of the negativity towards the lilongwe cypher is unnecessary. yall should be uplifting your fellow malawians. i swear this is the biggest problem in malawi...yall love bringing each other down and thats why yall dont go any where but down. now i expect this new cypher is be nothing but hard hitting lyrics since yall wanna act like the ones now is such garbage. and if its not i will be the first one calling yall out."

"Dominic D-One Sangalakula Kaliah is much deeper than u think,Its not even about dissing it or not,The Art Form has been misrepresented in a major way,I'm speaking a pioneer in Lilongwe HipHop,I have given 14years of my life to help build HipHop in this country and now that there is a platform these unappreciative want to fuck up what myself n a few others established,Do you know that some time back HipHop wasn't even played on Radio n we made it happen...So Kaliah,you should first understand where things are coming from...but you concern n input is appreciated"

"Kaliah Ife' Crouch trust me out of anyone i understand. i might not have been here to see it but as a pioneer your supposed to mentor and help the new comers in the game not make a complete fool out of them. those boys have heart for getting on camera and try to rep lilongwe as best as they can. it truly disgust me to see respected malawian rappers tear down these kids as if you guys perfected the craft as soon as yall came out the womb. to be honesty alot of you "big timers" need to sit down and keep focusing on bettering yourself as a rapper. malawi is too small of a country for artist of all genres to tear each other down."

 

  • Dominic D-One Sangalakula And what makes you think I don't mentor kids?????Don't speak out of one instance and assumption,if you knew what I do with up coming acts you wouldnt be making such statements and I too busy with a whole lot of stuff so when I speak there is something wrong,I know I have influence that's why I chose to speak,call it Tough Love,the truth is never sweet....And that's your opinion which you are entitled to but I and a few others who are directly involved with act according dispute anyone's opinion...
  • Kaliah Ife' Crouch how would you feel if your mentees went and did a cypher and everyone downed it so badly as if it was a joke. act the way speak. if you mentor up coming acts then speak on the situation at hand maturely. but ive spoken my peace. just hate to see someone like you represent yourself so poorly.
  • Dominic D-One Sangalakula As I said it your opinion,you can think what you want,won't affect me or change anything...Besides I'm an Artist I welcome Criticism positive or negative,its part of my Job
 
 My Response on the issue as per below;

"Kalia i love your pieces but know this; Criticism will always come through in all & any en-devours, that's just how it is. Be mindful of the fact that what we advocating is all but love. we need cats to step they game up yamin! we not crushing
this whole thing no no no way, its actually a good look these artists came together and did what they did.
Picture this Kaliah, you Cant compare Malawi's HipHop Industry with the rest. You wont do justice to it by saying its the reason why we are
stuck and not getting anywhere. As far as am concerned we are enroute & not where we were in the early 90z.We are somewhere. Back then when we
started in the 90z, it wasn't like this. When i look at it now i feel blessed and its awesome to be a part of it. I know we not making much
 money out of it but what we getting out of it is something right? most of the time its not just about the money, its about love for the art. That's
what matters to some of us. Eyo D-1, you know back in the 90z we used to record singles but never got the chance to record full albums.
It was hard then but now we able to put out album whether with coorporate backing or not, whether with Record Lebels backing or not. I will tell you of my own experience, ive put out about 4Albums without coorporate backing and to me saying we are stuck and not getting anywhere is an insult and its not a good look fam. We are somewhere than we were 16-17 years ago.So looking forward cats need to step they game up, there is no escuse for that. We cant be saying oh because they are young, up-and coming artists lets
cut them loose; no way, when one steps on the mic thats it, thats the real deal, there is no rehearsing when you hit record. What we saying
& advocating is that these up-and coming artists need to work on their craft & update they outdated formular and read as much as they can so that
they gat substance in they lyrics.
So bottom line is criticism will always be in all en-devours whether positive or negative. It is what it is.
"

But all in all i love the Fact that these thing went on because it created a process where by people across the board can be heard be it listeners or main players. 
Big-Ups to kaliah for those factual points i like that... It give leverage in the whole Malawi HipHop Culture in General.