South African Hip Hop – JittaniaSmith.com

Though South African hip hop – along with other contemporary, ‘South-Africanized’ styles such as house and folk – might be described as a repurposed import to the South African music scene, the genre has certainly taken on such a sufficiently homegrown flavor and following as to earn mention alongside more ‘traditionally’ South African styles. Though hip hop and other genres might have clear preliminary roots in international scenes (predominantly by way of American musical exports, which have had arguably the most influence on South African music from any other international scene), these genres have evolved in their own sense due to influences from many of the other locally-engendered music styles to become their own syncretic and localized forms.

Cape Town is considered the origin point for the South African hip hop scene. South African hip hop emerged in the early late 1980s, following what was likely the most violent and politically significant decade of South African history (the period between 1976 and 1986) ¹. Black Noise is considered the first real hip hop crew to bring their own Cape flats-hailing style of graffiti and breakdancing and rapping style denoted by socially-conscious lyrics, followed soon after by Prophets of Da City. Senyaka is considered one of the first South African emcees (‘Ntate Senyaka’ album in 1986). Brasse vannie Kaap, also hailing from the Cape Flats, pioneered a sound that was a notable departure from the American style of hip hop, and helped pave the way for a truly South African style of hip hop ².

Hip hop culture was easily and quickly assimilated in South Africa, originally in the Cape Flats just outside the city of Cape Town, in response to the strategic government-banning of any resistant individuals and affiliated organizations that resulted in the heavy restriction of artistic and political expression. This created the perfect environment for the embracing of American hip hop exports like Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” as the struggle experienced by black South African youth in many ways paralleled that of their American counterparts ³. This demographic quickly took on not only the empowering lyrical content and delivery style of American rap music, but also the graffiti and breakdancing mediums that, together with rapping and deejaying, comprise the pillars of American hip hop culture.

Following the election of Nelson Mandela and the overtaking of democracy in South Africa, hip hop – along with pretty much all other forms of music and creative expression – underwent an aesthetic overhaul strongly influenced by the newly unleashed powers of commercialism and globalism. This resulted in, to some capacity, an overall redirection away from the politically charged / social commentary nature of early South African hip hop and toward an arguably more pop-influenced and party-focused overall conception of the genre. This change can be partially attributed to the active involvement of government and commercial entities in the music scene – particularly by alcohol and beverage companies. For example, Coca Cola is responsible for sponsoring and encouraging national graffiti competitions as well as maintaining their own music-TV programming series, Coke Studio ³.

The early 1990s subsequently saw the mobilization of a Setswana-originating style of hip hop called ‘motswako’ (Setswana – ‘mixture’), originally pushed by the kwaito and hip hop group Bongo Maffin, and later adapted by HHP in the mid 2000s. Today the style perseveres in the works of artists like Cassper Nyovest. Following that, the 1997 launch of YFM out of Gauteng helped promote the sharing and development of local hip hop, which special programming (such as the weekly Rap Activity Jam) that offered air time to up-and-coming local rappers ².

In the most general sense, South African hip hop is a blend of locally derived and influenced vernacular with an American hip hop rhythmic foundation. With that being said, South African hip hop music is notably distinct from kwaito, though the lyrical and rhythmic presentation of kwaito often leads to it being mislabeled as ‘South African hip hop,’ particularly when the genres are compared only on a sonic basis without any consideration for their separate historical trajectories.