What a way it was, to welcome February, with the Axecess Jozi concert. The main act was Big Sean, but truth be told... our local rappers, made it rain...(LITERALLY)
We started the day off with a press conference held at Elevate Rooftop, in downtown Jozi. Oh my gawsh... this joint is really a must for party people. The view of Jozi from the rooftop also gives it that edge.
Ok, ok, back to the press conference. This was the first press conference that I enjoyed. It felt more like a group of friends chilling and having a good chat. Not all the supporting acts came out though. It was only Teargas, Reason, AKA and Da Les that showed up. Not sure if that was part of the original plan... I'm not complaining though.
Teargas gave us the heads-up that their performance would be streaming live on their website, with the help of Thabiso Khati. Some interesting projects for the group this year, include trying their foot into the international market and going into film. Eish... You know that term has been used so loosely these days, one would think "film" means a "film you watch at the renowned cinemas," but in SA it could mean anything from Kasi Stories to a DVD... So, we shall wait and see what they "truly" meant...
The lovebirds, AKA and Da Les, were there in very high spirits. They were rocking their stunners in the overcast weather. Lol. You gotta love abomrapper and their "swag"... Honestly though, these two are really fun and such good souls. Is it me or has AKA dropped the whole ego and is becoming a media darling? We are really luving this new AKA, please stay that way and more success will follow... Trust me. They clarified that their bromance started blossoming during a Jamaica trip. Was is the Tropica Island trip? Eish... I forget these things. I digg their attitude, they are not focused on collabos with international artists, they are looking to outdo them. Aiiich...
Another new media darling is Reason. This dude is trill (true and real). He mentioned that people should stop hating with their redundant statement "he, he, South African Hip Hop stars are trying to sound American. " He set the record straight, that Mzansi rappers are influenced largely my US rap, so if you love and enjoy international music, you are bound to end up sounding like them. So there you have it folks, let's lay the matter to rest.
His sound has obviously changed, thanks to his track with Tol Ass Mo - Bum The Cheese Up. Well, it's gonna sound even more interesting considering he's been working with artists such as Thandiswa and Donald ...
We waited for some time for Big Sean and there I was, rolling my eyes thinking he's pulling divas antics, but alas, he had just landed after a 15-hour flight and had to go straight to the concert venue for sound check and immediately come to press conference. Tjo, he's so nunus and so sweet, I had no choice but to forgive him for keeping us waiting.
Gawsh, they need to feed him some true African food though, because dude is really tiny ... I mean the body. Stop getting funny ideas ... Did I mention how humble and sweet he is? What a wonderful soul. I gotta give up to him for the respect and tolerance he has for his boss, Kanye "I've lost it" West. Shu, actually anyone that can work with Kanye on a regular basis deserves an award...
Big Sean mentioned how he's so used to answering personal questions about Kanye and his fiance, Naya Rivera, that he doesn't see it as a problem anymore. Heee... this guy is one of a kind, because you know that is will translate as full access granted, to the paparazzi.
It's a pity that he hasn't heard Mzansi music before but he's keen to be schooled. Okay... wait a minute. Can the next ruling party create a Ministry of Music that will focus on ensuring that the rest of the world plays and listens to our music. Dankie.
Well, at least the Department of Tourism is doing their part, since Big Sean mentioned that he was looking forward to going on a safari and to seeing lions ... Eish, we need another ministry to educate the rest of the world that we are not just some Jungle in Kuvuki Land ... Jeer
Later on, the concert went down at the Mary Fitzgerald Square in the most beautiful set-up. I was rather nervous that the choice of venue might get uncontrollable and things could get out of hand but alas, none of that happened and people were well behaved ... for a change.
Aaah, the South African Hip Hop acts truly brought their best performances on Saturday. No-one disappointed. My best performance of the night has to go to Khuli Chana, who brought out Morafe and took us back to the Motswako days. Tjo, that was too beautiful. Then Khuli Chana had to throw in an awkward moment when he shouted "f*ck the police." Eeeh... Moving right along.
Now I know why AKA is a household name in the country. He truly impressed, with his collabos with Da Les and MAggz. They made it rain... Literally.
Shem, the rain came down just in time for Big Sean's performance, causing the stage power to go off and technical glitches... But, as you can imagine, he still brought his A game on stage and gave us a stellar, but short performance.
On this day, SA Hip Hop took the trophy from US Hip Hop....
A big thank you to Axe for the invite and we are super excited that AxeJozi is gonna be annual fest. I can't wait for this BIG surprise that Axe has in store for us very soon. As we wait...
