Yesterday I attended the 2nd annual Urban Phenomenon Entertainment Conference, in Newtown Johannesburg - Museum Africa.
The show was set to start at 2pm, and I arrived 10 minutes before as requested. As soon as I got to the door, I nonchalantly stated my name as I was on the reserved seat guest list.
'UPE is an International Events Management Company which brings international artists to South Africa, mainly focusing on Hip Hop and Neo-Soul artists.'
Soon enough the auditorium rapidly filled up with esoteric, bob-heading, hip hop anthropologists; beautiful and wonderfully dressed people of a generation that evidently still lived and thrived in our midst. A very mature crowd.
At 2:10pm Rapsody, 9th Wonder and their entourage walk in and make their way to the front row. The ambiance: relaxed, poised with hip hop playing in the background. By 2:15pm, rapper, Ramesh Masina opened the event with his history presentation. Ramesh has been rapping since the 80's, he is now an ambassador for an African Youth Development called Khulisani, which focuses on raising awareness in identity.
The theme of his presentation focused on bridging cultural divides on the bases of hip hop and ethnicity; how important it is to know where you're from, who you are and where you're headed; not only as a black person but as a human being; a unique individual.
This made me think about all the times I've spent watching African history documentaries in hopes of gaining more knowledge about my descendants. Which further made me realise how significant everything in this world is. How just that one act of courage led me to this very conference.
A lot of the history we are fed about black people is mostly African American history, the extent in which it has been dug up and how accurate it seems that for South Africans, the only thing we really know about our history is the dreadful apartheid era - and that's pretty much as far as it goes for us. But then Ramesh touched on heroic revolutionists who are seldom mentioned in these trials. People such as Credo Vusamazulu Mutwa and Bambatha kaMancinza who both managed to influence the movement of black consciousness.
While listening attentively to all of this I learnt that it is crucially important that we start believing in our history and that we have one. We have a history that begins at home and that's where we need to dig deep, into our core, beyond our limits.
Until we know our history completely and honestly, then we as artists, hip hop anthropologists and spiritualists can say what we need to say in the most creative, authentic and effective way possible. Our musical content or any intellectual content must be inspired by consciousness, informed decisions and our historic backgrounds.
Ramesh also made reference to Afrika Bambaataa, a New York based rapper and activist who coined the term Universal African Nation or Universal Zulu Nation - Zulu meaning heaven. Beyond it's aims of breeding young artists and creating an environment that will allow the youth to grow consciously, this term, I felt, means that despite out sub-cultures as Africans, we are one nation. Sub-cultures don't and need not define us as a people, that's not how it was intended and that's not how it should be. This goes for hip hop and art in general.
"If rap is not talking about social ills, then what is it talking about?" Ramesh
"You cannot see or do hip hop, you can only feel it, that's why it's called the spirit of hip hop." Ramesh
"Hip hop is a direct African inspiration. Whatever element of hip hop you are doing, remember you are being the authentic you!" Ramesh
On the panel Q & A
About 30 minutes into it, Rapsody, Lerato, Osmic, 9th Wonder and Dj Kenzhero were called onto the panel for the Q & A which is always so refreshing and engaging in any similar set-up. Below, I made a few pointers which I felt were relevant and stood out to me, each statement in summary and point form.
The first question posed was: Why is it that on radio we hear at least 80% of international music and why is it that commercial music seems most promoted?
9th Wonder:
'Radio is for advertising, all it cares about is commercials. The music is in between.
So the old radio doesn't exist.'
'We shouldn't let radio define what the culture is and don't expect to hear anything revolutionary on radio.'
'We should support one another and not depend on mainstream vessels.'
Lerato:
'Radio stations are business oriented, stations have their own formats, their own music compilers.'
So essentially, even if the public expresses what they'd like to hear there's already a system in which songs rotate on the radio. This sparked the notion that artists should start their own movements and not depend on radio or labels to get a step-foot in.
9th Wonder:
It's also about like-minds and not 'yes men'.
9th mentioned that people underestimate the power they have when it comes to collaborating; making use of one another's skills to create a fully fledged team, a whole record label. He also said that people must understand their roles and believe that their brand is [already] huge. 'JAMLA is 4 years old now.'
'You can't hesitate at all.'
The second question was: What is a manager?
Osmic:
'A manager is the baby-sitter for the artists.'
Osmic made a point when he said that many artists don't know how to send an invoice or how some lack in timeliness. So a manager will act as an agent, he/she will liaise between the artist and public. He also stressed that making someone like your mate your manager will only cause conflict of interest. You can't just choose your friend to be manager just because you know them. I suppose this did make sense because it goes beyond loyalty. You'd need to cover the fundamentals and head space of your relationship. 'The nitty gritties'
Kenzhero
'We need to consider where we stand as an industry in hip hop.
As we go, we are creating it (the industry) for ourselves.'
Here Kenzhero mentioned that the downfall of what a manager is not a fixed one. That artists need to consider the roles between them and their manager because often they make the mistake of thinking that a manager does everything for them. Making a list of the sort of roles or duties you want from a manager would serve as clear communication.
Third question: What are some of the places one can go for management for independent artists?
Rapsody:
You need to push yourself.
You need to show work ethic.
Create your own buzz.
Make yourself undeniable; have faith and patience.
This is very true in a case where an artist is pushing their own brand independently. I could relate to her when she said that money is not her number one priority of number one goal. Growing into being an artist and attracting the right crowd is all part of creating a solid fan base and in this instance, building trust and loyalty.
9th Wonder:
'Be truthful about your own music. It's hard to be objective about your own music.
You need to find your fan base and the internet is one reliable source.'
Osmic added on to say that the biggest platform to perform your music is at BTTC. [He wasn't kidding]. He said that performing on a stage like BTTC means that you've worked hard and you've hustled hard. A good place to start, he said, was community radio stations, to show your work and portfolio. I felt this to be effective because that's where people take the time to listen and want to get involved. Starting at the bottom only gets you to the top.
Kenzhero then said that the First thing you need to ask yourself is that are you any good? How good are you? You need to show yourself and people how good your are.
'Your manager won't make you any good either.'
'No one will ever provide a platform to say come perform, you have to fight for it.'
This was just a brief but enlightening summary of what went down at the conference. The quote below closed off the epitome of inspiration.
"The secret to longevity is creating a market and being yourself." Ramesh
by Angela Nimah
The show was set to start at 2pm, and I arrived 10 minutes before as requested. As soon as I got to the door, I nonchalantly stated my name as I was on the reserved seat guest list.
'UPE is an International Events Management Company which brings international artists to South Africa, mainly focusing on Hip Hop and Neo-Soul artists.'
Soon enough the auditorium rapidly filled up with esoteric, bob-heading, hip hop anthropologists; beautiful and wonderfully dressed people of a generation that evidently still lived and thrived in our midst. A very mature crowd.
At 2:10pm Rapsody, 9th Wonder and their entourage walk in and make their way to the front row. The ambiance: relaxed, poised with hip hop playing in the background. By 2:15pm, rapper, Ramesh Masina opened the event with his history presentation. Ramesh has been rapping since the 80's, he is now an ambassador for an African Youth Development called Khulisani, which focuses on raising awareness in identity.
The theme of his presentation focused on bridging cultural divides on the bases of hip hop and ethnicity; how important it is to know where you're from, who you are and where you're headed; not only as a black person but as a human being; a unique individual.
This made me think about all the times I've spent watching African history documentaries in hopes of gaining more knowledge about my descendants. Which further made me realise how significant everything in this world is. How just that one act of courage led me to this very conference.
A lot of the history we are fed about black people is mostly African American history, the extent in which it has been dug up and how accurate it seems that for South Africans, the only thing we really know about our history is the dreadful apartheid era - and that's pretty much as far as it goes for us. But then Ramesh touched on heroic revolutionists who are seldom mentioned in these trials. People such as Credo Vusamazulu Mutwa and Bambatha kaMancinza who both managed to influence the movement of black consciousness.
While listening attentively to all of this I learnt that it is crucially important that we start believing in our history and that we have one. We have a history that begins at home and that's where we need to dig deep, into our core, beyond our limits.
Until we know our history completely and honestly, then we as artists, hip hop anthropologists and spiritualists can say what we need to say in the most creative, authentic and effective way possible. Our musical content or any intellectual content must be inspired by consciousness, informed decisions and our historic backgrounds.
Ramesh also made reference to Afrika Bambaataa, a New York based rapper and activist who coined the term Universal African Nation or Universal Zulu Nation - Zulu meaning heaven. Beyond it's aims of breeding young artists and creating an environment that will allow the youth to grow consciously, this term, I felt, means that despite out sub-cultures as Africans, we are one nation. Sub-cultures don't and need not define us as a people, that's not how it was intended and that's not how it should be. This goes for hip hop and art in general.
"If rap is not talking about social ills, then what is it talking about?" Ramesh
"You cannot see or do hip hop, you can only feel it, that's why it's called the spirit of hip hop." Ramesh
"Hip hop is a direct African inspiration. Whatever element of hip hop you are doing, remember you are being the authentic you!" Ramesh
On the panel Q & A
About 30 minutes into it, Rapsody, Lerato, Osmic, 9th Wonder and Dj Kenzhero were called onto the panel for the Q & A which is always so refreshing and engaging in any similar set-up. Below, I made a few pointers which I felt were relevant and stood out to me, each statement in summary and point form.
The first question posed was: Why is it that on radio we hear at least 80% of international music and why is it that commercial music seems most promoted?
9th Wonder:
'Radio is for advertising, all it cares about is commercials. The music is in between.
So the old radio doesn't exist.'
'We shouldn't let radio define what the culture is and don't expect to hear anything revolutionary on radio.'
'We should support one another and not depend on mainstream vessels.'
Lerato:
'Radio stations are business oriented, stations have their own formats, their own music compilers.'
So essentially, even if the public expresses what they'd like to hear there's already a system in which songs rotate on the radio. This sparked the notion that artists should start their own movements and not depend on radio or labels to get a step-foot in.
9th Wonder:
It's also about like-minds and not 'yes men'.
9th mentioned that people underestimate the power they have when it comes to collaborating; making use of one another's skills to create a fully fledged team, a whole record label. He also said that people must understand their roles and believe that their brand is [already] huge. 'JAMLA is 4 years old now.'
'You can't hesitate at all.'
The second question was: What is a manager?
Osmic:
'A manager is the baby-sitter for the artists.'
Osmic made a point when he said that many artists don't know how to send an invoice or how some lack in timeliness. So a manager will act as an agent, he/she will liaise between the artist and public. He also stressed that making someone like your mate your manager will only cause conflict of interest. You can't just choose your friend to be manager just because you know them. I suppose this did make sense because it goes beyond loyalty. You'd need to cover the fundamentals and head space of your relationship. 'The nitty gritties'
Kenzhero
'We need to consider where we stand as an industry in hip hop.
As we go, we are creating it (the industry) for ourselves.'
Here Kenzhero mentioned that the downfall of what a manager is not a fixed one. That artists need to consider the roles between them and their manager because often they make the mistake of thinking that a manager does everything for them. Making a list of the sort of roles or duties you want from a manager would serve as clear communication.
Third question: What are some of the places one can go for management for independent artists?
Rapsody:
You need to push yourself.
You need to show work ethic.
Create your own buzz.
Make yourself undeniable; have faith and patience.
This is very true in a case where an artist is pushing their own brand independently. I could relate to her when she said that money is not her number one priority of number one goal. Growing into being an artist and attracting the right crowd is all part of creating a solid fan base and in this instance, building trust and loyalty.
9th Wonder:
'Be truthful about your own music. It's hard to be objective about your own music.
You need to find your fan base and the internet is one reliable source.'
Osmic added on to say that the biggest platform to perform your music is at BTTC. [He wasn't kidding]. He said that performing on a stage like BTTC means that you've worked hard and you've hustled hard. A good place to start, he said, was community radio stations, to show your work and portfolio. I felt this to be effective because that's where people take the time to listen and want to get involved. Starting at the bottom only gets you to the top.
Kenzhero then said that the First thing you need to ask yourself is that are you any good? How good are you? You need to show yourself and people how good your are.
'Your manager won't make you any good either.'
'No one will ever provide a platform to say come perform, you have to fight for it.'
This was just a brief but enlightening summary of what went down at the conference. The quote below closed off the epitome of inspiration.
"The secret to longevity is creating a market and being yourself." Ramesh
by Angela Nimah
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