Hip Hop Kaslam Awards

A musical celebration of home-grown hip hop, ekasi-style

For the first time ever, let your feet tap to the beat of the inaugural Hip Hop Kaslam awards at the Baxter Theatre Concert Hall on Saturday, 15 September 2012.

The ceremony – which celebrates ekasi (township) artists who rap about ekasi life in indigenous languages - boasts a slamming line-up of seasoned musicians who will perform in between the presentation of trophies to winners. Artists, producers and beat-makers will receive awards in the following categories: ‘Best Album’, ‘Best Male’ and ‘Female Artist’, ‘Best Group’, ‘Best Beatmaker’ and ‘Best Video’. What’s more, the audience will get to decide who wins ‘Best Performer’ and ‘Best Song’ by voting on the night.

As a pre-cursor to this awards ceremony, earlier this year (2012), the sounds of slang and ekasi emcees filled the Baxter Theatre with music from all corners of the Cape Flats. This unique one night event brought together those who rap “ringas”, a township street slang known as tsotsi-taal, which has evolved into what is now known as spaza – a combination of various indigenous languages.

 “In the 90s the perception was that kwaito was the only style of music that qualified as ‘homemade’ in this country, and any artist who rapped was considered an American wannabe,” explained Archie Sopazi – aka Dat – director of Hip Hop Kaslam and the man regarded by most as the founder of this rapping. “What made kwaito popular as South African music was that it was sung in indigenous languages. So I thought that if it is the language that makes South African music Mzansi, then I’ll rap in an African language.”

Line-up for the Hip Hop Kaslam Awards

• Black Chiq
• Buli
• Dat
• DSO
• Lugs LP
• Matic
• Maxhoseni
• Rudi
• Site C Squad
• Waqa

So, get your pantsula shoes ready for an ekasi-style party in Rondebosch. Tickets are R40p/p and are available through Computicket.com. Transport will be available at no charge for audience members from Gugulethu, Khayelitsha and Delft, courtesy of the Baxter Theatre. For more information contact Lady P; c on +27 (0) 73 667 6647 or email hiphopkaslam@gmail.com.

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