Jucy Africa

Lerothodi Moagi better known as Towdeemac is 1/3 of  Morafe  which consists of Kaygism and Khuli Chana. They came in the Hip Hop scene in 2006 with their debut album “Maru A Pula” which means “Rain Clouds” with a very unique sound called “Motswako”. Towdee has since reached a few milestones in his life which includes marriage, being a music teacher and putting out a solo project titled “Lesson 1″

How has this year been for you?

2013 is good so far… Really can’t complain.

 Your current project has a lot of (as you titled it) Lessons, was it a conscious decision to theme it the way it is or did everything just fall into place?

If you listen to most of my verses on Morafe songs and many others I’ve featured on, you’ll find that I’ve always been giving lessons. So I’d say it just naturally came together. The theme was inspired by my current occupation as a Music Technology lecturer.

 You are pushing “Lesson 1” independently, is it harder than you expected or is it working out?

It’s no walk in the park, but our local distributors don’t know where and how to sell Motswako. Even HHP is going this route on his next project. I haven’t sold as much as I would have liked to by now, but I’ve already made more money from sales than I ever did in the two years we were signed to an established record label. You do the math.

 Why did it take so long for you to drop your solo project? Was it something you always thought of doing, since Khuli did it?

I was supposed to be the 1^st solo out of the crew but I pushed Khuli to go before me because I knew the market was gonna love him and could smell his present success back then. The only reason I took is because I am a perfectionist and I wanted a particular sound for this album so I wouldn’t rest until I got it right.

 Speaking of Khuli, what influence did you have in him going solo?

He didn’t want to do it at 1^st. It took me about a whole year and a song I produced for him (Futhumatsa) which featured on the 1^st Sprite Ventilation Mixtape then later on Motswakoriginator. He tells this story through his opening line on his hit single, “Tswak Stick’em” (Aint no half-steppin since Towdee told me GO!…)

 Your wife seems to be a great influence in your music, is she a Hip Hop fan, more so a Motswako fan?

When I met her she was more into Commercial Rock actually, then I converted her… LOL! She has always had a huge influence on my personal growth and change in character. I never thought that I would ever be a Lecturer today but she pushed me to grow up and take my knowledge and skills to another level and for that I am ever grateful to her..

 We have heard rumours that Morafe is back and working on a new project. What’s the real story?

We have recently started work-shopping the new Brand image and sound of Morafe. As for when a project will be ready for release, I would say as soon as it’s perfect.

 “Joina” has been playing on the radio, is that the official single or did it just happen on its own and how is it doing?

I have three soldiers holing it down for me. “Habashwe” rocks the stage, “Joina” rocks the airwaves and “Be a Star” has recently started rocking the screens.

What else are you doing on the side?

Besides making music, I make musicians.

Do you think Hip Hop has changed for the better?

Hip Hop is over 3 decades old now. She’s old enough to decide for herself what’s good and what not for her. All we can do is to make our contributions as honestly as we can and let her speak for herself.

Do you have a motto/mantra/ saying that you go by?

Yes… “Don’t only make millions, make millionaires too” – @towdeemac

Please tell more about “The Faculty”

The Faculty is a Music Production team that’s yet to grace this industry with some much needed change and improvement. The team consists of J. Smalls, Trompie and yours truly. A Recording Engineer; a Mixing Engineer and a Mastering Engineer. All three of us are Composers/ Producers.

What are your future plans?

Can’t give you the intricate details at the risk of divulging trade secrets, but I can say that I plan to facilitate our beloved industry with the much needed infrastructural tools to create better opportunities for the talented youth of Mzanzi.

There are a lot of upcoming young rappers that look up to you, that you inspire, what advice do you dish out to them?

LEARN THE GAME!!! I grew up in an era where we didn’t have easily accessible research tools such as Google and other online resources but I still made it a point to get books on the music industry. I also visited organizations such as SAMRO for information about intellectual property and copy right laws not only just to register songs. The importance of going to school and completing your secondary education is so that you find it easier to do research, understand formal language and to have the critical ability to articulate yourself. You need more than just talent or rap skills to survive this industry.

By @tania_moeng

Photos provided by Towdee and Under1Umbrella  Media

Tania studied Journalism  and is a freelance writer. Loves the Hip Hop Culture.

The entertainment industry is a tough market for artists, radio personalities,  TV presenters . Getting a job, bookings, keeping a clean reputation, getting interviews could prove to be very difficult when you don’t have a PR management company behind you.

Khuli Chana is a multiple award winning hip hop artist, a businessman and a brand ambassador. Kabelo Mabalane is a Kwaito artist, co-founder of SHOUT campaign, a television presenter and a comrades marathon runner. Azania Mosaka is a Radio and TV presenter, an MC, a Voice-Over artist and businesswoman. These are big names in the entertainment industry, they are successful and good at what they do. One of the things they have in common is the management team representing them a company called Dream Team.

Having a team backing you as an artist or media personality has proved to be a smart move. As the entertainment industry grows, so does the demand for management and PR firms. In 2012 a musician or  a public figure needs a lot of  publicity to be visible and be seen by their potential clients in order to stay relevant. PR companies are very useful in this regard. They deal with the media on their client’s behalf, manage their diaries and arrange and approve interviews.

A lot of South African celebrities are represented by PR firms who build their star power behind the scenes. These firms play a big role in making sure celebrities maintain their place at the top of the public and client’s minds. Their work is to make sure their client is well presented, their brand is visible and remains untainted.

Public Relations and Management Companies have helped many careers to take off, rescued others and helped many to stay on top . Public figures tend to get more jobs when there is a good team behind them. As they say “two heads are better than one”, in this case its more of – team work is better than a solo effort.

Previously the South African industry was small and artists made a living purely by plying a trade such as singing or acting. Media coverage was not as intense therefore there was no need to outsource the help of a PR company. There were also no gossip magazines or bloggers snooping for a scoop. Back then it was much simpler to hide an “indecent occurrence” by a public figure from the public. There were not as many publications out there which were solely dedicated to entertainment as they are today.  Nowadays celebrity culture is becoming very popular in South Africa, it is safe to say public figures had it easy back then. The pressure to be signed under a PR company rises as the fame does.

There is the business side of entertainment that many fall victim to such as finances and branding.  Many new artists may not know about  managing their money, rights or royalties, a good manager who is trustworthy will guide the artists and prepare him or her for the industry.

A well established person in the entertainment industry needs to be signed to a PR company in case of a scandal, that company will be able to speak on its clients behalf. These Companies are there to clean up the mess as much as they are there to promote their clients’ brands. Now artists are not only building names, they are building brands which is a good thing because it also encourages longevity. Having a good team behind you means the sky is the limit its about where your team can take you and how they can get you there. It’s quite obvious that a PR team is an essential thing for every industry player to have, a priority even. They get  more done quicker, professionally and they are generally more informed.

Bonang Matheba, is an example of a person with a great management team behind her. She is a popular, well established cross over brand. She is a TV and radio Presenter, a model, voice-over artist and the face of  GJC. She did not just blow up overnight, though. She started off as a kid TV presenter, but when  she got her big break she realized she needed people that will help build the “Queen B*” brand.  A management team helps with getting jobs offers, contracts and shoots. They help plan her schedule and send out press releases when needs be.

It is pretty clear in Bonang’s case that her career could not have been where it is today had it not been for her hard work as well as a great team behind her.

Public figures like Khanyi Mbau and Pitch Black Afro who have had to learn the hard way that maintaining a public image takes a lot of  work. Being famous is nothing compared to staying famous.  Fame goes to the head faster than money in the bank. An artist can have success overnight, be the highest seller in their category(as once Pitch Black was) and still find themselves having to leave the industry, broke. Khanyi started off as an actress, then singer, then she became more famous than what she does, a bad move that many good management companies could have warned her about from the start. With many people joining the industry each year, hopefully they will realize the importance of having a PR management team behind them that could help them become more than just celebrities.

Lebogang is a Jucy Africa intern. She is studying Journalism and enjoys writing about careers and entertainment.

Jorburgers and horse lovers invaded Durban this past Saturday for Africa’s biggest racing event.   The Vodacom Durban July has been around since 1897 and it seems every year it gets bigger and better. Not only do people go there to watch the horses run around the 2200 meter track but they’re also there for the fashion, socialising  (the cause of many excessive hangovers. Even though, come to think of it,  a hangover in Durbs is not thhhaaat bad. Anyway, back to the event) . This was my first time at the July, it it was for work. Thanks Miller.   We left a very cold Joburg at 7:30am in 3 buses, packed with snacks entertainment and lots of booze.  There was music in the buses, comedian Trevor Gumbi, mentalist Larry Sofer and George the beat boxer formed part of the surprise line-up introduced in the buses.

O Access presenter Dineo Moeketsi in a Gert Johan Coetzee design with Thapelo Mokoena

After a 14hour trip and lots of stops, we arrived in Durbs with most of us either drunk or exhausted. Gateway Mall was a very interesting place to be on the morning of the races with a lot of people doing some last minute shopping to suit the Royal theme of the event.  Spotted Generations star Jafta Mamabolo with plastic bags from Stuttafords, YDE, Woollies etc. I personally think the young man should get a thank you note from the mayor of Durban for boosting their economy. Styled by Ephraim from Ephymol, I didn’t have to worry about shopping except for the addition of a man bag aka satchel…Don’t judge me!

Rocking her own label DFC, Uyanda Mbuli was smart enough to wear flat shoes

An estimated crowd of about 55 000 people had descended at the Greyville racecourse. I won’t comment on whether they stuck to the theme or not, I would rather let the pictures do the talking. The youngest of the Bala brothers seems to be everywhere these days, I thought he looked like Elton John in his 20’s and those that saw him around 6pm at the Life Style Oasis marquee can testify. Speaking of marquees , in my opinion, the MTV Base was the best out of the lot. Not only was it good looking inside, it was exclusive and had entertainment from the likes of Khuli Chana, AKA and DJ Switch. The Miller marquee had teamed up with 5FM and saw Zakes Bantwini perform and DJ Milkshake rocking the stage.

Rapper Khuli Chana

The Lifestyle Oasis VIP marquee looked clean and proper, although I felt that it lacked intimacy. They had a mini fashion show from Carducci and Liquideep rocked the stage for the plebs outside. Knowing my limitations as a human being and the fact that my feet can only carry me for a limited number of hours, I left the race course at around 9pm and went back to the hotel.   Had I not been working, I would have experienced the full pleasures of the Durban July but it was an awesome experience nonetheless.  People showed love, cab drivers got rich and some got lucky while others were “nuns”.   If you are still wondering which horse won the main race, Igugu did. A big thanks to Miller for the hospitality.

Phelo B, dressed by Styling Concepts

Shooting their new reality show Hlelo and Ntando Masina

DJ Dimplez in a Scottish kilt

Noni Gasa

Siyabonga Ngwekazi in a GLS 3 piece suit

Rapper AKA also on the GLS swag

by: Just Denis