Kings of hip-hop on show
AVIBRANT hip-hop competition at the Queenstown arts centre, organised by the centre in partnership with the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and Lukhanji Community Radio, showcased some top talent.
The competition was divided into two categories consisting of rap lyricists and ‘krumping’ contemporary dancers, a form of hip hop dance moves.
Stefano Mqobongo, also known as DJ98, said the event was intended to bring young people who shared a common interest in the hip-hop genre together.
“We (the judges) focused on the clarity of the content and we also took note of the word flow of the rappers to see if it coordinated well with the rhythm.”
“It would be great if artists could have their own equip- ment because music resources are expensive. It would be great if a recording studio could be created at the Arts Centre for students with talent.”
Arts Centre manager Ndoda Flepu said the programme was conceived in the 2012-13 financial year. “The project acts as a springboard for aspiring local artists to get exposure, thus developing their potential to perform for large audiences.”
The competition had attracted approximately 50 performances in different categories of single and group artists. The project, which Flepu said had been a huge success, had an increased attendance of 30% since its inception.
In the single hip-hop cat- egory, the best performer was Phakamisanani “Marshalon” Krwele. Nominated as the most promising performer was Sive “Pun Beast” Mankayi and Thando “Ndiva Qha Qwaba” Pute as the upcoming performing.
The rappers group was won by Dope Combination, with the most promising music group won by The Crypteds and the upcoming group by GK Family.
The winners of the dance category were Double C, followed by Red Butt and Sophakama third.
The winners received cash prizes with the best dance performers given the opportunity to represent the district at the Opera House in Port Elizabeth during the Shukuma Dance Festival, a provincial event.