West Rand hip-hop quartet BlackRap have been using hip-hop as a medium of expression to tell their stories since their school days at Hoërskool Adelaar. Thabelo Zoziboi Rampfumedzi, Zukhanye Nate Makana, Tony Kid OverDose Galela and Steven Plush Giyama’s passion for music brought them together.
“We grew up with hip-hop, watching it on television channels such as MTV Base and Channel O.
We saw that there was a way to express oneself through music and we wanted to do more than just express ourselves but to also reach out to the community with a positive message. That is why out biggest inspiration is God, because He can see our struggles and understands what we are trying to do,” they said.
Zoziboi is a rapper, producer, DJ and engineer for BlackRap. He is currently studying sound engineering at Revolution media. Nate is a rapper and entrepreneur, helping the band get to bigger heights. Kid OverDose is known for his stylish and expressive dress code and the unique way he creates different melodies and flows. Plush is a rapper, producer and DJ, but is well known for being lyrically gifted.
Since 2012, BlackRap has released four mixtapes and multiple singles featuring various local artists.
The quartet released their first mixtape titled 1724 in 2014, followed by Purple green, The Comedy Tape and New Generation during the following two years. BlackRap has not signed under any management but have still made a name for themselves, performing on stages and shows such as Mzansi, Shiz Live, Cantare, Skyline and Antidote. Earlier this year, their biggest hit to date, Impilo was playlisted on TouchHD while Venda nga December was on high rotation at PhalaPhalaFm.
“Even though we’ve performed on big stages as well as television programmes, we still have to work hard to pave the way to success. Nothing comes easy, especially in music. We have to keep pushing ourselves and reaching a wider audience that is not familiar with our music. While our community knows about us, it will be through expanding our reach in order to be a success. Struggling to get airplay because we don’t have money can be tough as well. Although we understand that there are many rappers out there, it still takes hard work for a talent to get recognised,” they said.
With so much achieved, BlackRap is confident they will keep realising music for the community and offer recording studio, music producers and DJ services to young and ambitious artists.
“The community can expect more music and more consistency from us. We will continue to release music until we get national exposure and arrive at a comfortable juncture in our careers.”
To reach out to the band, follow them on their Social Networking Sites:
Instagram: Blackrap_ENT
Twitter: Blackrap_ENT
Facebook: Blackrap001
Please note video contains strong language
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