2000s Mzansi Hip-Hop Essentials

2000s Mzansi Hip-Hop Essentials

In South Africa, the 2000s were all about the fusion of kwaito and hip-hop. By combining local rhythms with the aggression and raw lyricism of US-inspired heavy rap, artists like Zola became legends. Vernac rap scenes such as motswako—in which rappers delivered their flows using indigenous languages like Zulu, Sotho and Setswana and dominated the game with danceable beats and rhymes that resonated—made superstars of HHP, Pro Kid, Teargas, Skwatta Kamp, Pitch Black Afro and more. It was an era of massive collaboration—these stars put each other on—and one that saw hip-hop grow into a commercially viable scene that drew in underground and major labels alike.

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