F-ck Rehab - The time-bomb finally explodes

How do you deter a time-bomb from ticking to explosion? There are actually two things to do. One; you find the detonator and figure out how the wires were fixed together, then you defuse it.Two; you don't stop it but you run away so that it explodes in your absence. Amy Winehouse was such a time-bomb. She has been ticking since she came into the music scene as a disturbed, vulnerable yet talented young girl who wanted to have fun. Fun for Amy meant activities which some of us who have only gone to the point of the herb call psychedelic stuff.

In writing their eulogies of the genius who joined Club 27 on Saturday (July 23) friends and journalists testified about her drug binges, her hatred -not fear of rehab and her lost soul attitude to life. She apparently failed to understand that Janis Joplin was full of life when she overdosed and died at the peak of her career. To her, and some of us who loved the Woodstock bunch Joplin was the closest thing to David playing his harp for King Saul. Yes, Joplin was brilliant, full of life, wanting to change to world but got high and fell to the ground. She died.

Amy just failed to draw a parallel between the Joplin years and hers. The 1960s were characterised by hippies, gypsies, love and peace movement and a psychedelic lifestyle that sufficed because almost the whole world was at war. So, the rebels could bonk, drink wine and smoke as many joints, valium, heroin, cocaine and bhudda all they wanted while politicians were focused on hating one another. The law enforcers were spooks trying to sniff KGB spies in the West. Anyone could have been anything.

But Amy lives now; the age of HIV, drug enforcement that sees specialised mercenaries deployed to bring down cartels and a technologically savvy world that one can have fun without leaving their room. Then her obsession with Jimi Hendrix. We, who were born earlier loved Jimmy with all our hears and felt bad when he - like fellow Wooodstocker overdosed and died. But you can bet your last dime that Jimmy didn't die to follow Janis. In the same breath you can bet that Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain died to follow the two geniuses.

And now we have Amy who followed the three. Amy cried in her music and the world chose to ululate. She asked for help but we chose to relegate her fears of rehab as a gimmick. Damn it sold copies of records and made her a megastar. A megastar that died leaving all those millions. But Amy wanted to die and people should understand and accept that. She probably had a dangerous God-complex that misinformed her that she can live and die at her own whim.

Well, she lived and died at her own whim. And that is how we should all remember the genius that was Amy Winehouse. 'Fly away lil bird see I aint' shedding no tears'. Hope in her own weeded brain she joins Club 27 - the Orchestra Beyond and continues to make beautiful music.

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A Test of Character for Obama

When Barack Obama came to power he made over-arching promises about what his presidency will achieve, not only for America but the rest of the world. Domestically he has had a few snags as he managed to pull off some of his promises regardless – but even with the best intentions it was always going to be difficult to turn a budget deficit into a surplus.

However some Africans feel that Obama has fallen short by not extending his grace to his grandmother’s continent. The visit by Michelle Obama is insignificant when judged against the impact that a full continental visit by the president would have achieved, not in instiling better governance but to boost the confidence of young African politicians confronted by old demagogue leaders who will forever have each other’s back – at the detriment of continental development.

There however are two things that Obama can do to cement his place in history and the hearts of all freedom, justice and peace-loving people. Obama must, before he steps from the plate use his presidential pardon to expunge the convictions of Black Panthers Mumia Abu Jamal and Assanta Shakur.

That Shakur has been exiled in Cuba for over thirty years while successive so-called Democratic Negro-friendly administrations come and go is justice’s worst travesty. When asked what freedom is, Shakur said “I know a whole lot more about what freedom isn’t, than what it is, ‘cause I’ve never been free”. It’s an indictment on the American brag of being ‘a land of the free’ when one of its daughters knows not its definition.

Abu Jamal’s case has been frustrated by countless rightwing judges not to be brought to a review. And for the once promising radio journalist to languish in prison for allegedly trumped-up charges while Obama tries to convince the world that he is leading the beacon of freedom will not work for his legacy – him being a lawyer.

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VIDEO

the shatale biography

weekends are now exclusively reserved for goodbyes & lullabies

no longer do we watch soccer we watch caskets going down

we count blessings every step we take from the womb to the tomb

HIV/AIDS on the rampage communities perish like flies

sisters is shedding sweet tears finally paroled from brothels

go to confession mami make the church your haven

friendships replaced by conspiracies judas is reincarnated

hugs conceal real motives & the backstabber's Okapi

welcome to my township - mi casa su casa

why did we nip love @ the bud when they showed us the dollar

how can we all scream aluta when some are rested in Benzes

marijuana's now our messiah guarantees redemption

it's a cold-cold world father i'm down on my knees

rescue me from temptation i see the bait of lucifer

bullets still lick asses of brothers who forgot how to act

we misled now believe black sheep should die in the dark

install doors on caves & disappear from your glory

my township is contradictions prays to god but praises satan

we wonder why he's your son but lacks your light

we gave our faith to mighty dollars that never bought us life

brett kebble caught hollows left us wondering why

tens of millions couldn't bail him from the angel of death

last night i humbled myself & dialed mary the virgin

to save me from my fears of dying before turning 40

give me a reason to live while everyone is dying

take me to heaven if it's there i'm converted sans faith

i'm blind can't close my eyes i pray with them open

for everybody i love to have eternal life

everybody that left to be forgiven they sins

everybody on they deathbeds to get well before christmas

for shatale to be bold enough to bury its dead

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REVIEW

Hip hop has always derived its strength and glamour from emcees proudly representing where they come from. The territorial mentality is wholly about the emcee telling the rest what’s so good about their ‘hood. Sometimes the fact that there’s too much crime can be a plus since street credentials are the only honour rappers can carry to the next ‘hood.

So, the second out-of-Shatale instalment of Mpumalanga’s only hip hop movement Luv Ur Hood saw a lot of Thulamahashe’s emcees coming out to drop their verses and share stories about their sprawling township with other rappers and patrons. The show on in early July, themed Mangozi Ya Tala ka Spice, exposed the raw talent that remains hidden in the periphery provinces of this country. Gauteng has nothing on some of the cats that prowled the makeshift stage.

On decks was the province’s only hip-hop DJ, SK, who also dropped a verse with his Krazy Doggz crew which includes many emcees amongst them C-well Shogun, Tazzy Tazz etc. While every DJ is going the house music direction - SK is the Funkmaster. They had the crowd which is familiar with their songs, which are contained in their mixtape, repeating every hook as they ripped the stage apart. The mood was only poisoned by one emcee who saw his moment of glory as an opportunity to push his political party's hustle.

Thulamahashe also boasts arguably the youngest female emcee who, the way she was delivering her raps it appeared that if she’s not genius she has an intelligent ghost-writer. Methinks her hypeman who also happens to be her sister is the writer behind the juicy rhymes.

Lydenburg and Burgersfort were represented respectively by Oscar (Pedi Swagg) and KG who together dropped powerful lines over a beat produced by AB Crazy of Man of the Moment fame. “I like the fact that there are shows this side of town. Quite honestly where we coming from you don’t get rappers meeting like this to share in the music and culture” said Oscar in an interview. We ended up having an hour-long chat about hip hop both local and global.

The regulars were there as well. Mr Doo sampled from his upcoming mixtape. He comically rapped what has become his signature tune, Leya Thoma go e Kwa while Masta H also dropped a song from his upcoming mixtape titled Lepulana Volume I.

Katsuko mounted the stage and delivered his stellar song Re Tswa Bush which has become an anthem with a music video on YouTube. Dialectic was also there delivering decapitating punchlines, first with a Krazy Dogg member then on his own flowing over a Nas and Damian Marley beat.

While Shatale remains the spiritual home of the movement organisers Katsuko and Masta H say they have serious plans to put it on a road show and give it that Made in Mpumalanga identity.

“The next show will be at Mkhuhlu, followed by Bushbuckridge. We are looking at how we can take it to places such as Kanyamazane, Ngodini, Matsulu and others”, Katsuko told the patrons who came to feed off the raps on offer.

Luv Ur Hood, Mangozi ya Tala ka Spice is also used to merchandise and the organisers say it’s now on Facebook, where other people can join to follow the growth.

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