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Rising Up to sit down for a Q&A with OBEY

one small seed — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 08:49:51 +0000

While a growing number of individuals – laughing, jamming, conversing and feeling the funk on the streets of Braamfontein, Jozi – gazed up at Shepard Fairey’s forming mural of Mandela, one small seed was gearing up for up our talk with the American contemporary street artist/illustrator/activist. Watch our video interview with the face and force behind OBEY aka Andre the Giant, featured in our ‘Best Of’ Ten Years one small seed, in partnership with PUMA. #ThePurpleRevolution #RiseUp

Click Expand to watch our video exclusive with Shepard Fairey

Everything that I do came from skateboarding, and at first punk rock, and then later hip hop because hip hop became the new punk rock. Punk rock and skateboarding were always about creativity, resourcefulness, rebellion and then hip hop came along and it was the same way.

– Shepard Fairey

Interview by Sarah Claire Picton

We Hope You Bought it! Thumbs up Cassper Nyovest.

one small seed — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 07:33:56 +0000

Cassper Nyovest, South African recording artist and producer, released the official music video for ‘I Hope You Bought it’ from his debut album Tsholofelo in December 2014. It has, so far, received 77,008 views on Youtube and 1,238 thumbs up!

The video shows the process of airbrushing the Tsholofelo album cover, to show that:

Although many people believe Cassper Nyovest’s career was an overnight success, this is not the case. Cassper’s career was built from the ground up… (Youtube video description)

Even though some may not be so impressed:

Yoh, not a good song, but the content, the words, hayi no, you settled the score with the so called fans and haters.” (Thuto Moloi)

one small seed loves it! You got our thumbs up Cassper!

What do you think? Leave your comment in the box below…

Exclusive Video Interview with ex-gang member of the Pollsmoor 28s

one small seed — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 06:10:35 +0000

For one small seed exclusive insider’s account, writer Paul White tells the story of an ex-gang member of the Pollsmoor 28s, part of the infamous South African Number Gangs feared around the world. His name is Joburg

Pieces of Joburg from one small seed on Vimeo

‘When you decide to stab someone in prison, you pick a basic area to aim for and then rely on your anger. One. Two. Three. Then you hand the knife to someone behind you who makes the knife disappear as the person you stabbed lies on the ground, bleeding out.’

Job ‘Joburg’ Gallie joined the 28s through such an act. An enemy of his from outside had come into jail and Joburg had not wanted to join the number until then. The problem was that no violent acts could be committed in prison without the go-ahead from the gangs. He went to the senior members to ‘look for work’. They provided him with a knife (handmade, of course), and he stabbed the man twice in the head and once in the back. Joburg was dating the man’s sister on the outside and her brother forbade her to see him, telling her that Joburg was no good. She broke up with him. Joburg vowed to get his revenge.

During the interview Paul asked Joburg what happened to the person he stabbed. His reply was:

We became good friends after that… I never got back with his sister though.

top photo: KOPE | FIGGINS
originally published in Issue 22 of one small seed

Jonny Joburg Is off to Light up LA

one small seed — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 09:32:21 +0000

Meet Jonny Joburg: a name that pays tribute to a city that is captivating the world with a fresh creative explosion from some brazen and ambitious individuals. Known in the early ’90s simply as Luthando, Jonny is the force and face behind his label Renaissance Rock Recordings, former member of the band SPAZA$HOP BOYZ and an individual who’s shaking things and showing no signs of slowing down. The SAMA-nominated producer has just released a new track ‘Mazishe’, which is also the introductory single from his forthcoming EP titled Sgebengu and he just shot a music video that personifies Joburg’s many characteristics to be released late July 2014! He’s also got a trip planned to head to LA… you’ll have to stay posted to hear the juice on that! We caught up with Jonny for a candid one-on-one about Renaissance Rock Recordings and hip hop in South Africa, use of vernac, and future plans of staging his own coup d’état!

photograph by Leeroy Jason

How is your label Renaissance Rock Recordings doing?
RRR is doing well; we are currently representing 21 composers and a number of exciting artists who are busy shaking things, such as Loui Lvndn, Frank Marksy, Frankie Beagle and Dead Alphabet. We’re also in talks with underground rap legends Revivolution and a performance-rap duo by the name of Stash Crew who used to perform with A Brother Moves On.

You’ve also introduced RRR, your new clothing brand. Tell us a bit about this coming together of music and fashion…?
The name of the clothing brand is RRR and it’s a blatant merger of fashion and music. The clothing directly reflects the attitude of the company, which is punk rock. So we’re doing prints that evoke a sense of rebellion and social tension. It’s in the music and it’s in our society, so why not put it in the clothes?

What does ‘Mazishe’ and ‘Sgebengu’ mean? Is the use of rhyming in vernac important for you and what’s been the public’s response?
‘Mazishe’ is Joburg slang for ‘let’s do it’ or ‘light it up’. Sgebengu is a Zulu word for criminal. The use of vernac in the music is important but also second nature, there’s no way anybody can grow up in South Africa — especially in Joburg — and not be affected by the culture. I put the whole city on my back when I used it in my name because that’s how much I love being a Joburg kid and being a South African. The people have responded positively and overwhelmingly to the music and the brand. The kids can tell that I’m actually here for them and not just making a quick buck.

What are your plans for the rest of 2014? And the future?
During the second half of 2014, I’ll be releasing my EP, my DVD, my video, I’ll be going on tour with Revivolution, new clothing designs will be out and I’ll be expanding my brand to overseas. In short, we’ll be staging a coup d’état.

Where in Joburg do you feel most alive?
Downtown baby! Yeoville stand up!

Any upcoming gigs we can look forward to?
Definitely! My management keeps me busy.The biggest will be the the #LIVEFROMTHE011 launch that I’m hosting with GRIME TOWN at the end of July in Maboneng. I’m also branching into public speaking and will be speaking to children at a school in Alexandra township which I’m excited about!

How would you describe South Africa’s hip hop scene? Does it (and if so, why?) differ from province to province; city to suburb…? What are the most significant differences and where do you feel your style is most aligned to?
South Africa’s hip hop scene is growing very well and it’s on pace to be the biggest cultural influencer in this country. My only problem with it at the moment is that it’s very soft and safe. Nobody dares to talk about what’s really going on in society. That’s where I come in, and I think that MAZISHE being played on national radio is a testament to how hungry the public is for a hip hop artist who actually raps about something they can relate to.

SPAZA$HOP – PHOTOGRAPH BY TINI JIZZLEI

My style is not regional, my style is street. I’m aligned to the streets. My experiences are from the streets. Street life is one of the most universal concepts known to man and it connects people from all over our country, continent and planet. I’m just speaking about street life from a Joburg perspective.

We are witnessing a handful of local acts which seem to be getting more support from overseas and by international promoters and labels than local ones. What are your thoughts on this?

I’ve got no problem with anything that serves to take my message further. Give us bigger venues and bigger crowds and you’ll see a bigger change.

How important do you think radio exposure is and how does it directly affect artists’ revenue?
I speak from personal experience when I say that national radio is the difference and performance royalties can be very significant if you’ve had a hit, but artists shouldn’t think about that too much when composing.

Would you still consider there to be an underground music scene with the increasing emergence of artists’ releasing their work online?
The internet only served to grow the underground music scene…

So yes, the underground is alive in Joburg.

If you could work with any local and international artist, who would it be?
Locally I would like to work with the producers Nyambz, PH-Superman and Brian Soko and internationally I’d like to work with Madlib and Pharrell. Ask me in five years if I made all of that happen!

Jonny Joburg – Photograph by Justin McGee

Would you ever host a huge concert from a Spaza container? If so, who else would we see on stage?
When I was in SPAZA$HOP BOYZ, that was our dream so if one small seed is keen I’d love to partner on making that show happen. I’d have Revivolution, Dead Alphabet and STASH CREW open for me. It would be epic!

Tell us about where your style is at the moment… and for a little treat, give us a rhyme that sums up your style in 2014!
I changed my style to a form that I grew up listening to in the ’90s because I felt it would get my lyrical content across better. A rhyme from a song on my EP illustrates the shift… ‘I’m pissing off the government topless like I’m Pac.’

If you could invent a new genre of music, what would you call it?

My new genre of music would be called: ‘Don’t be afraid, be yourself’.

Stay posted to Renaissance Rock Recordings’ Facebook page for updates on Sgebengu, the music video to ‘Mazishe’ and his project in LA!

Interview by Matthew Alexander

Jonny Joburg – Photograph by Justin McGee

For an interview with The Spaza$hop Boyz on one small seed click here.

Lindiwe Suttle’s Kamikaze Art Takes Off in Germany

one small seed — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 12:04:15 +0000

South African singer-songwriter Lindiwe Suttle has released her debut Kamikaze Art on 4 April 2014, and has received quite a bit of German press around her new relationship with German rock/pop star Marius Mueller-Westernhagen. Do you need a celebrity at your side to make it big? It probably helps, but Kamikaze Art nonetheless contains songs that manifest Lindiwe Suttle’s undoubted talent as a singer and songwriter.

Image: fanelelove.blogspot.com

Raised in the US but hailing from SA, Lindiwe Suttle is living up to her mother’s fame with her own skills and ambitions. She has an MBA in Entrepreneurship/Marketing, has styled Beyonce and Ciara, and – on top of that – is blessed with a beautiful singing voice. She is also a hard worker with a zest for social justice, and shines a different light on South Africa as opposed to, for example, zef shockers Die Antwoord. Her music career started with performances in small clubs in Cape Town but today she is a celebrity who has just internationally released her debut album. And, recently – to the resentment of some – news leaked that she is the new girlfriend of German music legend Marius Mueller-Westernhagen. Knowing the hurt that this might have caused to Romney Williams, the singer’s wife of 25 years, he told German tabloid Bild am Sonntag that sometimes you can’t help it when ‘the lightning bolt of love’ strikes.

Image: badische-zeitung.de

Image: lindiwesuttle.com

But gossip aside and focus to the music, Kamikaze Art is a world-class album that was recorded and produced by Ivan Georgiev in Berlin but features themes that, although universal, appear closer to home. According to Lindiwe’s website, the album deals with political corruption, the internal struggle between good and bad, temptations of the music industry, bullying, and social justice. ‘I called the album Kamikaze Art because I feel I have given all of myself. I truly believe in the music, each song is deeply personal, open and honest,’ says Lindiwe. Whereas ‘Kamikaze Art’, the first single off the album, is a colourful tune with a hint of reggae and shows off South Africa in its music video, the second single ‘1000 Miles’ is a more soulful song about love. What’s more, some songs off the album have already got the attention of the right people in the industry. ‘Twilight’, for example, won the Grand Prize in Session 1 of the John Lennon songwriting competition and was a semi-finalist in the UK songwriting contest.

So, whatever the hearsay, Lindiwe Suttle is bringing her South African roots and musical knack to foreign shores and, even if some disapprove, has partnered with a German music legend, not only in her private life but also musically. Lindiwe will support her boyfriend on his upcoming album Alphatier and will tour Germany with him as a ‘guest singer’.

Click here to order Kamikaze Art.

Words: Christine Hogg

Future Gods Presents Nina Kraviz Live in SA | COMPETITION

one small seed — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 08:56:34 +0000

The Future Gods shows by event organisers Raymond Bloom and Juaan Ferreira — who have brought the Godskitchen brand to SA with some of the biggest names in electronic music — is an initiative to entertain an edgier crowd and give South Africans a taste of what the global electronic scene is enjoying at the moment. Siberian DJ/Producer Nina Kraviz — one of the most fiercely debated acts of the underground dance music movement — fits this profile perfectly, and is thus playing her first two shows in Cape Town and Johannesburg on 4 and 5 April respectively. We have two double tickets to give away for each city, find out how to win below!

Image: playgroundmag.net

Image: residentadvisor.net

To win tickets to Future Gods presents Nina Kraviz Live in SA follow these steps:

Like one small seed and Sonic State on Facebook

Follow @onesmallseedSA and @SonicStateSA on Twitter and tweet a link to this post with a mention of @onesmallseedSA and @SonicStateSA as well as the city you live in.

Leave a comment below telling us why you’d like to go.

The winners will be announced on Friday 4 April at 10h00

To get in the mood for this weekend’s shows, or if your ever stuck for some killer music for a party, here’s Nina Kraviz’ 1:15:45-long Boiler Room Berlin DJ set:

Image: danreidphotography.blogspot.com

Encounters SA International Documentary Festival 2013

one small seed — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:50:08 +0000

Encounters South African International Documentary Festival will be a prominent not-to-miss event for South African’s this winter, with screenings taking place from June 6-16 in Cape Town and Joburg. 23 films will be featured in what will be the festival’s 15th year of exposing both global and local filmmaking talent.

Image: capetownmagazine.com

The documentaries delve deep into controversial topics, from terrorism in the Middle East to male Circumcision in South Africa. In response to violent crimes against women in South Africa, the festival is presenting Filmmakers Against Women’s Abuse which will consist of ten short documentaries chosen by the Documentary Filmmakers Association. The DFA hopes to bring these three-minute films to the community and bring much-needed awareness to the issue. Oscar nominated films The Gatekeepers and How to Survive a Plague will highlight the festival along with 11 other films in the international division. South African director Aryan Kaganof’s film An Inconsolable Memory is already creating a buzz around his film’s look into the evolution of Cape Town’s District Six.

The Devil’s Lair will kick off Cape Town’s festival Thursday, 6 June at 19h00 offering viewers candid insight into the challenges that one man faces daily in his life as a drug dealer who is trying to make it out of poverty. Joburg will open their festival Friday, 7 June at 19h00. with Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a PIMP, an exploration of the birthplace of rap in America following the end of the Civil Rights movement.

Take a peek at trailers below to see what else will be showcased at Encounters:

From Israel: Dror Moreh’s The Gatekeepers

From USA: David France’s How to Survive a Plague

From South Africa: Riaan Hendricks’ The Devil’s Lair

From Switzerland: Barabara Miller’s Forbidden Voices

From USA: Laura Greenfield’s Queen of Versailles

From South Africa: Dylan Valley’s Incarcerated Knowledge

images: filmcontact.com

LEVI’S® 501® INTERPRETATION: MARCO RIEKSTINS

one small seed — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:53:07 +0000

Marco Riekstins, image: Morne Van Zyl

Marco Riekstins is a fashion blogger, writer and stylist living in Johannesburg. Built under the premise that any man can live a fashionable existence, Man of the Cloth has grown immensely into a local favourite for men on the go and continues to expand into various other subjects online five years on.

To find out more go to manofthecloth.co.za. And for more information on ‘501® Interpretation’ click here!

GALLERY

Portrait by Morne Van Zyl

The Suit Makes a Man

one small seed — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:26:30 +0000

Thousands of migrants come to South Africa looking for a piece of the African Dream. They are drawn by the well-spread knowledge of Johannesburg being the leading financial centre on the continent. Sadly, most of them, once arrived, don’t make a lot of money. But there are a few who do. Rafael, a tailor from The Republic of Congo came to the City of Gold where he now runs a small business, making and selling handmade suits. This video showcases the beauty of real handwork. Film by Bram Janssen. Length 03:00

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STREETS OF FIETAS | The Short Series

one small seed — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 09:55:24 +0000

Amateur film maker Ben Jay Crossman exposes a world of violence, crime, drugs and lost youth in his short documentary Streets of Fietas. Crossman follows the life of those who contribute and are affected by the vicious cycle of poverty, crime and drug use. While conducting interviews and showing powerful footage that is completely raw and untailored, those in the video share their personal history and current present concerning relationships, race, theft, prison and living life on the streets. Length 07:41

STREETS OF FIETAS from ben jay crossman on Vimeo.

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Responses are void of pageantry which creates for a documentary that is authentic and without hype. Crossman’s passion is to capture as well as create, and through this video he does exactly that. Part III has yet to be released but it is greatly anticipated. Be challenged, shocked, and educated as Crossman transports us to the Streets of Fietas.

STREETS OF FIETAS part 2 from ben jay crossman on Vimeo.

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STREETS OF FIETAS part 3 from ben jay crossman on Vimeo.

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