For this week’s #bottomrightcorner, we handed it over to none other than the Manyoba BOY$! Made up of Lesotho-born Big Space and British expat Jumping Back Slash, Manyoba BOY$ are the most swanking South African underground house and techno producers around; they got white meat and dark meat like a chicken and together they bring the Manyobane$$! We asked them to choose five of their favourite tracks, and so without further ado… Presenting the Manyoba BOY$’ #bottomrightcorner!

Bob James – ‘Nautilus‘
 

 
Bob James is a jazz keyboardist and producer who is recognised as one of the pioneers of smooth jazz. His silky tunes have awarded him two Grammy trophies and a lifelong legacy among jazz’s elite. He was also member of Fourplay – a jazz supergroup that spent numerous weeks at the top of Billboard’s contemporary jazz chart when their debut self-titled album released in 1991.

James’ tracks have had a profound resonance in hip-hop circles, with numerous rappers sampling his work. For example ‘Nautilus’, taken from the album One, can be heard echoing through the heavy beats of Eric B. & Rakim’s ‘Follow the Leader’, Run-D.M.C.’s ‘Beats to the Rhyme’, and Ghostface Killah’s ‘Daytona 500’.

Alaska – ‘Alaska‘
 

 
Alaska embody South African music culture in the kwaito rhymes they’ve spilled through local airways over the last ten years. The five-piece group is made up of Lucky Mlakana, Thabo Tsotetsi, Les Ma-ada, Andrew Moloisane, and Sphiwe Pica. Their music brims with socially conscious lyricism which resonates in a variety of African languages – isiXhosa, Sesotho, isiZulu and Sepedi to name a few. The group originated in Soweto, and the track ‘Alaska’ is taken from their first album, Cool As Hell.

Kenny Larkin – ‘Northern Lights‘
 

 
Kenny Larkin is a ’90s techno banger. The Detroit producer has been described as ‘massively influential’ on the rise of techno in both Europe and America. To many who run in techno circles, Larkin is a household name. In the early 2000s he embarked on a career in comedy – fitting as he sometimes goes by the moniker, Dark Comedy – but 2012 saw him return to the dance floor sounds.

‘Northern Lights’ is a track that was produced in 1995. The song is a cool, laid-back, house-like showcase of techno in the ’90s. For all the youngsters who missed the ’90s age, take a listen.

Virgo Four – ‘Let the Music Play‘
 

 
Merwyn Sanders and Eric Lewis are Virgo Four. The duo, also known as Ace & the Sandman, salute their hometown, Chicago, in their Chicago house sounds. Chicago house is much like the smooth dance beats of electro house, except that it’s based and created in The Windy City. Their career was short-lived with only three records released, but Virgo Four’s music helped reverberate the beat of house through the streets of Chi-Town. ‘Let The Music Play’ is a silky, jazzy sample of Virgo Four’s electric old-school flavour.

Wu-Tang Clan – ‘It’s Yourz‘
 

‘Machine gun rap for all my niggas in the back’ – the first words of It’s Yourz’ say it all. Wu-Tang Clan are street rap invigorators who powered through American hip-hop airways throughout the ’90s. The crew is made up of a dizzying group of talent in RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late ‘Ol Dirty Bastard. They are widely acknowledged to be one of the most influential acts to hit the hip-hop scene and have garnered both critical and mainstream success.

The New York-bred group became famous for their story-telling rhymes which challenged social injustice, promoted Black Conscious, and defended the hustle of those running on the periphery. Their debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), placed them at the zenith of hip-hop triumph, with tracks like ‘C.R.E.A.M’ championing their arrival to the rap world.

‘It’s Yourz’ reflects the group’s focus on the harshness of the world by highlighting that regardless how insignificant man may feel; the world still belongs to us.

LINKS:

Manyoba BOY$ – Facebook, SoundCloud, Twitter
Big Space – Facebook, SoundCloud, Twitter
Jumping Back Slash – Facebook, SoundCloud, Twitter

words: Raeesa Pather
images: Manyoba BOY$

IMAGE: TONI-J PHOTOGRAPHY

OSS: Spaza$hop! Where does it all begin?

S$: SPAZA$HOP began in 2009. Two kids looking for a way to channel their energies and dreams. It was frustration, ambition and longing that got us writing raps in a three-room house in Soweto. We felt our rhymes so much that we found a studio and started recording. The first track we did was ‘Anti-gravity’. Turns out that track was hot because it became our first number 1 thus reassuring us that music was indeed our path.

Growing up who were guys looking up to?

Charlie Macc’s early influences were kwaito and house music loving artists like Dr Mageu. He frequented Electric Workshop in his teens. As Jonny Joburg I have always been into rock ‘n roll and American hip-hop with bands like Rage Against The Machine and Eminem molding me as a kid. All these influences have translated into SPAZA$HOP! Infact it’s why we’re called SPAZA$HOP! cause that’s where you find everything you like, everything you need for everybody.

Sunlight soap for the hood and Lux for the bougie niggas. We represent the ghetto kid who went to school in the suburbs and the suburban kid who spent weekends in the hood. It’s the juxtaposition of two worlds and the creation of a third.

What has the evolution been from Spaz$hop Boys to Spaz$hop! ?

SPAZA$HOP! aint boyz no more. We’re both 26 years old and we have a record label that’s partnered with some major players in music. We are now business MEN.

The Rehab Tony video seems to measure up to the song title, you guys have a lot of striking imagery in it, reiterating the song title. The contrasts from hospitals, to soldiers and opulence are pretty insane. What inspired the track and how does it correlate with the video?

Rehab Tony is actually one of the many Aka’s of the producer Francis Muller. He has a whole album’s worth of music that he’s done as Rehab Tony and when I heard it I was like lemme jump on that ish. The track is an edgy party jam and the video is just as edgy if not more. The video is a story of two guys being resurrected through a ritual and being set on their paths. We were resurrected from doing hip-hop as we knew it to this new sound, new look, new world.

Who are you guys in your day-to-day lives?

We wake up Charlie Macc and Jonny Joburg and go to bed Charlie Macc and Jonny Joburg. Charlie is a house DJ and aspiring actor whilst Jonny is a music producer and runs Renaissance-Rock Recordings.

What’s the ultimate goal you’d like to achieve as Spaza$hop!?

To take what people think is just a niche market sound to the average kid on the street.

So what are the plans moving forward with the album dropping in October?

We have some shows we’re organising with the owner of The Woods and Townhall in Newtown, Johannesburg. Take our music directly to the kids who’ll appreciate it. Then after that we gotta take it everywhere-else. Especially to the people who think they’re not into it. They just don’t know it yet.

Are there any other big announcements to be on the lookout for?

The Biggest announcement is the ‘Pinki Pinki’ video dropping in October and the album dropping October 31st.

What has the reception of the music been this far in terms of a country-wide response?

The first people to show us love were the executives and the blogs. The people have needed some education but they’re finally on our page. I think ‘Pinki Pinki’ is the perfect blend of influences; two parts electro and two parts Kwaito. The kids really dig it.

Any small towns to shout out?

S/O Diepkloof, Soweto and S/O Umlazi township in Durban.

Who would win a fight: Obama or Mandela?

The fight would be rigged so I ain’t putting my money down.
 

 
Interview by Phumlani Pikoli
image credit: Toni-J Photography