Podcasting is all the rage right now. We have podcasts filling arenas and reaching one million subscribers, all based on the strength of talking smack about current affairs and occasionally making sense and offering offence frequently.
It is the perfect platform for shock jocks and people who once had certain avenues of art open to them. American rapper and now podcast mogul Joe Budden comes to mind. He was never really a chart-topping artist with his biggest offering being Pump It Up, which was mainly because that Just Blaze beat is staggeringly well made.
Regardless, Joe Budden was a lot more proficient with the pen in hand than your favourite right now and anyone who considers themselves a competitive lyricists would have a hard time running through the band he was once a part of known as Slaughterhouse.
Read more | COLUMN | Should we be worried about people throwing things at performers during their sets?
Now Joey has made his move to podcasting work despite falling out in spectacular fashion with his initial collaborators and replacing them. Another veteran American rapper who is trail blazing the podcast scene over there is N.O.R.E. Those who know the culture will remember the run he enjoyed from the late 90’s to the mid 2000’s as half of the duo Capone-n-Noreaga. He now hosts Drink Champs where some of the biggest names in global show business get hammered with him and his co-host DJ EFN while an interview is conducted. It makes for interesting viewing.
Locally we’re seeing a similar trend emerge. Respectfully, we have a string of rappers who are perhaps past their best and the limelight may not be as inviting as it once was, but the keen sting of fame is addictive. Podcasts are keeping what some people would consider washed rappers relevant.
Slikour Onlife
This might be the most expected inclusion on the list, and it isn’t necessarily just a podcast, but an entire network devoted to following the hip hop culture. Former Skwatta Kamp and solo artist Slikour has been at the helm of Slikour Onlife for some time now and all this stemmed from a few popular podcast series like his Balcony interviews. The views shared on his site are worthy of a mention. This too was however a move that coincided with a decline in his work as a musician and as the hunger for his raps died down, he positioned himself well enough to stay relevant but in a different stream of consumption.
The Masterclass
Aficionado and rapper Rashid Kay also has an interesting podcast called The Masterclass. He unpacks things from what you might consider a more underground perspective. He is an instrumental figure in the founding of the South African Hip Hop Museum and the SA Hip Hop Awards and so watching the game become what it has, is something he has watched intently over the years. His raps are cemented in good intentions but are maybe not the best you might encounter but the pod is among the better ones on this list.
Point of View
Gigi Lamayne has her pod called Point of View and although we might think she could still turn things around in terms of the music, she may be looking to diversify. Hers is a pod in which she speaks very candidly about issues of sex, romance, business and she doesn’t seem to be scared of sharing hot takes that could ruffle feathers. It isn’t a bad watch or listen, but we maintain that she doesn’t necessarily have to walk away from the mic just yet.
Read more | Unfollowed delves into cancel culture in SA and those who've survived it
Perspective
Chad Da Don was a flash in the pan musically and he has also made a dash for the couch and microphone set up with his podcast, Perspective. He hosts fellow rappers and delves into their personal lives unpacking the drama of trying to make it in the rap game. It makes sense for him though as nobody was checking for those flaccid raps he had. His brightest moment in music was dating Kelly Khumalo briefly.
Then we have two veteran rappers who the game needs in the booth but instead they have relegated themselves to talking about other people and things. DA L.E.S. had his Posted with DA L.E.S which had a decent run last year, but he seems to have let it go for the time being.
L-Tido also has one called the L-tidopodcast and he hasn’t had that many episodes but did manage to get interviews with both his former rival turned friend AKA and Cassper Nyovest. Tido relies on his connections in the music business to use as content for these pods. Honestly, it would be better if he leaned on these connections to create new music but maybe they both feel they’re past it. Both have released music and if we’re being frank, their last offerings were not as strong as some of their more defining works.
It is interesting to see that even some of these moves to podcasting have not worked for rappers whose careers in music were floundering prior to the shift. Both forms of art require devotion and skill and even though all things trendy have a blinding shimmering allure to them, they’re not exactly the moves everyone should make.
