A few years ago, landing a track on RapCaviar was akin to winning the lottery. Today, the same placement feels closer to a consolation prize. Streams are down, algorithms are up, and the machinery of music discovery is quietly being re-engineered while artists attempt to keep pace.
For a few hours on the evening of the first Thursday of September, Cape Town’s music scene witnessed a shift. When Aloe Aloe and…
It’s tempting to start this piece with “despite the odds” or “against the grain.” But let’s not. Because here’s the truth: femme-presenting artists in…
It was a simple question, but the answer sparked a storm. When DJ Speedsta asked Cape Town-born rapper K.Keed to freestyle live on his…
When Nasty C announced the relaunch of Tall Racks as a digital platform for independent artists about a week ago, it landed with real…
Creativity thrives here, creative careers do not. Can we begin taking steps to build the music industry that Cape Town needs?
Last week, we laid it out for venues: if you can’t offer artists the bare minimum — working sound, working toilets, and a shred…
You wouldn’t invite someone over for dinner and ask them to bring the cutlery, cook their own food, and leave before dessert. Yet somehow,…
Right now, somewhere in Lagos, Johannesburg, or Nairobi, a kid is uploading a beat that could blow up in Berlin, London, or Paris. Meanwhile,…
