The Reporter That Paid: Kendrick Lamar

 Kendrick Lamar finally made it to Johannesburg South Africa. I was amongst the first to purchase the Golden circle ticket in 2013, the last to arrive at the *press conference due to an overpriced and under skilled tuk Tuk driver who would stop at every intersection to ask for directions and speed off halfway during the understanding. So being such an overly dedicated fan of King Kendrick Lamar I decided that I would have to get as close as humanly possible to him during his performance. 
*I am greatly dissapointed at the generic questions that were thrown around there, so many months to prepare and you still asking about album covers? The price of being late.

The first stop was always going to be the beer tent and thank the heavens for the sponsor we were treated to R30 worth of cold piss in a plastic cup, with no choice I made my purchase and bumped into familiar faces from the streets as well as the corporate world…I’m talking CEO’s and Kitcheners cavalry bar regulars and that goes to show the power of the tiny giant we were all here to see.

Unfortunately I was late for Reason’s performance as I gradually smuggled myself right through the Versace clad crowd on my way to the front of the stage (pretending my “girlfriend” is waiting for me somewhere in the near distance”. I got there in time to see him perform with veteran Kabelo from the legendary kwaito group TKZee alongside Maggz. They performed a new track called lendlela which has been seeing m.a.a.d airplay on Chanel O. Reason brought on to stage the legendary Tumi from the Volume who seemed a little out of the latter as the sound went through a bit of a low while performing Keep Debiting, none the less we know what to expect of him and his team, pure talent and lyrical dexterity and that was duly delivered through historical references, complex flows, punch lines and metaphors. The set was then ended with an interactive Do it like I can shembe Gospel rendition which had everyone singing along and smiling from ear to ear. Reason’s set had a great amount of energy. He is indeed a crowd pleaser, check out his latest single Bump The CheeseUp.

During the intervals the crowd grew rapidly restless and started chanting Kendrick’s name which was a disappointing scene seeing as we are supposed to be supporting local music as well and the fact is that the  homies were bringing it!!! Anyways on to one of my favourite acts of the night Khuli Chana backed by Raiko, performed high energy crowd favourites and even brought on Da L.E.S (who wore a Compton cap?) and Magesh for Hape le hape (Pt 2), I sluggishly zoned out and remembered listening to a song called Jozi City lights from the Maru a pula album back in my college years while sharing a plate of pap and meat with a friend, realising the hardships of Joburg and BOOM! Khuli brings out KG and Towdee Mac on to the stage; 2 thirds of his former group Morafe serving us a nostalgic moment as we sang along to one of their hit singles “You ain’t heard the whole thing”.  Khuli performed Dikeetane from   Khuli Chana’s Lost In Time album, it was my first time hearing the joint but I fell for it. It has the classic playful social commentary that Motswako Music became known for, I can’t believe Towdee  is still as sick as ever, this was also made evident in his single Habashwe . Khuli brought a triple stack set with a drummer, dancers, Keyboardist, supporting acts as well as astounding lighting and energy to the stage.  Another element that stuck out was a dread locked rapper who just appeared out of nowhere and faded into a Khuli Chana's  Dikeetane  with an amaaaaaazing flow. Ladies and gentlemen this was soon shaping up to be a night of lyricism, energy and clinical execution.

After that set you could feel the anxiety creeping into the crowd, a sheet of light rain dropped, draped and cooled us down as we made small talk with the people around us, I helped some tired legs to sit down while we waited for an agonizing 45 minutes for Kendrick…look we support your music, we love your music, we even F*@k to your music but damn man 45 minutes? Cramps, thirst, unruly behaviour will arise homie…anyways I put away my pen and paper for this one, this performance was more personal than any I have attended.

see I was the first person to play Kendrick Lamar on radio in South Africa before he even had an official twitter account so I really knew his music well and have played it over and over on my phone, in the production studio, at parties and pretty much anywhere where the was a sound output…I even pretended to be him at Rocking theDaisies reciting a broken verse from the Black hippy U.O.E.N.O. I had come to see if he would really bring it or be like every other rapper who comes on stage recites a couple of verses and leaves with a “We love you South Africa, I’ve just got paid”. Kendrick Lamar is as sick live as he is recorded, you get the picture? He had a more chilling energy, I was confused whether it was sinister or humbled as he got the crowd to chant his name, I guess everyone at that level of progress, with so many followers all over the world has the right to lean back and pimp the crowd on some “what’s my name” type tip. You could tell that he was genuinely there and happy to be in South Africa and reminded us that ashy skin and nappy hair is all natural and shouldn’t really be compromised. He threw out a few of his classic tracks from Section 8.0 namely A.D.H.D, Hol’Up, Hiii Power and Ronald Reagan Era which got the crowd in a jovially rebellious mood as they threw their three fingers in the air while singing along.

He also featured some of the catchy tunes from his official debut album Good Kid M.A.A.D City namely, Money Trees, Good Kid, Swimming Pools, Recipe, Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe, Backyard freestyle even spitting Dre’s verse in the process. He brought on his little brothers to show them the magnitude of what he does so that they can learn from it at a young age as it took him 27 years to get to this point he said. This showed that Kendrick really believes in developing the youth and shaping the future. A surprise track I must admit was cartoons and cereal….AAAAAAH one of my favourites and least expected jams.

Towards the end of his show he made people take their phones out (the modern day lighter) and wave them In the air as he passionately stated that if he had to die right at that very instance, we should sing about him; Then he performed sing about me. I saw teary eyes in the crowd, niggers who looked like Mac 10 and E-40 were pushing streams back into their eye balls while maintaining their gangster lean. Other tracks that were performed were Collard Greens by School Boy Q and P&P.

 Photo by: @TsumeAlphaWolf

 

Video by: Itumeleng Modise

video by: Byron goldberg

Over all I was overwhelmed by his aura, his delivery – no gasp – no water, his stage presence and his near outer body experience when he raps, it honestly felt like he was travelling right through the crowd interacting with each individual on their own level. The down side were a few glitches from the DJ, the sound from the base bin on the left hand side of the stage and also the bland screen at the back, he could’ve put an animation or something to enhance his act. Either than that it was an emotional performance. BIG Ups to Our South African performers you were an amazing build up and we keep supporting you from oppie koppie all the way to the 6o’s and maybe Vegas?

Video by: Itumeleng Modise



Written by: Lethabo Ngakane

Twitter: Lambisking

Instant Kaffein: Soweto Rock Revolution

If you asking the “whats” and the “wheres” then you have already missed the first one, The bands, the scene, the quarts, the mosh pits, tattoos and cigarette burns…the pilot project that got the big cheese; The Soweto Rock Revolution : Punk Fuck event hosted at the Street Hawker Concept Store in Dube Soweto.

The organisers have been so busy building on the great success of the first edition of the event that it was fitting for us to sneak in an Instant Kaffein interview, where we asked them a few quick questions on who they are and what you should expect for the next instillation pragmatically called Soweto Rock Revolution: Punk Fuck II.

               

  

      

      1.       How did Soweto Rock Revolution come about?  

                 Collaborative effort between musicians, creatives and artists.

     

      2.       What were the major challenges in planning Soweto Rock Revolution:     

                Punk Fuck? 

                Money.

      

      3.       The first offering was really dope, great crowd and a diverse selection of    

                bands. How did it make you as the founder feel when it all came      

                together? 

                Happy as fuck, what a success.

      

      4.       Any highlights at the first Punk Fuck event? 

               The bands, the crowd, love, skating, beer, kids, tattoos, art, creativity; We 

               just wish Nelson Mandela was still alive to see this.

      5.       How do you see this event impacting on your community?

                Kids will see life differently and realise there is so much more to it, when    

                they go outside it would be nice to look around and hopefully get inspired to   

                take over the world through art. 

     6.        What should we expect from the upcoming Punk Fuck gig in   

                February?

               Come with an open mind.

   

Written by: Lethabo Ngakane
Photography and editing: Lethabo Ngakane
Follow on Twitter: @Lambisking or @kaffeinmagazine
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Thanda Indaba: Wonder Meyer

1. Please give us a brief story of who you are and what you do.

I'm a 24 year old illustrator originally from the small coastal town of Jeffreys Bay, although I've been living and studying in Port Elizabeth for the past 4 years. I majored in printmaking and illustration at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, and now that I’ve graduated I'm all set to move to Cape Town in March to work as a freelance Illustrator. I'd love to eventually write and illustrate my own series of children’s books and exhibit internationally.

 2. Can you describe the world you escape to when putting together your artwork?

I’m inspired by the myths, folklores and fairytales we encounter as children, and I am also inspired by childhood itself. My own childhood took a pretty adventurous turn when my parents took me out of school to sail around the world. Being exposed to so many different cultures, environments and unique experiences at such a young age made the world seem like a very mysterious and magical place where just about anything could happen. I often find this sentiment echoed in the environments depicted in my illustrations- a whispered world that floats somewhere between reality and make-believe.

3. Who is this little girl who seems to be the main subject of your

 Current works?

As much as I don’t want to say it’s me, because it sounds so narcissistic... it’s probably me. My illustrations are definitely a form of self-expression. I find that many of our experiences are indescribable, because so much of what we perceive is intangible. As many myths do, my illustrations are explorations of the ambiguities and contradictions of human existence. They are a way for me to give form to the ineffable emotions and personal experiences I encounter. Because I use visual metaphors to relate these feelings and experiences, I suppose I draw young female characters as representations of myself in these personal mythologies.

Thunder In Our Hearts

 4. You seem to enjoy mixed media, what is your favourite medium to work in?

The mediums I use most are pen and watercolour. I really enjoy good old pen on paper drawing, and love getting lost in the detail of fine, clean lines, but there’s not much room for error. Watercolour and inks allow for a lot more freedom, as they require less control, so the combination of the two work well for me. I’m also attracted to the ghostly appearance of emboss, and I've recently started experimenting with painting on glass in conjunction with pen and paper illustration. I'm also really keen to play around with ceramics this year after making my first porcelain character- there is something very satisfying about seeing your character come to life in a 3-dimentional form. 

 5. Where was your first exhibition and which artwork was the first to sell?

My first exhibition was in 2009 at the EPSAC gallery (now artEC) in Port Elizabeth. I sold an etching for next to nothing but thankfully I’ve learned a thing or two since then. Nevertheless I was pretty psyched at the time!

6. Can you take us through the message behind your work titled “In the face of Adversity?

‘In the Face of Adversity’ illustrates a metaphorical encounter with an insurmountable problem. The subject matter deals with an intangible human experience and incorporates symbolism in order to convey meaning.  The mountains represent resilience, dominance and a refusal to yield, and the bison echoes the same immovable qualities. However, the bison’s expression is benevolent instead of threatening, which leads the viewer to question who represents adversity to whom. The work is an observation of the relationship between humans and animals and carries an environmental message that points to the threat that mankind poses for the animal kingdom.

7. Finally, how are you feeling about being part of the young guns to show case at Design indaba.?

I’m super excited! I feel so privileged to be a part of the Emerging Creatives program, and really look forward to the experience! It couldn’t have come at a better time since I am relocating to Cape Town, which has also been awarded the title of the Design Capital for 2014. It’s no secret that the art world is a tough nut to crack in terms of forging a career for yourself, but I could not have asked for a better launch pad than Design Indaba.

Feel free to check out more of her beautiful work .

Words by: Lethabo Ngakane

Follow me on twtter: @Lambisking

Instagram: @lambisking

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Thanda Indaba

With  Design Indaba back in full force for 2014 we decided to tag along on this creative journey and interview a handful of emerging creative talent there, as you know this is what we are all about "Documenting South African Creative Youth Culture".

The Thanda Indaba campaign was inspired by the love "Thanda" for "Indaba" which refers to current news in Isizulu and also refers to Design indaba. In a nutshell Thanda Indaba refers to the love for the new talent at Design Indaba.

Stay tuned this week as we unravel very intimate conversations with the amazing talent exhibiting at this prestigious event.

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Instagram: @kaffeinmagazine
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Thanda Indaba: Yellow Jewellery

1.  How did your upbringing influence your decision to be a jewelry maker?

To be honest, it's all been quite un-purposeful. Growing up I wanted to go into fashion design but I somehow caught on to the jewelry vein instead. I feel like there's quite a bit of scope as an artist when making jewelry. You can turn any concept or idea into a wearable piece. I was incredibly fortunate growing up in that my dad took me overseas quite a bit. I feel as though travelling often has been my greatest influence to date. Christopher McCandless put it well when he said, "the core of a man’s spirit comes from new experiences."

           2.   How would you describe your brand Yellow Jewelry? 

It's quite difficult, it's like describing the taste of water. You see, it's more a feeling than anything. It's an experiment that fuses conceptual/ideas and real/tangible objects. No two pieces are the same. And there are many different lines, it's all over the place. There're bullets and crystals, creating a tangible object with the conceptual idea of the dichotomy of good and bad. Then there are bones I've cast out of resin to illustrate the concept of "in the end, we are all the same”. But once you release your ideas to the public, it can become anything anyone wants it to be. Someone may really love a certain crystals healing power and choose to buy it because of that, I just happen to find crystals majestic and pure and to mix that with a man-made, death inflicting piece of brass was to me a powerful statement.

                  

              

              3.  I personally enjoyed looking at the "Paris Highlights Film Collection” what            

                   inspired that?

The film collection goes back to traveling and my awareness of time. I think of photographs as capturing a moment in time and a 35mm slide was at one point in history, the photographs of that time. So it's a sort of time inception. I think it's good to remember how times change and how quickly it runs out.

4.   How do you come up with fresh ideas?

The problem with an idea is that I have no idea where they come from. It's only in the moments of pure clarity that ideas spring into your head. I think new experiences and people help a lot. Throwing away any kind of routine and being extremely immersed in newness tends to lend a hand at getting ideas buzzing.

           

            5.    How competitive is the industry you are in?

when I was in high school we would all be in art class painting and everyone had their ideas and painted their paintings but I never once had the thought of "his painting is my competition/it's better/it's worse". I suppose there are many jewelry designers out there but there are many bakers and many teachers and coffee shops as well. There were many who came before me and there will be many after I'm gone. I think if you have an interest in something it's impossible to be bad at it and unfortunately it's impossible to be the "only one". I think as a human being you just have to pursue your love and do your utmost best and everything starts to happen from there.

           6.    If you had a budget of R500 to blow everyone away at Design Indaba, 

                  what would you do?  

     I'd buy the biggest fan or leaf blower I could for that price. Or bake some delicious 

     treats to give away.

Check out  more on Yellow Jewellery 

Written by : Lethabo Ngakane

Twitter: @lambisking

THIS IS ME COMPETITION

Here is a little festive treat for our plus size women. Post your Plus Size is ME © look of the week on i want to be on Kaffein Online Magazine facebook page and have your friends vote for you by commenting on the image and you could WIN 2 fresh "THIS IS ME" T-shirts for you and a friend. don't waste time snap away good looking!

Plus Size is Me: Own Your Body

 After seeing Toccara Jones on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model, Lala Tshabalala began to relate to the model’s confidence in her body and inherently started learning about the Plus Size industry. Later she began sharing random images of plus size models via her Facebook profile and that is when her and her sister Nkanyezi decided to start a Facebook page drawing in an initial following of 50 people within in a short space of time. It then clicked that all these random posts can indeed turn into something great a few months later they have over 10 000 Facebook followers, a clothing brand and a styling page.

We speak to Lala Tshabalala one half of the Plus Size is Me team who are bringing a significant change and restoring confidence into the beautiful world of curvaceous women.

        1.      What is Plus Size is Me and how long has it been in existence?

Plus Size is ME is currently a brand that promotes and positively sheds light on the plus size industry.  As an extension of our brand we have created a Facebook styling page called Style ME Plus Size. We created the Plus Size is Me page in March 2012.

      
        2.      How has its core values and views influenced you personally.

In order for us to have even conceived this page the both of us had to have already been on a path of body love and acceptance and we were. As the page grows and becomes more interactive, I’m constantly being inspired by our followers who, without even knowing, motivate me to love my body even harder. They’ve challenged me to step out of my comfort zone.

 3. What are the misconceptions about Plus Size is Me?

Some people think that Plus Size is ME is just about celebrating our curves as fuller figured women. That’s just part of it. We strive to inspire people to find a balance between psychological health (body love and acceptance) as well as physical health.  We want people to understand the importance of taking care of their body which means exercising and making wiser decisions when it comes to their eating habits.

4. Tell us about your first campaign and how successful it was?

Our first campaign was such a big deal for us. Nkanyezi came up with the genius idea to create a body love campaign and we ran with the idea.  The name of the campaign, “THIS IS ME”, kind of just fell on my lap because the message (which was learning to accept our bodies) was already there. It was amazing to see international models and bloggers take a liking to our campaign and support it. One of our favourite international models, Essie Golden, requested we send her a top and so we did.

5. What other avenues have you branched into within the plus size category?

As part of the campaign we created “THIS IS ME” tops that were worn by the models and I thought it would be absolutely perfect to make this the first item in my clothing line for plus size women, Cavalier Apparel. We have also created a styling page for plus size women on Facebook called Style ME Plus Size. The purpose of this page is to give plus size women an idea of how they should dress their curves, inspire them to become more stylish and let them know where they can find similar items.

      6.      Was Plus Size is Me  planned or organic?

 It was organic. When we started the page we never anticipated that it would grow so big, we uploaded things we were interested in and what we were learning. When we noticed the growth only then did we start planning things to keep the page relevant.

7. What are the milestone since the inception of your project/brand.

I would have to say the biggest milestones would have to be the “THIS IS ME” campaign, the creation of Cavalier Apparel and reaching 10 thousand followers!!


8.You are now becoming an entrepreneur, what are your goals for the next year?

 Next year I will be working harder on building Cavalier Apparel. Nkanyezi and I will continue to build our social media pages for Plus Size is ME, we will have another campaign and we want to host an event.

9. You promote good health and diet which may lead to a positive loss in weight. What happens when you as the founders no longer fall into the plus size community? Will you still be relevant? 

The plus size industry will always be relevant because there will always be fuller figured men and women. By encouraging healthier eating is not us promoting extreme dieting we are simply encouraging people to be more conscious about the food they eat. Many plus size models e.g. Tiffany Bank, GabiFresh, Anita Marshall all work out and are still plus size. Exercise is not only to lose weight but to also keep toned and fit. There are those plus size models who have lost weight but are still plus size but just a smaller size. 

It's no secret that Nkanyezi is not plus size but she is still very passionate about the plus size industry, what Plus Size is ME stands for and body love and acceptance just in general.

Enter the Plus Size Your Pose  competition here.

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Written By: Lethabo Ngakane
Twitter: @lambisking
            @kaffeinmagazine