Tan89Media Group

A lot of emerging artists are faced with many many challenges on their come up. While some have to choose between their passion/dream and going to school, for some that choice already gets made for them by their circumstances. For Thabiso Mkhize who's been knocked down several times, like when he had to quit his studies, head back home and find a job and after his mother passed away and he was left to fend for himself. For him,these  played up as motivating factors in both his life and his creativity. The Umlazi born rapper and actor was studying for a Diploma in Sound engineering at the Academy of Sound while staying in Eldorado park, where he relocated to after completing his matric in 2007. Because life happens, he encountered some financial difficulties which meant had to head back home. This didn't shut him down coz here he is, still pushing.  Being from an area where the music culture is huge and where is seems Hip Hop artists from there are running the ship. W...

I initially wanted to write this piece in a narrative form,but decided against it because I think you guys deserve all these as it is. There's really not much I could add, or wanted to. Enjoy this read. As an all round creative is the question " Which one do you prefer the most" an unfair question or you do indeed have a "favorite child"?   I do a lot of stuff but the most prominent of my work at this point of my career is music (in a form of performance art) and visual art and the two worlds allow me to communicate my thoughts and feelings well based on which issues I'm addressing and to which audience, and most of the time I'm the audience and my life experience is not unique from that of other people and communities so it's hard to favor one medium over the other, there isn't "the ultimate medium of communication," I just use what's effective for a specific situation. Looking back on your journey thus far, are you happy wi...

I've been checking out several newspoints that are strictly dedicated to covering content about the culture. Lord knows we need more of these. There's a lot of platforms that many don't realise they out there , but there's not nearly enough covering the vast that the culture has. Granted it's gonna take a while before digital media thrives to the point where these platforms become topic of conversation and it becomes a career defining moment to be on some of them, but I believe. Below are some of the platforms that I've been exposed to,so far on YouTube that cater and cover varied angels of the game and I believe they have great potential to become something great in future. In no particular favouritism order: HipHopLiveSA HHLSA is an award winning online show which originated from the Limpopo Province under the Limpshacks Movement. Histed by Karabo Shongwe (@illy_the_host), the show is currently on its 4th season and its running installments of cypher...

KO is probably the most notable game player right now from the Mpumalanga province and with reason.  With that said, there's a lot of talent emerging that want to carry that baton  and represent their province as he is.  From Witbank,Nelspruit Middleburg,Graskop and all the other areas near and within. One such person is Bushbuckridge native, Slang G. An all round creative, Slang mostly delves as a rapper/ engineer and an entrepreneur.  His come up is filled with milestones that have kept him going for all these years.  But his most recent and probably his greatest so far, was his nomination at the 2017 South African Hip Hop Awards (SAHHA) under the category "King of Province" for ( Made in MP).  Though he didn't bag the win, he's gone to continue doing great things under the "MIM" banner.  He proudly carries Mpumalanga on his bag, and this was probably his best move ever. His own solo efforts as a rapper has seen him release music , that af...

Photography is one of those struggle filled professions in the creative space. From not being taken , accepted serious enough as a profession to everyone who owns a smartphone thinking they are one. But it requires a grave skill and preciseness. It needs one to be dedicated enough to make it through all the tussles of having to prove yourself ,rising above the discouraging factors that come with it. It needs one to be creative enough to capture images in a spectacular way(that often seems simple and effortless) and not relying on Photoshop to make an image a masterpiece.  One needs to know more and acknowledge that it goes beyond than just to click the shoot button. Blunt Moya is a photographer out of Mabopane in Pretoria, who is living his passion through the lenses. He got taken into the space "by chance", took the challenge, tried it out and fell in love.  If you had to explain your work to someone who's never experienced it before, how would you? That...

The Motswako sub genre having birthed many still active gameplayers like Fifi Cooper, HHP,Khuli Chana, Towdeemac, Notshi, Madleradoeboy and Cassper,  still continues to hold it's own and hasn't shown signs of dying out or loosing it's grip. There's still many emerging artists under the banner with plans to carry it forward and make their own mark. One such is Mabizol from the Capital City of the North West Province. He's been on a comeup since 2010, learning the ropes and harnessing his skill. Collaborating and putting in any work that will get him closer to his dream. Be it studying the craft, producing , even doing a theme song for a local radio station. He is working under the label "Gura Nami" where he delves as an artist and producer.  Mafikeng is no doubt the god of the Motswako world. It's produced many creatives, even outside the Hip Hop space. Mabizol is on a musical quest and he is also ready to make his contributions as one from L...

There's an old saying which goes " if your dreams don't scare you ,then you not dreaming big enough" Now if you are a young man from a certain village in a certain province with certain dreams and no plans on how to achieved them and probably think they are unachievable,here's something to give you some perspective. Karabo Shongwe (aka illy the host) is one of the very key and important game players of our time. Having started out as a rapper, he is now a presenter and content producer of an award winning online Hip Hop show "Hip Hop Live SA". The show was conceptualized and brought to life in the Limpopo Province and has gone to feature numerous artists, both emerging and established from all walks of these South African streets. The show, which has become somewhat a movement and a pride of Limpopo, has made big strides in a short space of time. Illy and the team have managed to provide and maintain this platform. Besides handling the content ...