Chronicle Editor
Yvonne Ncube, Showbiz Correspondent
Cowdray Park artiste RapThan yesterday released his own diss track dubbed “Balele”, following in the footsteps of South Africa’s Inkabi Records leader Big Zulu’s 150 Bars diss track, which caused shockwaves in South Africa and abroad last month.
The upcoming musician disses Asaph, kidThrill, Amasalad elok’shin, Stewie le Savage, Ganyaz, Killemol, and many other local artists in his single.
The diss track, which is officially available on YouTube, takes a jab at hip-hop legend Asaph, who according to him is signed to Def Jam Recordings but has nothing to show.
RapThan told Chronicle Showbiz that the diss recordings are meant to rouse up local artists from their slumber.
“I am very emotional about this diss track because artists are just quiet as if they are sleeping. I titled it “Balele” because they are not doing anything else besides sleeping. I say Asaph is signed at Def Jam but it’s like he’s not signed at all. There’s no activity in the city, everyone is just quiet as if they have Grammys. This diss track is to motivate every artist to stand up and go to the studio to work.
“At the moment no one is working; it’s like hip hop is dead. To every artist out there, if I mentioned you in the diss track it means I see potential in you, I have worked with some of you and this is nothing personal but motivation to push all of us to be at our best. I am trying to revive everyone, there are no hard feelings, it’s just for the culture. The beat that I used is for Killemol’s song titled power, so I dissed them using their own beat,” said RapThan.
Big Zulu’s track poked fun at other South African rappers, eliciting both rage and delight from the hip-hop community.
How will this one be taken?
@SeehYvonne
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