Im sorry guys but Im riding with AKA on this one.
We can all agree that at times AKA is a lose canon but thats who is.
I dont want to sound like a hip hop purists protecting hip hop because its music and anyone that loves something about hip hop owns it including my brother BlackCoffee.
Twitter rants aren't unique to South African hip hop artists, they most common with SA hip hop artists but aren't unique.
Lets backtrack on some twitter rants that we've seen before AKA, Caspper Nyovest or Ifani Haymani were even trending on social media like that.
Kanye West vs Nike,Jimmy Kimmel
Iggy Azalea Vs Q Tip
Roscoe Dash vs. Kanye West, Wale, Miguel, & Meek Mill
Azealia Banks vs. Rita Ora
Meek Mill vs Drake, Safaree
Nicki Minaj vs Taylor Swift/MTV
Jay Electronica vs Hip Hop
Rihanna vs Chris Brown,Charlie Sheen
Chris Brown vs Karrueche, Tyson Beckford
Lil Wayne vs Birdman
Snoop Dogg vs Iggy Azalea
J. Cole vs. Critics
The-Dream vs. His Fans
The-Dream vs. His Fans
The Game VS "Rappers He Can Knock Out"
Gucci Mane VS Nicki Minaj,Tyga, Young Jeezy T.I.
I know that the shallow response to this is "yeah but they are rich or thats America," but humans influence each other across the world. There's someone buying a Gucci belt with no money left in their account and another with the same belt with a million in their account but they both celebrating it the same way.
After all who's to say how they should celebrate it?
If SA artists have twitter access like international artist do whether they have money or not why cant they be allowed to use the platform freely like everyone else in the world? If you dont like the things they tweet there's an option to unfollow.
Infact to an artist social media is equal to radio and television. Its become the source where most news, content and information is consumed first,the people you follow on social media are like the stations or tv channels you choose to listen to. You tune in by following and tune out by unfollowing. If you dont like YFM, you tune into KayaFM, if you dont like Kaya you tune into Metro and so on.Artists like BlackCoffee,AKA and Cassper are mediums that boast numbers that are bigger than some radio stations listenership.
Which means that their channels have an audience who appreciate or are interested in what they do.
In my opinion if they take shots at what one does on their social media pages they not only insulting the artist but the people who follow the artist.
Its like MetroFM saying YFM keeps playing nonsense music, thats not only a diss to the station but to the person who enjoys the music YFM plays.
An interesting insight according to Google Trends Cassper Nyovest and AKA have the highest online search rate in urban music. Whether its for their music or the beefs its good for their business. Infact there was a possible campaign that was going to be a good pay check for them utilising the beef, which won't happen anymore for reasons I cant disclose.
Its all entertainment and everyone has their approach. Even Bruce Jenner had a sex change and now has a new reality show all in the name of entertainment.
I personally like Drakes approach to retaliate on the music but whether he did it on social media or the music for the end user its content.
When Cassper Nyovest kept it in the music and retaliated to all his detractors with a song called Beef everyone was on his case saying that it was unnecessary or it was a bad move. Then BlackCoffee applauds Drake for doing the same now everyone feels thats what South African hip hop artists should do. There's hardly any loyalty in social media nor a fan and thats a reality that every artist has to make peace with from Jayz level to Papa Penny level.
Therefore in 2015 and in the world of the internet no artist has the right to tell another succesful artist how they should present themselves to their audience. If AKA presents himself as the unrestricted, unpredictable mouthpiece, Cassper as the humble god fearing started from nothing rapper and Ifani as the wacky or fun personality we can only applaud them and time will only tell who will be around in the long run.
BlackCoffee is also an artist and he has presented himself in a certain way that has given him global acclaim and longevity. Not everyone will follow his path cause not everyone is meant to have the success he has.
Its also important to note that the leading hip hop artists are a huge inspiration to South African youth and have done very well for themselves. They doing what other kids they age only dream of doing like taking care of their families, getting out the hood, helping their peers, buying themselves homes, travelling the world and living comfortably. In the greater scheme of things thats what we all dream of.
The last thing we need as black folk is another layer of segregation i.e. house vs hip hop when we all want the same thing which is surviving of doing what we love.
So who's to say which path is right when everyone took a path thats getting them what they want plus each of their success is based on people and not only their hard work.
Therefore I think we all need to be grateful for what we have and stop picking on others methods to present themselves in the market. At the end of the day the fans will speak, so with all due respect I do feel my brother BlackCoffee is wrong for commenting or stereotyping local hip hop artists for social media behaviour thats been practiced globally.
Now that's hip hop....not this nonsense some of our local hip hop artists do...some even attacking tweeps...Put in a song..We want MUSIC ????
— Black Coffee (@RealBlackCoffee) July 26, 2015The only positive thing thats come from this is the tweet below.
We look forward to the music and who knows BlackCoffee might lead the way and have the disses in the music:)
1.OK enough with this Negativity....my tweet was about Music...it was about building..not all this...KAK...so here's what I'm gonna do.
— Black Coffee (@RealBlackCoffee) July 26, 20152.I'm gonna produce a hip hop track invite my favourite Mc's...No beef No free download...We do it For Charity and donate...
— Black Coffee (@RealBlackCoffee) July 26, 2015I guess Power FM woke me up in the morning to preach.
Slikour Preaching On The Black Coffee Vs AKA Twar