features
v71 e6 – 8 may 2012
11
UCT rapper sweet-talks BlackBerry on campus Nicole Wilcox
X
olani Dludla, better known by his fans and friends as X, plans on making big waves after winning BlackBerry’s on campus “Wanna B Famous? Speak BlackBerry!” competition in March. One great Jammie Thursday, X competed against other emcees at UCT and came out on top, walking away with a BlackBerry and the opportunity to work alongside South African hip hop artist A.K.A. This budding artist from KwaZulu-Natal hopes this is the start of a promising career in the music industry, especially now that he has enlisted the help of one of South Africa’s biggest hip hop talents. X now has to go head to head with all the finalists for the chance to perform at BlackBerry’s Secret Gig as the opening act for a mysterious international artist. BlackBerry’s Secret Gig is one of the coolest events on the entertainment calendar. It offers the public exclusive tickets, which can only be won, to a gig at a secret location with the promise of incredible local and international talent. Last year’s mystery headline act was the UK’s Tinie Tempah, who performed for an intimate crowd of
Image: Uwais Razack 500 in Johannesburg. X’s amazing performance, which included an ode to UCT, won the crowd over the moment he took the stage. BlackBerry will now fly X, along with two other candidates from the University of KwaZuluNatal and the University of Western Cape, to Johannesburg and Durban to be mentored by A.K.A. The Speak BlackBerry campaign is now heading to other competing universities around the country, such as Wits University, Tshwane University of Technology, the University of Johannesburg and
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. X, along with the other competitors, will then record a track that will be released and opened to public voting. The ultimate winner will be the contestant whose song accumulates the most votes. X feels extremely privileged to be working with A.K.A, “[He] is really an artist who’s doing big things. His music is very relevant and he relates to a lot of people in our generation.” He has also been approached by other aspiring artists to work with them: “the faith that I’m receiving from people is overwhelming and
Radiohead coming to SA?
Image: blitzgigs.de
Marike Watson
T
here have been a few “Radiohead SA Tour” posters spotted around campus, but to what are they actually referring? Radiohead is a rock band from Oxfordshire, England consisting of front man Thom Yorke (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments), Colin Greenwood (bass), Phil Selway (drums, percussion) and Ed O’Brien (guitars, backing vocals). They are famous for their unique rhythmic patterns, soulfully emotional lyrics, and captivating rock sound that has constantly evolved over the past 20 years. Albums such as OK Computer (1997), Kid A (2000) and The King of Limbs (2011) demonstrate how their music fuses elements of jazz, rock, electronic and classical music. The band has wone three Grammys, and are also three-time winners of Q Magazine’s “Best Band in the World
Today” award. Radiohead SA TOUR is a social media campaign to encourage Radiohead to visit South Africa as part of their current King of Limbs World Tour. The goal is to accumulate 40 000 likes on
Radiohead SA TOUR is a social media campaign to encourage Radiohead to visit South Africa the campaign’s Facebook Page, “Radiohead SA TOUR,” in order to convince Radiohead management that South Africa is a market that supports the band. This project relies on dialogue and the engagement of the community so that further support for the cause can be generated. Spokespersons of Radiohead SA TOUR, Tyrone Rubin and Tristyn von Berg, have announced that this cause has prompted the start
of a new project, referred to as the Radiohead Cover Project. This project involves persuading local South African musicians such as Van Coke Kartel or the Parlotones (who have possibly been inspired by Radiohead) to perform and record their version of any Radiohead song and post the video online. The goal of the Radiohead Cover Project is ultimately to try and generate more support for the initiative. Further information be obtained by email to admin@radioheadsatour. co.za or on Facebook at facebook. com/RadioheadSaTour.
right now it’s the driving force for me to continue writing.” X believes that this moment could be the beginning of his journey to greatness. When talking with X, you can feel the confidence this young man exudes. X began exploring his knack for rapping in grade 6 and started competing in grade 9. He was previously a part of a group named Insane Mentality and looks upon his high school career as the catalyst for his amazing way with words and verse, “I went to two high schools and both of them taught me significant things. I bonded with a lot
of the teachers and they’re the ones accountable for boosting my selfesteem.” The rewards that rapping has given X have been more personal than material, “Being a rapper, you know, when I was still growing up to me it seemed like if you’re a rapper you must have that energy and not be afraid of things so I took up challenges that I wouldn’t normally take up.” X claims that under the hardcore exterior he is genuinely a shy guy: “Rap became my excuse to go out there and do whatever I want to do so long as it’s a good challenge and I might get something from it.” While taking a break from the books, he works on his mixtape, Cheese and Mayo Music. He aims to blend his knowledge of sociopolitics and his love of entertainment to produce music to which listeners can relate while sharing worldviews. When X produces, he fills his lyrics with flow and flavour without taking away its relevance, “If I’m going to come up with the words, it has to mean something to me.” He hopes to represent UCT hip hop, because it (UCT) is the inspiration for the rap that won him the spot in the mentorship programme. Xolani has a winning attitude and with his hunger to join the stars one can only expect him to reach the top.
Top 5 ways to procrastinate Anade Situma As the season of exams looms, with it comes the entertaining surge of new ways to procrastinate. Here at VARSITY, we have decided to get the ball rolling. Our list is in no particular order and pays homage to some new forms of procrastination as well as to some of the more classic forms of this art. Eat “There is a fine lie between boredom and hunger” – Truths for Mature Adults, Anonymous Organise your notes... ...into what is sure to be a more intellectually stimulating system. While we are all for the idea of organised notes, there is no need to re-write all your sticky-notes just to make sure your colour coding looks pretty. Facebook stalking When you spend hours jumping from profile to profile, acting like you are some kind of PI as you use wall posts and emotional statuses, supplemented with your own wild imagination, to piece together the dramas of a person you haven't talked to in three
years, there is a problem. This is not the manifestation of you suddenly deciding to "not let life separate you from those who were once a part of your life", this is you letting someone else's life separate you from your education. Looking for internships This is a sneaky one. If looking for internships you will not qualify for if you do not pass seems like a constructive way to spend your time if you are not studying, there is something wrong with your logic. Over and above that, we all know that, although you may begin by looking for realistic, local opportunities, before you know it you are researching how much you would be earning if you had just studied what you loved and not whatever subject you are avoiding. Going to study at a café This is not Gossip Girl or One Tree Hill: those papers they are pretending to study are blank. The idea that all you need is a "change of enviroment" does not mean you need to head to the least conducive environment for studying. People-watching will be the end of your education.