South African Hip hop finds itself in a very interesting position.
South Africa as a whole has been engulfed with the brilliance that is Amapiano. In stark contrast to their hip-hop counterparts, the Amapiano DJs and producers have steadily produced hit after hit at an alarming rate. Many would say that this is one of the main reasons why they are so far ahead of every other genre in this country.
Even though South Africans are a dance music-inclined audience, one cannot shake the very obvious quality of music that the musicians in the Amapiano genre are producing. However, despite saying all of this I do not believe that the gap between the two genres should be as big as it is. I believe that one of the elements that are failing the hip-hop fraternity is the egos present from many of the major players.
Unlike Hip Hop, Amapiano’s stars have created a very broad community, with individuals consistently willing to collaborate and churn out the best songs possible. There seems to be both a camaraderie present as well as a willingness to elevate the next up-and-coming vocalist or producer.
I don’t believe the same can be said for hip hop. With a plethora of amazing young talent, consistently waiting for their chance to inhabit the stages that the old guard seem to not want to share. One cannot help but wonder, at what point is there going to be a revival in that genre. A revival that would at least see it competing for the South African audience’s ears on the same level as Amapiano
