Big Brother Seeks Housemates!

The eighth edition of Africa’s biggest reality series Big Brother Africa kicks off in May and already fans of arguably the most successful television franchise ever seen on the continent are asking…who will the new housemates be? Who will find their name and their faces gracing newspapers, their profiles loaded to websites and blogs? Who will become the subject of drive time radio and who will find themselves heating up the Twitter-sphere?

At this time there is no way to know this but if you meet the entry requirements and enter between now and Valentine’s Day on 14 February, you may well be among the superstars in waiting and may find yourself flirting withfame and fortune!

This year, entry is open to the same 14 countries as the year before with the only exception being Liberia which will be replaced by Ethiopia for this year. The replacement comes as AfricaMagic and series producers Endemol SA rotate certain countries into and out of the format. The reason for this is to ensure that a wide range of countries can be included in different editions of the series.

As a result of the change, participating countries this year are: Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Entry is open to persons over the age of 21, who are citizens of one of the participating countries and who either have a valid passport or will be able to obtain one by the end of March. Producers are looking for persons who are fluent in English, entertaining and passionate about the Big Brother experience. Of particular importance to the selection team are the qualities of tolerance, determination and enthusiasm. If you are open-minded, bold and adventurous, that’s even better!

Entry forms are available immediately at CLICK HERE so visit the website and complete the online submission form. Printed entry forms will also be available at MultiChoice offices in the participating countries from 1 February 2013.

As with previous editions of Big Brother Africa, the new season will have a twist…and according to M-Net Africa Managing Director Biola Alabi, who has helmed the production for the past four years, the big surprise this year is one that audiences are expected to fall in love with. “As always, we won’t say much about the new season but I can confirm that we’ve added a new element that I think will get the hearts of viewers racing. The fact that the fans truly adore the show is all the motivation we need to keep it fresh and fun!”

Her views are echoed by Endemol MD Sivan Pillay who says, “Our long-term association with M-Net is very much a partnership, a marriage of sorts. We understand what they desire for their audiences, and they trust us enough to let us develop innovative twists and surprises. So the process is quite harmonious and very exciting, as all good relationships should be. I am hopeful that this year we are creating a red-hot show that will include familiar trademarks like nominations and evictions alongside a very special new development.”

Previous editions of Big Brother Africa have boasted huge cash prizes for winners and this year the winner will walk away with USD 300 000.

More information on Big Brother Africa 8 will be made available over the next month, so stay tuned to AfricaMagic, follow the action on Twitter and Facebook and keep checking the website. Big Brother Africa 8 will be screened live 24/7 on DStv channels 197 and 198. The action begins on Sunday, 26 May and is scheduled to run for 91 days.

Young Jeezy - A Hustlerz Ambition (Documentary)

2013!

So it turns out that the Mayans got it wrong with the world ending (wiping seat from my forehead – that was a close scare) or we just got it wrong and assumed it was ending. Whatever man, but one thing for sure we all know is over… 2012.

For some it’s a relief and to some well it was just too good to end, to us well… whatever you did don’t count if you didn’t get your hustle on. 

GLASSES HIGH, TO 2013!!! On Your Grind.

How SA musicians can CASH in on their international performances

South African musicians are making waves around the world. With everyone from DJ Black Coffee to the Parlotones performing on stages in the four corners of the globe, South African talent is doing a great job of getting our tunes beyond our borders. When they do, the job of protecting their rights and collecting performing rights royalties from these performances on their behalf falls to a dedicated group of people who work behind the scenes at SAMRO.
            
Yet SAMRO says many musicians, composers and authors of musical works that are performed don’t realise they’re entitled to performing rights royalties, or don't notify SAMRO when they will be performing abroad. Which means many of our musicians and/or authors and composers of musical works could be missing out on some valuable extra income.

SAMRO is an internationally affiliated music rights collection society that manages the music rights of its members. It’s their job to see that South African musicians, composers and authors of musical works enjoy the fruits of their labour by collecting royalties on their behalf whenever their music is used publically - anywhere in the world. Membership is free and once admitted, SAMRO members receive royalties and benefits from their protected musical works for life. 

In terms of international copyright law, all authors and composers whose musical works are performed abroad enjoy ‘performing rights’. This entitles them to earn royalties collected from music usage licence fees paid by the venues in which they perform. This is over-and-above any agreement that the musician performing those musical works might have between themselves and the venue. So, even if you are paid for the performance directly by the venue, your membership with SAMRO and SAMRO’s international affiliation entitles you and the author(s) and composer(s) of the musical works you perform to royalty payments from the performance. Yet, because most composers and authors don’t notify SAMRO when this happens, they often don’t receive these royalties. 

Says Christine Reddy of SAMRO’s International Affairs department, “A lot of musicians who travel don’t know that they should notify SAMRO. Sometimes we only learn about their performances through media reports or on social media platforms. With so many new musicians going overseas, we’re worried that a lot of authors and composers of musical works are losing out on royalties they are rightfully entitled to. We run ongoing workshops to help members understand how we go about collecting royalties from societies overseas and pass them on to the music creators, but more needs to be done to spread this message.”

As SAMRO members, musicians, authors and composers only need to inform SAMRO’s International Affairs department of the dates and venues of all the performances planned, along with the contact details of the venue organisers. You should also submit a detailed set list for each performance. This gives SAMRO’s team the information they need to follow up after your event to ensure that every musical note you play is turned into currency notes in the form of royalties. 

SAMRO’s International Affairs team orchestrates everything. Contacting sister societies in other countries to check if the venues you are performing in are licensed for public performances and following up to check that appropriate performances are surveyed by the societies’ so that royalties would be forthcoming. The International Affairs team will maintain contact with the music rights society in each country to determine when your royalties will be released, and you will be advised when to expect performance royalties from SAMRO. If you have performed abroad recently, SAMRO can even retrospectively collect royalties for past performances up to a year previous. 

There’s more good news for those who have performed in the United States in the last year. These musicians have the opportunity to enjoy an additional payment as part of the ASCAP Awards program. This is not a competition or award ceremony, but a reward program for musicians who have performed in the USA. To apply, please contact the SAMRO International Affairs department before the ASCAP closing deadline of 15 January 2013. You can learn more about the ASCAP awards on www.samro.org.za.  

Christine explains, “To qualify for an ASCAP payment, SAMRO members need to contact us and provide details about each performance and provide as much supporting documentation as possible. This includes dates and times of performances, advertising material if possible, performance agreements with venues, and contact details. A number of SAMRO members have already received payouts under this scheme and we appeal to all members to come forward if they have performed in the United States between 1 October 2011 and 30 September 2012.”  

Much is being done to keep members informed, but perhaps the loudest voice could come from the musicians themselves. SAMRO has established social channels for musicians to share their story with friends and colleagues on Facebook, Twitter and on their website. Inviting all fans of SA Music to join the conversation and help musicians get more out of their music by raising awareness of international performance royalties.  

Why I Care About Hip Hop

I decided I wanted to be a rapper in 1994. I was sitting in a prison cell in Upstate New York and made the decision that upon my release I would try my hand at it as a career. Not because I thought I was the best rapper at the time; but because I knew this was one thing where you could make a living and it didn't require any qualifications. You didn't have to be educated. You didn't have to have a background check or be screened for your criminal history. Having a criminal history is not a good thing to have when applying for a job so I said 'Hey, why not' let's go for it. While crafting my first few songs, I noticed everything that I was writing about were the exact same things that had gotten me in the ugly harsh realities I was facing in my life. It was my life, so I had every right to speak on it but I noticed I was glorifying something that wasn't so glorious. I remember talking to a fellow inmate and close friend and he said to me, "Have you ever thought about rapping about something that might be beneficial to a young mind as well and entertaining?" I didn't quite understand at the moment but he started to give me books and the more I read, the more of what I was reading would come out in my raps. I remember making the decision that if I ever got a chance to obtain a record deal, I would always make songs that would be beneficial to the growth and development of a young person. What I didn't understand is this would be a decision that would severely stunt my growth as an artist in many ways.

My earliest memories of hip hop, I think of a time when everything I heard in a rap song, I could look out my window and actually visualize the lyrics so clearly. Whether it was Melle Mell rapping about 'broken glass everywhere' in his song "The Message" or hearing emcees rhyming about the graffiti stricken trains and buildings that filled the streets of New York City. Hip hop was a reflection of the impoverished neighborhoods we were being raised in and we loved it. We didn't realize it at the time, but we actually needed it. The music was clearly a reflection of where we were being raised. It was Our CNN or Huffington Post. We would go across town to have break dance and MC battles against other crews who rapped and danced. While being across town or even sometimes in other boroughs, we would find out who were the top people in their neighborhoods. The commonality we had was hip hop it brought us all together. It was the beginning of a culture that would influence America like no other before it.

I got a major record deal and signed to Atlantic Records, home of many great legendary artists like Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and many others. My first single, "Pain In My Life" with rising star Trey Songz. The song detailed a young promiscuous teen who was intrigued by the things that are praised in popular hip hop songs and eventually sleeps with the wrong player and contracts H.I.V. With black women being the #1 leader or new cases of H.I.V. and AIDS, I felt the need to showcase this in my music. My decision to lead with this song was met with resistance from my record label. I was encouraged by them to make more songs that were sex infused and exploitive. When I refused, my project shelved for six years and eventually released from the label. I made the decision that I would continue to make music independently and not only would I NOT switch over to rapping about things I believed to be detrimental to our youth; but I would go even harder at speaking about things to combat it.

Listening to today's music, I hear a variety of songs with the content that sounds like an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Songs with titles like "Money To Blow," Rich Forever etc, you wouldn't begin to fathom that we're in some of the worse economic times. Songs that speak of buying Bugatti's and Bentley's like they were Honda's and Mazda's. If I'm correct, a Bugatti retails at over a million dollars and a new Bentley cost roughly around $300,000. I know there is a group of artists who have reached the level where they can obtain this caliber of vehicles but it seems this has become the norm in hip hop music. In 1996, Nas rapped on his hit record If I Ruled The World, "If I ruled the world and everything in it, sky's the limit, I'd push a Q45 infint... An Infiniti Q45 retailed at about 45k at the time and that was major for even the biggest rapper in the game at the time.

I wonder when and how did the art form stop reflecting the realities of the place where it was born? It's become the opposite of what is taking place in its birthplace. We are in some of the worst economic times in modern history but you wouldn't believe this if you listened to a rap song. There is a disconnect with hip hop and the community where it was started, but it has become somewhat of a detriment. The imagery in popular hip hop is either extremely sexual or extremely violent. These artists have become vessels for corporate America to exploit to sell commerce. Whether it's Mercedes Benzes or the latest flavored Vodka. Hip hop culture has become a big advertising tool and nothing more. When you see the sales of Timbaland rise and fall depending on the popularity it yields in rap songs is proof. When you see the sales of Vodka go through the roof because its hip hop's drink of choice is proof. When you see multiple artists who have taken the moniker after clothing designers, clothing brands, car brands etc is proof. The language we created to combat oppression and to tell the stories of our trials and tribulations of being young black descendants of ex-slaves; is now being used to sell sex, cars, drugs and other things that have and still plague the same community in which it was born. Who caused the disconnect?

My new album came out on November 6, which was Election Day 2012. The title of my new album is The Greatest Story Never Told 2: Bread And Circuses. The album is filled with songs like "Brownsville Girl" that details the senseless killing amongst young black people in inner cities like Chicago and Philadelphia. I penned songs like "Best Thing That I Found" featuring gospel rapper LeCrae that attempts to encourage people to keep faith in GOD when times seem to get rough and life seems hopeless. "Game Changer" featuring Marsha Ambrosious details my situation and my struggles in the music industry for trying to make what I call 'think rap.' These and a lot of the other songs are just an example of the power of music when its done right. You can be entertaining and still have a powerful message in music as Marvin Gaye once proved. As Bob Marley and Peter Tosh did. As Tupac did before he was assassinated. I sacrificed potential millions of dollars as well as endorsements to make music I thought could save lives. I was very cognizant of sex and violence being what sells in hip hop. I continue to stand firm in my beliefs today. I would rather touch the lives of 100 people in positive way and make less money, than lead 1,000,000 people down the wrong path for monetary gain. This music is shaping the minds of our children and whoever controls the mind of our children, controls our future. If America wants our future to be in good hands, we have to do better as a generation leading the way. Bread and Circuses... Let's take back our future.

Told by Saigon.

Heart and Soul of Hip Hop

During the turbulent Nineties, South Africa turned to musicians from different ethnic backgrounds to produce the Peace Song, and now, during an era when our country is experiencing political and economic instability, the responsibility to mend ways is squarely on hip hop artist extraordinaire and social activist Menelik Nesta Gibbons, popularly referred to as the influential Don Dada.

Having headlined last year’s Joburg Arts Alive alongside the likes of internationally renowned MCs such as Black Cream and Peoples’ Property, Dada continues to highlight the need foruplifting lyrics and positive messaging in all of his offerings.

His ethos has always been driven by a distinct ability to survey political, social and economic landscapes and to write songs that elevate not only South Africa, but the entire continent. This is most evident as in his philosophy, which includes being conscious about religion, our continent and making a difference for Africans at home and abroad.

Having collaborated with socially responsible artists such as Crazy Lu’s Gods Must Be Crazy and Bentman’s Lord of War, Dada has been recognised by South Africa’s foremost hip hop authority, Hype Magazine, when they featured him three times on their widely revered Hype Mix Session discs.

Besides a Sound Engineering background and being the backbone for a number of mix tapes that resulted in catapulting and bolstering MCs’ hip hop careers, Dada has also worked on remarkably relevant solo tracks that also serve as thread and needle for our moral fibre.

“Africa” is a heartfelt song that shows the continent as a potential-filled vessel, while the Jay Flames produced “Our Time” is as relevant when the master craftsman penned it, as it addresses a pressing need for Africans to come up with African solutions.

With his world-class performance at last year’s Street Beat still having tongues wagging, Dada is set to prove why he will always be applauded for penning fortifying music that makes a difference for a generation that is in desperate need of direction.

Hustle on your grind Issue 2