Interview

Sit down with Dukii Gone Green

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November 2, 2023
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Pyramid Magazine had a sit down with Dukii Gone Green, a rapper from Sharpeville in the Vaal Triangle who’s been keeping the streets buzzing with his unique flow and amazing music talent.

Pyramid Mag: You’ve been in the game for a minute, however, it’s only now that you’ve released your debut project. What led to this decision?

Dukii Gone Green: Well I’ve been meaning to drop a solid project since 2021 after I did a song with Real Deal Genaro (Mamello E Tswala Katleho) but I had my doubts about the songs as I kept working on new music until the deadline kept passing me for the passed 2 years, until my girl and my friends told me how not serious I am… It got so real I cried my lungs out thinking it’s really chaai for me and I’ve run out of inspiration…

But as I mentioned above that my girl and friends kept pushing me… One day my friend whose name is Joy, one of the people who anticipate my music, came to me and told me he spent almost the whole day watching TV and he was so angry that he came straight to me from his house just to tell me that if such songs can play on TV while mine are what the world deserves to hear, then I’m also capable of doing such and being played on TV, it’s all in the palm of my hands… Honestly after hearing that from him, I must say that was a wake up call “hore watseba keng Dukii, ska bapala poi, spana, you’re capable.”

Pyramid Mag: What inspired the project title and what can people expect from it?

Dukii Gone Green: Well honestly speaking, nothing outside me inspired my project… it’s because I’m not the type to listen to anything before I record because I feel like I’d re-do what I just heard, instead I listen to the beats and go through my WhatsApp chats or just have a conversation about literally anything until I hear something cool or knowledgeable about a certain conversation… My girl will tell you, she even realized that whenever I ask a lot of questions especially when I’m out of context she knows that I’m up to something… musically though… As for the project which is my first of many coming soon you can expect a little bit of my aggression from the tone and a bit of my emotions from the lines I spit.

Pyramid Mag: Can you tell us who you worked with on this project? I.e., Production, engineering, features, etc.

Dukii Gone Green: On this project I literally worked with quite a few people whom I really look up to not because of what they did for me but for the participation of the tape as well…namely Syra who produced the beat for “A lot” where I featured JustSam and the song “Mmh”, Lxcko who produced “Interlude” and Jolly who engineered and produced my favourite song where I featured my Girl’s cousin who has the same name as my Girl actually Lebo, I call it “HYKMW“… and well 60% of the project was engineered by Justsam and that’s what I also appreciate from him as not only did he help me make my project sound crisp and quality but I did get a verse of the decade as he promised me.

Pyramid Mag: You’re part of the crew called LTD FAM, can you tell us more the crew, and is there any music coming in the near future?

Dukii Gone Green: Well at this point I don’t have anything new I can tell you about the crew, but we are still family and we will always be family because whether I make it first or Hamilton makes it before JayPrince or whatever… People should just know that I am who I am today because of those 2 people and never should they doubt that I will always love and appreciate them. In terms of music we have so much unreleased songs we are planning on dropping… but of course we need to fabricate a solid plan for them as we don’t want them trending on WhatsApp statuses only, they literally deserve to be heard… But to cut it short we are coming and very hard for that matter.

Pyramid Mag: What’s your view on the current state of #VaalHipHop?

Dukii Gone Green: Right now all I’m gonna say is they should watch out for the kids that have been left out, from Terry Trill kay, Definition Da Don, Hemustbefabulouse, T’bu Twiz, S.W.O.T and Dynasty to name but a few… I feel like everyone is doing what they think is good for them but as the game as a whole I must say I’m proud of my hometown creatives as everyone now is literally coming to own what they deserve but mostly they should also lookout for my brother JustSam, watch the space.

Pyramid Mag: What would you say is the reason that made you find a voice in Hip-Hop as a culture, and how are you using that voice?

Dukii Gone Green: Well I won’t sit here and lie to you and say it’s always been a dream as kid that I’d be a rapper and all that as because I started as an athlete to playing soccer until I got an injury that compromised my future to being a professional in that field…. But as a kid, I was a very active kid who wasn’t afraid of trying something and I never believed in failure hence you see me doing so good, but I’d also like to give a shout out to magrootman a kasi who believe and motivate me to go even harder… because of them I’m striving for more.

Pyramid Mag: When you write music, do you write based on the beat, or do you start with lyrics and then choose the right beat?

Dukii Gone Green: Well, I’d say a bit of both because I write every chance I get, but I prefer listening to the beat and coming up with something from scratch before recording to the beat… as because before writing for the beat it needs to invite me… like seriously if the beat is not inviting I promise you I won’t reach my full potential but instead I’d write just to have something to record.

Pyramid Mag: How would you define the type of Artist/Rapper that you are?

Dukii Gone Green: I’d leave that question to the people who actually listen and understand me and my music because if I were to answer that I will answer that based on “how I feel about myself” and honestly I feel like I’d be wrong because when I started this music thing I started because I wanted to be something relatable to the kids, because as black people we have quite a few things in common and I felt I’d take that place and be the voice for the black kids who grew in this democratic era where we have too much freedom, and I feel like I’m the perfect example to motivate them to go extra harder as because I was one with causing trouble in high school, fights, drugs and so forth to being a role model and now I put half of that in my music to motivate the kids “hore bafwetho being a loser to the society because of certain dumb decisions doesn’t define your future.”

Pyramid Mag: What do you hope to achieve with your music? Where do you want your music to lead you?

Dukii Gone Green: Not only do I hope my music reaches the masses of the world but I strongly believe I will move from one place to the next where I will reap success through this music, because as I grew I learned that everything really does exist ONLY if you believe in it.

Pyramid Mag: What impact do you want your work and music to have on your audience/followers, as well as the industry at large?

Dukii Gone Green: I honestly I can’t wait being in music debates on who is the greatest, as because I will now hear the other side of what people really think of my music and that will help me improve where they feel like I lack, as that will also help fix a few things because honestly I won’t lie I still feel like I haven’t found myself as yet.. As much as people feel like they really love my music I still feel like I’m short with something and their opinions on it gives me the strength to fix and replace a few notes and the angle of delivery on it.

South Side to Lefatshe is available on Digital Stores

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dukiigonegreen/south-side-to-lefatshe-2

Interview

Sit down with Vusi Tshabalala of Sharpeville Creations

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November 2, 2023
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Pyramid Magazine had a sit down with Vusi Tshabalala who is the founder and owner of Sharpeville Creations, and a well respected OG in the game of Hip-Hop who continues to be actively involved and contributes immensely behind the scenes with shows such as The Jump Off.

Pyramid Mag: The first important appropriate question to ask is, “What does Hip Hop mean to you?”

Vusi Tshabalala: To me Hip Hop is a way of life and not just music (RAP), which most people frequently confuse as what the culture is in it’s entirety as opposed to being just 1 of the 5 Elements.

Pyramid Mag: You’ve been one of the key influences in South African Hip-Hop for the longest time, some even consider you an OG. Can you tell us about your first or earliest encounters with #VaalHipHop?

Vusi Tshabalala: I don’t know about all that, but my earliest encounters with #VHH has to be hearing Kaydo & Optical get major spins on very “prominent” provincial and national radio stations like YFM and Metro FM in particular with music that contains heavy social content that most indigenous people in the country can relate to as it served as a reflection to what most in the hood we’re accustomed to on a daily basis.

Pyramid Mag: What are your views on the current state of #VaalHipHop?

Vusi Tshabalala: I think it’s definitely heading in the right direction sonically, but as much as I hardly entertaining this topic I feel like there are still unnecessary squabbles between creatives in the region which is gonna keep shit stagnant when we’re supposed to have our own industry already if it weren’t for such setbacks.

Pyramid Mag: This year we are celebrating the 4th Annual installment of “The Jump Off”. What motivated you to start the event, and what’s the purpose behind it?

Vusi Tshabalala: The establishment of Sharpeville Creations PTY LTD is what eventually motivated the inception of THE JUMP OFF as it came about as a celebration of the company being operational for a year hence it’s an annual event. The purpose is to showcase the dopeness that’s hardly ever on commercial platforms.

Pyramid Mag: What can the people expect from the event this year?

Vusi Tshabalala: A whole lot of skill showcased from the 1st act to the last with a combination of the Old & New School.

Pyramid Mag: What role does clothing play in the Hip-Hop culture?

Vusi Tshabalala: Clothing is an extended expression of an individual’s character which is precisely what the whole culture is all about.

Pyramid Mag: Can you tell us about the impact that Sharpeville Creations has made in the Hip-Hop culture, and Sharpeville as a whole?

Vusi Tshabalala: We’ve partnered with a few Hip Hop acts as Brand Ambassadors and drop arguably the sickest annual event in the region. As far as Sharpeville is concerned we’re well on our way to establishing what local residents can claim as their own since Deep Rooted.

Pyramid Mag: Where and how people order clothing items for Sharpeville Creations? And how’s the pricing?

Vusi Tshabalala: We don’t have a physical store as yet, but our merch can be obtained by following our social media handles on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (X) under Sharpeville Creations and by also adding/following the Sharpeville Rep account on Facebook.

All these handles are very active and promote all items you can find under our umbrella. The pricing ranges from R200 – R650 but most items that we sell also come in kiddies’ ranges which are much cheaper than the above-mentioned prices.

Pyramid Mag: How has Hip-Hop shaped your views on religion and world views?

Vusi Tshabalala: It taught me to be a Critical Thinker and to never take things at face-value but to always look for hidden agendas (they’re always lurking in the background) especially when it comes to religion and politrics as I like to call it.

Pyramid Mag: What legacy do you want to leave on earth? How do you want to be remembered?

Vusi Tshabalala: I wanna leave a legacy that gives my children a financial head-start in this capitalistic and materialistic world, personally I wanna be remembered a non-sheeple and very realistic individual who didn’t take shit from lames.