Meet Qiniselo Nelson Radebe, aka Quality of Nature (QN), a 26-year-old lyrical maestro hailing from the Vaal. His journey began in 2012, penning rhymes for friends who had the vocal chops to sing and rap. As his passion for wordplay and holistic rapping grew, QN spotted a gap in the music scene, leading him to dive into the rap game full throttle in 2020.
QN isn’t just a rapper; he’s a triple threat—rapper, singer, and songwriter—although he admits singing isn’t his forte, he collaborates with vocalists to bring his visions to life. These years of honing his raw talent have armored him for the battles and triumphs that lie ahead. Keep an eye on QN, because this wordsmith from the Vaal is ready to shake up the industry.
Renowned in the realm of Hip-Hop Production, Raw Beats is excited to announce an exclusive opportunity for seasoned and aspiring rappers alike. In a gesture of appreciation on the reception of the Vaal State of Mind, Raw Beats, in association with Sharpeville Creations, is giving away a FREE BEAT, providing a platform for rappers to showcase their lyrical prowess and creativity.
With an illustrious career marked by chart-topping hits such as Vanish and True Religion, and collaborations with industry heavyweights as on Crazy 8, Raw Beats continues to push the boundaries of musical innovation. recognized for his signature sound and impeccable production quality, he remains a driving force in shaping the landscape of #VaalHipHop and modern Hip-Hop.
This rare opportunity to access a free beat from a Hip-Hop luminary like Raw Beats is an initiative not only underscores Raw Beat’s commitment to nurturing emerging talent but also serves as a testament to his passion for the craft. By offering a complimentary beat, he aims to empower artists to express themselves freely and to explore new artistic avenues.
SHARPEVILLE CREATIONS PRESENTS ~ VAAL STATE OF MIND | FREE DOWNLOAD ~
For the love of Hip-Hop, Sharpeville Creations has been hosting Sessions for the longest time now, with The Jump Off being the most notable. However, December 2023 turned a new leaf with The Vibes Sessions hosted regularly going into the new at The Intersection, keeping the flames 🔥 ablaze. Cyphers are at the core of the Hip-Hop culture, and Sharpeville Creations provided a platform at these sessions to involve not only the rappers, but the DJs and producers as well. The Cypher has now turned into a track produced by the incredible Boom-Bap Specialist, Raw Beats, featuring Darklisted, Lone Judas, InnerCore, Maths Dipalo aka Ntate Beibi and Tha Lord Okest. The magnificent Hip Hop DJ, Terry Wizz, is on the decks on this one.
A cure presents itself from the perspective of a healer. A poetic lyricist, Pheko, has released an album titled, Herbalist. The Sotho wordsmith has previously released two group projects. He chopped the Cliff Hanger album with Herb-Exe and led the way with Masupatsela on a self-titled album. Herbalist is his debut solo offering, and it was planted under the branch of EasternVille Music Affiliates – an artist development program that was established by the ever growing stable, EasternVille Music.
The album befits the title; it comprises a medicinal sound with organic content. It’s a health institution in musical form. There’s no flat line on the verses because the music embodies life. Pheko’s creative seed grew into a garden that produces an abundance of food for thought. He took a leaf out of his own book and levitated above the tree line. The flow is a fountain of wisdom. When listening to the album, one can discover their own destiny through Pheko’s journey.
He rocked the boat with a Kwaito Captain. Apart from Starpora who produced the opening jam, Kwaito Captain buttered up the rest of the album as a producer on every slice of the project. However, despite the better part of the delicacies being dished out by the same hand, the flavor varies on each serving due to the multi-skilled touch. The production ranges from emotive instrumentals and jazzy layouts to traditional sounds and upbeat arrangements.
There’s a balanced amount of collaborations on the album. The first three tracks may give the listener an impression that the project is riddled with features, but in contrast, there are only five tracks with guest artists. Pheko occupied half of the songs on the album without any lyrical or vocal partnership. Moreover, the artists that he pulled the strings with on the joint threads, helped to create grand material . They tailor fitted his conceptual designs and complemented his authentic style.
The album rose out of darkness with Starpora on Hona Mona . The features got Freeky on Sdudla, which was also co-authored by the executive producer of the project, Vincent Kheswa. Pheko embarked on a native tour with Melleng on Africa, before walking side by side with Kwaito Captain on Indlela. Sbusiso Manqa muted the beat and spoke from the heart on Baballa, before proceeding to aid Pheko to wrap his gift by co-authoring the last track of the album, Neo.
Herbalist is laden with different constituents of therapy. The songs are layers of rhythmical treatment. It’s an audio documentary of a healer who’s on a remedial path to feed his soul and starve his audience off misery. Pheko’s diverse artistry enabled him to create a masterpiece that can cause traffic on the dancefloor and still make way for a vehicle of knowledge. He covered societally essential themes that range from gratitude, originality, and spirituality to family, hustling, and mental health, inter alia.
The album’s selling point is its commendable uniqueness. It’s a merger of music and poetry in the highest order. The artistry displayed throughout the project accentuates the elements of rap in its purest form. It’s a hip-hop project devoid of fluff. Pheko is a herbalist who served the masses with a potent product that will cure all the ailing souls. Its repeat value is a medical prescription – consume the album at least three times a day for the recovery of your broken spirit.
The best manner to bring a hip-hop album to life is to make contact with the relevant plug for conscious projects. This life support machinery was engineered by veteran producer, Raw Beats.Ankha Nel of Inhouse Productions slaved away his expertise by mastering the project. Ankha Nel has over 40 years of audio industry work experience and held the position of Chief Engineer at two of South Africa’s most prestigious studio’s E. M. I. and Downtown Studios.Nkosana Nkomo drew emotions from the music to design the artwork. The project is an acknowledgement of flaws with a perfect delivery.
Rating: 10/10.
Herbalist by Pheko is available on all major Digital Stores.
True Religion- Music Review by Lesego Ginger Dithebe
Title: True Religion.
Artist: Raw Beats featuring LandmarQue.
Duration: 00:03:10
Record Label: EasternVille Music.
There’s a pious sense of faith and glory in the divine genre of hip-hop. The art is godly, and the culture is supreme. Hip-hop is gospel in the ears of the multiple disciples who follow it religiously. It’s a church of uncensored scriptures over coarse harmonies. Consequentially, a blessed service is underway at EasternVille Music – super producer, Raw Beats, has assumed the role of a bishop, and entrusted veteran cleric, LandmarQue, to capture the congregation with a powerful sermon.
Raw Beats
Raw Beats is a boom bap specialist who has doctored innumerable records for a myriad of rappers with viral content in the rap institution. On this operation, his needle drew blood from Last Days Fam. LandmarQue is a monumental figure in the underground scene with group classics and solo wonders to his legendary name. The two cross bearers crossed paths for the second time after DJ OB’s chart topping single, Vanish, to create Truest Religion in ritualistic appreciation for the poetic creed.
True Religion is the ultimate gospel. It’s a treasure hunt in its purest form. It’s about finding power in weakness, and a voice in silence. It’s rooted in embracing godlike traits in mankind. It celebrates gold-plated humanity. It’s about finding value, not only in the money that one has generated, but also the contentment that they’ve earned. It’s the essence of the universe expressed in music. It’s a source of inspiration and a platform for introspection. It interprets dreams and supports goals. It’s a machine decorated in nature.
LandmarQue
The beat speaks to the listener before the vocals can strike the eardrum. It’s a classic composition that’s soulful but not emotive. It has a soothing melody that evokes mental harmony. It has an authentic boom bap trademark with a modern edge. The tempo isn’t in a rush to override the message, but also not reluctant to run its course. The beat has an orderly arrangement, and notes that tell a story without uttering a word. As an immaculate exhibition of art, it serves as a canvas for a lexical picture to be painted on.
After Raw Beats left his signature sound on the beat, LandmarQue borrowed his pen to fill the rest of the form. The witty wordsmith applied the same standard of penmanship that earned him the lyricist of the year nomination at the 2020 South African HipHop awards. There’s a mature use of language fused with an antagonistic undertone to honour the street culture. The content is educational, yet competitive. LandmarQue’s vast experience in the hip-hop industry enabled him to educate without imposing knowledge and emerge superior without resorting to intimidation.
The song has two verses that are emblematic of dual supremacy. Landmarque heeded the call to serve a fervent delivery. He instilled belief by turning every line into a quotable scripture about the truest religion. The rhyming is simple, yet proficient. The flow is slick and consistently adapts to the changes in the beat pattern. His domineering artistry allowed him to send a strong message with a commanding tone. It’s heavenly how he drops angelic lines that may fly over some listeners’ head.
The immense chemistry between the two gods has resulted in a rhythmical interpretation of spiritual science. True Religion is a definite hit. The instrumentals bring forth a sense of tranquility and the lyrics provide guidance. The concoction was mixed by Raw Beats, and mastered by the legendary Robin Kohl of Jazz Worx studios – a reputable organisation that’s at the summit of the South African music hierarchy. Raw Beats and LandmarQue are bound to ascend the pulpit with this hymn. Preach!!!
Rating: 10/10.
True Religion is available on all Digital Stores. It can be accessed directly using the below link:
From being a Problem Child in the Music Industry, showcasing TEQ_nical rapping skills that locked #BarsZonke like a country in a pandemic, the LEVEL of HEATWAVE from TeQ Problem got the SA Hip-Hop Nation shouting FATHER TEQ FATHER TEQ.
With Speakers Booming from Vaal to KZN, surviving through Digital Cyphers, a new alias was born to give birth to DYAN PABLO. Delivering flows carrying metaphors that punch lines like Tyson and Ali fists combined, leaving the listeners wondering ukuthi “eyakabani le GUMBA FAYA.” Father TeQ leaves no stone unturned with his new FREESTYLE as he pays HOMAGE to all the THREE CORNERS of his neighbourhood, #VaalHipHop.
This one is truly for the streets, produced by Street Carnivore, and recorded by BasiQ.
The two lyricists complement each other like the 𝗬𝗶𝗻 & 𝗬𝗮𝗻𝗴 symbol, with Zuko taking a lead with his hard lyricism with a laid back flow, yet not compromising on Punchlines and Metaphors.
Leaving the audience hungry for more, and anxious for new Music, Golden Shovel has prepared a Lyrical Buffet for December to feast on the Beast with Beats containing content that makes this INTELLIGENT Rap cool 😎 like….. James Logan.
Many still wonder the reason behind these sessions. I am not at liberty to speak for the bigger movement, as my answer is limited to #VaalHipHop specifically.
