COMMON'S FASHION SENSE

Recently we ran a poll on Encore asking you, the readers, to vote for the most stylish musician today. Amongst the options were hat fundi Common, the funky Kelis, the quirky Kanye West, the unpredictable DJ Sbu, the graceful Nhlanhla and the playful Pharrel Williams. In my opinion, all of the above-mentioned stars have a unique sense of style, which is refreshing because most stars play it safe and fail to experiment cutting-edge styles that might just make their brands stand out more from the crowd.

The majority of the votes however went to the Chicago conscious rapper Common. Apart from his good 'ol fashioned looks (ladies, I know you agree with this!), Common has always managed to look dapper in vintage-esque clothing that complements his calm, sensible personality to the letter. Where other rappers rock baggy jeans and embarrassingly oversized tees, Common opts for regular fitting pants, golf jerseys and "poor boy" hats. His passion for hats is evident, he rarely steps out of his crib without one of his trademark hats.

So we present a collage of pics to you that illustrate Commons's cool fashion sense, Ladies indulge:

That's a dope tie, might be one from Ralph Lauren's recent collecton
Nice colours on the 'ol school zip-up; "poor boy" hat in tow as always
Showing off his masculinity in a slim-cut shirt
His trademark style: tie, jersey and hat
Blinging it up a lil' bit
A clean and fresh look
A converse campaign that he partook in
A fresh 50's era look

Rocking a dope print Tee

PARTY LIKE A ROCKSTAR, FOR REAL!

Ozy and his associates are resuscitating the CT party scene with a cool party that will be taking place at Ivory Room in Loop Street, Cape Town. Come check it out as it is sure to be on fire.

FRI 28 SEPT
IVORY ROOM - 196 Loop St - Cape Town (see map in attachment)
MUSIC: Hip Hop, Ragga, Rnb, Afro-House, Kizomba and more
DJs: OZY & DOMZ.
COVER: R30 w/ Invitation - R50 Without.
DOORS OPEN 10PM
DRESS LIKE A ROCKSTAR.
ADMISSION RESERVED.

..AND ANOTHER HOT JUICE PARTY

Its almost weeeekeeeend!!!! Time for JUICE @ Sequoias, like you've never seen it before! Fri 28 Sept, its 'The Rebirth of Cool'...dress to impress.

The Finest Hip Hop, R&B, Dancehall, Soul & Funk!
Sexy, Sophisticated, Exclusive!

DJs Muzi, Zan-D, Milkshake and Voodoo will be on the decks.

HHP NOMINATED FOR AN MTV EUROPE AWARD

Fresh from winning Strictly Come Dancing and proving once and for all that fat people can boogey too, HHP has just received another well-deserved nod. Jabba is among the five African artists nominated for Best African Act at the 2007 MTV Europe Music Awards (MTV EMAs), which are taking place in Munich on 1 November 2007.

The five nominees representing the African continent at the 14th annual MTV Europe Music Awards will be upbeat Nigerian R&B sensation D’Banj, Ugandan hip-hop/ragga crowd-pleaser Chameleone, Kenyan underground hip hop king Jua Cali, Ghanaian Dancehall king Samini and of course, HHP, Mzansi’s man of the moment.

The ceremony will air live across Africa on MTV base (DStv Channel 88) and MTV European (DStv Channel 85).

The Best African Act category was introduced in 2005 to mark the launch of MTV Base, MTV’s first African music channel. The first award was won by Nigeria’s favourite son 2FACE in Lisbon, Portugal. In the following year, South Africa’s rainbow ensemble Freshlyground nabbed the award at a ceremony in Copenhagen, Denmark.


If you would like to vote for Jabba or for any of the other African acts, go to www.mtvema.com and make your voice heard.

In related news, HHP is hard at work on his new album, which originally had an August release date but due to rigorous schedule of preparing and recording Strictly Come Dancing, it has been pushed back.

HHP fans need not panic as the album should definitely be out in time for the summer season.

NEW RED BULL BC ONE CHAMPION CROWNED

Ronnie doing one of his trademark moves

On September 22, 1200 people witnessed Ronnie from the USA winning the Red Bull BC One title.

After being a runner-up for 4 years, Ronnie has finally raised the Red Bull BC One trophy. His trip to the final round was not an easy one as the elimination round format pushed each of the 16 B-Boys to the limit. He battled B-Boying giants such as defending champion Hong 10 from South Korea and Roxrite, a fellow American, in a gripping final battle.

Roxrite took to the floor first, bringing his signature moves and battle strategy to the mat. Ronnie replied with his technical style, taunting Roxrite and showing his own signature moves in response. Roxrite was a tough competitor but in the end, it was Ronnie who mastered his technique and showed his original style.

Rakaa, who is part of the independent Hip Hop group Dilated Peoples, opened the Red Bull BC One final with his unique Hip Hop style and had the 1200-strong crowd roaring as he introduced the judges and dancers. On stage, one could feel the anticipation and Rakaa was all too happy to give them what they wanted, a unique experience with the new-age icons of B-Boying while DJ Renegade, the backbone of the event, provided the B-Boys with the tracks they needed to perform at their ultimate level.

When it got down to the contest, Ronnie took on battle after battle, maintaining his strength and enthusiasm and was crowned Red Bull BC One champion. He gained victory by taking on each B-Boy with force and confidence. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand and showed the judges just why he is considered one of the world’s best.

After winning his title, Ronnie was joined on stage by his fellow B-Boys who all showed their support for him. Even after eliminating them one-by-one, Ronnie had a huge fan base in his fellow competitors

Ronnie celebrating his victory

BIKO’S CHILDREN - A VUYISA YOKO FILM

By Sivu Nobongoza

He introduces himself as Breeze. You get the feeling that you are going to be blown away thus you’re not caught off guard when the feeling of his words beating beneath your wings elevates you to a sublime place. Vuyo Yoko, a young filmmaker and social activist is the creator of the ascension called BIKO’S CHILDREN. The short film documentary which premiered at the V & A Waterfront this past Sunday is Breeze’s way of celebrating and urging young South Africans to remember the great man and visionary utatu ‘Bantu Steve Biko and the revelations he died trying to keep alive for us his children. The doccie deals with the commonly misunderstood movement and teachings of Steve Biko, about his views and ideas on ‘Black Consciousness’ Although it starts and ends in 14 minutes the film depicts just enough to raise questions of why, who and where we are as a youth and as a people.

As Breeze so adequately puts it, his doccie is way for people to start looking inside themselves and asking the necessary questions that will liberate and rid them from the mental slavery that is still a very large part of our lives today. Unlike many Biko films, this flick exposes a couple of young people who are at the forefront of the Biko iconology and what they do to keep the icon, father and his legacy alive. It was interesting to hear some of the questions that burnt the lips of viewers who watched the premiere.

One young person even went as far is to question whether our current democratic government would ever consider making the 12th September, the day Steve Biko died, a public holiday (a valid question given the sacrifice that was made.) What was also very interesting was, and this I suppose is one of the reasons why this doccie was made, is to how misinterpreted the term ‘Black Consciousness’ is. There was a feeling that people who see the prefix ‘black’ generally feel excluded from these teaching, and thus view Mr. Biko’s works as racially biased.

As one woman at the premier gracefully put it; in the 60’s and 70’s ‘Black’ was the term used to describe all people of colour and everything that fell under black as the ethnic identity that hinges on our roots.

Without getting into the films political merits, it is my belief that before we find this fearless plateau of thought we need to ask the questions and search for the answers that will set us FREE in the true sense of the word and watch Vuyo Yoko’s film Biko’s Children which will screen one final screening at the V & A Waterfront’s Cinema Nouveau in Cape Town this Sunday the 03rd October at 18h00.

“I believe you have an appointment with Mr. Biko legacy this Sunday”

A still frame from the doccie, Biko's Children

BUTAN WEAR - MORE THAN JUST A CLOTHING LABEL

Writers Block spotting some Butan gear
A Butan promo poster

By Nick Kaoma

Seeing that Encore is fast entrenching itself as a prominent, cutting-edge urban culture and lifestyle brand, it is apt that we recognize people and brands that are working tirelessly to eradicate the status quo and push creative boundaries in the process. One such individual is Julian Kubel, the Cape Town-based founder and proprietor of the hot hip-hop inspired clothing label, Butan Wear.

I’m sure many of you have noticed the ubiquitous caps and tees with the name Butan emblazoned across them and have probably wondered as to what this brand is about. So we called up our man Julian and got the 411 on Butan – the genesis of the label, the brand essence, its alliance with underground hip hop, the future plans for the label and his fly new spring/summer collection.

Butan has been around for a minute and the brand has enjoyed support from notable local rappers and the public at large; how did the brand come to exist?
The label was founded in 2001, in response to the lack of any underground streetwear labels at the time in South Africa representing the lifestyle and philosophies of the underground Hip Hop movement. I believed it was necessary to create clothing that truly represents our own Hip Hop scene instead of some foreign lifestyles.

What’s the philosophy or design ethos behind Butan Wear?
The idea was to create a label that behaves like a living organism, changing and evolving with the times and influences posed by an ever changing underground street scene. Butan Wear is intended not to restrict itself to guidelines, which could make the brand stagnant and derivative.

There’s a bevy of other clothing brands aimed at the hip hop market, what makes yours different from the rest?
The intent is to create every Butan garment to be ahead of its time in terms of design, innovation and quality. I have chosen to build the brand in such a way, that it creates value not only for itself, but also for the direct/indirect contributors, which actually form the backbone of the business.
For Butan Wear the Hip Hop scene is not analyzed from the outside as a potential market and marketing platform. The brand has grown from within the scene and therefore creates value for its own roots, by business behaviour that enforces mutual growth. This ideology is carried forward in every aspect of the brand.


Tell us about your new range, I have peeped some pieces from the new collection and it is looking tight….

The new Spring/Summer range consists of fresh tees for both guys and girls, new styles and colours of the original Butan trucker caps, as well as New Era flat peak caps.

What was the inspiration behind the new collection?
There is never one particular inspiration behind an entire collection. Every item has got its own influences and history. There is however a common thread, evident throughout the range, which is largely an attempt to merge global street styles with a unique South African flavour. The goal of the range is to awaken people to the fact that that we as South Africans have exceptional ideas and styles, to create fashion that is on par and can compete with international brands. Support your own people and counteract economic imperialism!!

I have seen that the marketing of your brand is directly intertwined with a number of up and coming MCees; can you elaborate on your marketing strategy for Butan? And how would you eventually like your brand to be perceived?
Since Butan is an up and coming brand, it chooses to grow alongside up and coming artists. This again relates to our company’s ideology, which encourages mutual growth on every level. The brand should not be seen merely as a clothing label, but rather as part of the movement, which enables economic success for all involved, so we can do what we love best without having to starve.

On the business front, is the market receiving Butan as well as you’d like? And what are the plans for further growth?
Things don’t always go as planned, and growing a brand has proven itself to be far more difficult and challenging than expected. But, nothing good comes easy. Butan is not like your usual consumer brand, which is marketed as an easily digestible commodity. Things take time, and I am up for the challenge, because ultimately I know it is developing into something great, and many people will benefit from it. Let’s just say watch this space!

For other guys and girls who want to get into the industry, what advise would you impart on them? What are some of the things that they ought to look out for in order to succeed in this industry?
As a person with some experience in the industry, I would start by saying that the clothing industry is one of the toughest to be in. But, if you are determined to make it and you truly love fashion design then by all means go for it and prove your critics wrong.
It’s hard to tell what people need to look out for, but one pointer is to never give up, even if things are going extremely wrong. Perseverance and self motivation are key!

Do you have any plans for international expansion?
This is a question that is really hard to answer at this stage, since the brand needs to properly penetrate the South African market before it can spread across Mzansi’s boarders. But in due course that is definitely what I aspire
towards and it would be rewarding to see our brand appreciated and valued on an international level.

Giveaway
Butan and Encore are giving away two tees and two caps from the new Spring/Summer Collection (see picture below), all you have do to win one of these fab prizes is write to us at info@encoremag.co.za and answer this simple question, what makes Butan Wear a hot street clothing brand? Also include your contact details and physical/postal address.

The winners will be announced on Monday, 02 September 2007.

JAY-Z SET TO RELEASE ANOTHER BLOCKBUSTER ALBUM

Jay-Z is getting off the St. Tropez beach to give us a brand new album
Jay-Z is currently putting the finishing touches on his tenth solo album titled "American Gangster," which is inspired by the upcoming flick of the same name starring Oscar Award winner Denzel Washington.

According to The New York Times, Jay-Z has revealed that the movie mirrored his drug dealing past and he has already crafted nine songs which are inspired by specific scenes in the movie.

"It was like I was watching the film, and putting it on pause, and giving a back story to the story," Jay-Z said. "Watching that film, it brought back all these memories. It took me back to those emotions."

"It immediately clicked with me," he continued. "Like Scarface or any one of those films, you take the good out of it, and you can see it as an inspiring film."
The album, which will not serve as the movie's official soundtrack, features a cut produced by Pharrell. Details of other producers or guest appearances were not revealed.

The trailer for American Gangster already features Jay-Z's song "Heart of the City," off his album The Blueprint.

The new album called "American Gangster" will be released Tuesday November 6th.

The first song from "American Gangster" entitled "Blue Magic" has been released and is set to have a 80’s feel to it. The track is produced by the Neptunes’ Pharrell Williams.

From the sound of it, this new album will definitely be more hardcore and punchy, and will see Jay revisiting the swagger from the Blueprint era that helped cement his place in the higher echelons of hip hop.

Wajeed | The War Album | Bling47.com

Reviewed by DJ Romz Deluxe ••• 3/5.

After making a success of the Platinum Pied Pipers album Wajeed started creating tracks with his fellow bling 47 mates and introduced the War Album. I ordered the album for myself on amazon.com and in a month it was on my door step. I was so excited to have it that I bumped it hard nonstop and mixed it on my turntables. Then I realized that my being overwhelmed had a lot do with the fact that the tracks reminded me of J Dilla a.k.a James Yancey, his late best friend and mentor.

Wajeed has always been a Dilla student. He always hung out with Slum Village
learning the ropes and paying his dues, which is why I think the spirit of J
Dilla lives in him. This man is going to keep giving us the hot shit no matter
what!

According to Wajeed, this album deals with subjects such as the loss of loved
ones as well as the crippled world of the hip hop music and
America’s state of mind, this album is Bling 47’s way of declaring war on it
all! Musically& conceptually this album is the other face of Triple P. It is
more serious and hard hitting. Detroit style, if you know what I mean! This
album is definitely putting Wajeed on the map and he will
continue doing what he is good at.

Even though the album includes the same supporting cast as Triple P its style
is distinctly different. ‘The War LP’ is firmly rooted in hip hop ethics and in
many places the sound owes more to the genres of cinematic soundtrack and
psyche than to soul and R&B. Go get it!!

RED BULL BC ONE IS IN THE HOUSE ONCE AGAIN

The foremost one-on-one B-Boying contest in the world, the Red Bull BC One is taking place in Mzansi this coming Saturday. The bustling city of Johannesburg is well suited for an experience of this nature, as B-Boys and Hip Hop heads alike prepare to descend on the city to witness one of the globe’s most dynamic breaking spectacles.

Taking place at the Orlando Power Station in Soweto, the show will feature the acrobatic antics of renowned B-Boys such as Ben J, Dark Marc, Hong 10, Spee-d Up and Taisuke. DJ Sibot will make sure that the heads are entertained at all times with the freshest cuts.

Tickets are R75 at Computicket and the doors open at 20h00. So if you’re in Jozi, be sure to check out this spectacular show that will leave your jaw hanging in amazement.

KANYE CELEBRATES VICTORY WITH BEYONCE, JAY-Z, DIDDY AND OTHERS

In this stupendously successful week for Kanye West, in which he was able to whip out more than 900 000 copies of his third album, Graduation, it is only appropriate that we give you more coverage on the man. Last night, he hit up GQ's 5oth anniversary party at a spot in New York where he and a bevy of other celebrities celebrated his monumental victory. Here are the pics:


Jay-Z and Kanye letting people now that the ROC is in the building
Kanye and his fiance Alexis Phifer
Jay-Z and producer Swizz Beatz
Kanye performing his new single 'Good Life'
Diddy, LA Reid, Kanye and Jay-Z toast the victory
LL Cool J came to show love, or was he?
Lenny Kravitz's daughter, Zoe Kravitz

WIN TICKETS TO LEVIS VINTAGE SUNDAYS GIG IN JOZI

The awesome Lira will be belting out sultry sounds from the Feels Good album
Arno is set to kick major rock ass at the finale of the Levis Vintage Sundays
For the past few months Sundays all over South Africa have been given a new lease on life with the many Levi’s® Vintage Sundays events. These musical gatherings have showcased the best of local talent, proving that Mzansi’s finest are as fine as they come. Now, as the festivities enter the final stages, the iconic jeans brand will be presenting The Best of Levi's® Vintage Sundays – an exciting addition to this established music program!

It’s all happening at Bassline in downtown Jozi on the 6th of October. Doors open at 20:00 and the first act goes on at 21:00. Since we've got your back, Encore is giving away TEN tickets to the Vintage Sundays gig which is amazingly taking place on a Saturday(I know, I'm puzzled too). All you got to do is write to us at info@encoremag.co.za, and leave your name and contact details and we'll hook you up. Yup, that easy!

Getting the crowd going on the night will be Zubz, Lira, Arno Carstens and Albert Frost, Tidal Waves and DJ Kenzhero.

You can't miss this one!

KANYE EMBARASSES 50 CENT IN SALES RACE

By Nick Kaoma

What a week it has been for Kanye West. The Chicago native appeared in a dozen late night TV shows and award ceremonies, buoyed by the fact that his third album, Graduation, had outsold 50 Cent’s Curtis on the first day of release, a feat that would have previously been seen as impossible considering Fitty’s stupendous commercial pull.

On the first day of release, September 11, Kanye shifted more than 470 000 units, a ridiculous amount for a single day considering that the highest selling hip hop album of the year, T.I.’s T.I. vs. T.I.P, scanned around the same amount during the course for an entire week.

Furthermore, news has just come in from the other side of the Atlantic that Kanye has officially bitch-slapped the egotistical loudmouth with sales that will make you weep. Graduation, after a successful week of campaigning and propelled by the singles Stronger and Can’t Tell Me Nothing, has posted first week sales of….wait for it….. 957 000 copies, an astronomical figure considering that the SoundScan King 50 Cent only managed to pimp consumers with 691 000 copies of Curtis.

In typical bully fashion, 50 Cent has rejected these figures and has accused Def Jam, Kanye’s record label of manipulating the record sales of Graduation. Hooooww Fitty, can’t you just take it like man? It shows that underneath that heavy-toned body and bulletproof vest, there lies a naïve and delusional Curtis Jackson that seems to have lost touch with the real world.

According to New York's Daily News, 50 Cent made the accusations during an interview with British based magazine Uncut.

"He's never had a fraction of the sales 50 Cent has," Fif said. "They could have only one scan and have it count four times. West's entire career hasn't sold half what I sold on my first album.” Aaaah, someone is bitter over the ass-whooping.
Billboard's Geoff Mayfield countered 50's claims saying that there is a slim chance that Def Jam would have doctored the sales figures.

"The people who built SoundScan put safeguards in place to track sales that don't look kosher," Mayfield explained.

The total for West's Graduation is the largest by any album since 50 Cent's The Massacre opened with 1.1 million copies in March 2005. West's own August 2005 album, Late Registration, was the last album to surpass 800,000 copies when it began with 860,000.

Amidst all this euphoria and unguarded mayhem, it is difficult to realize who is the Architect behind this momentary downfall of Curtis Jackson.

Jigga - yes you read right - Jay-Z sat down with his underlings in the plush offices of Universal Records and put in motion a marketing tactic that has clearly outwitted the whole of G-Unit Records and its head honcho.

Since 50 entered the game, he has thrown a number of under-the-belt jabs at your boy HOV, trying relentlessly to annoy him and let him know that a new contender for the throne was in the ring. Fair enough, every King deserves to be challenged but where 50 got it wrong is that Jigga is more than just a king in the game; he’s a hip hop immortal amongst mortals. And that is one undisputable fact!

Like a true chess player that he is, Mr. Shawn Carter opted to beat 50 by using one of his pawns instead of himself; who better to do that than Kanye, a complete opposite of what 50 Cent stands for. In the current hip hop climate where rappers are being cited and reprimanded for misogynistic and violent lyrics, HOV got it spot-on, as Middle America would be more than willing to embrace Kanye’s pop and conceptual sensibilities over 50’s thuggerish, gun-tooting persona. So when Interscope Records announced September 11 as the day that 50’s third album Curtis would be dropping, Jay quickly got ‘Ye to wrap up his project so that he could contest that day with 50, mano a mano, comprende?

When 50 heard this, he thought Jay was bluffing and quickly went to radio and snobbishly urged Jigga to move Kanye to another date so as to avoid a beatdown. Jigga, of course, stood his ground and insisted that Graduation would drop on the same day as Curtis, thereby initiating the greatest sales contest in hip hop history. From an obtuse angle, one could have been forgiven for calling Jigga crazy, delusional or naïve, but considering the way things have panned out, he clearly had a couple of aces up his sleeve that we were not aware of.

Such sublime marketing tactics, explain why Columbia Records and others are reportedly in negotiations to secure his executive services and lure him away from Def Jam.

With everything said and done, and the dust has settled, there is only one BIG winner in all of this. The White Man! Yeah, you read me right. All the worldwide sales that will accrue from Graduation and Curtis will be swiftly transferred to the obese bank accounts of Universal Records, as they own both artists, and thereafter moved across the Atlantic to the offices of Vivendi Universal in France, which owns the mammoth record label.

Like Kanye himself said on All Falls Down, “We'll buy a lot of clothes when we don't really need em/ Cause they make us hate ourself and love they wealth/ Drug dealer buy Jordans, crackhead buy crack/ And a white man gets paid off of all of that.”

One.

[Ed's note: check out Encore next week for Lee Kasumba's comprehensive review of Kanye West's Graduation.]

NAS READIES A NEW ALBUM FOR THE SUMMER

Nas says he's definitely coming out with a brand-new album this year. It's '07, "The God Year," according to the legendary MC, so there's no better time to release new material — even if he's still reveling in how he ended last year.

"I celebrated having another #1 album in the country," he said of his last LP, Hip Hop Is Dead. "I was on the Virgin Islands on New Year's Day, I got the news I had another #1 album. I think I made some heads turn. I did my thing: no radio. Not much radio spins. Now I wanna have fun with the radio. I'll still try to reach for a higher ground and come sometime in December.

"I'm really into a summer album," he added. "But they say the fourth quarter is for big dogs. I been doing the fourth quarter for years, so I guess I'm at home in the fourth."

Esco is already halfway done with the project, and he expects to have the first music from the album hit in October. The collaborations with Will.I.Am that he previously told Mixtape Monday about have been scrapped.

"Nah," he said when asked whether those records would be making the cut. "Some landed on other people's albums. It wasn't time for that type of sh--, so I let 'em go. But Will's a genius. I worked with new producers, but I'm sure me and Will gonna holla again."

You're probably wondering about his answer to the requisite "Is DJ Premier going to be working on the album?" question. Well, as for Primo's involvement, Nas gave a mysterious "who knows?" The powerful poet wasn't any more forthcoming about the title for his next one, but he did say to expect something "powerful and provocative."

"I can't reveal it yet," he said. "But if you remember, the original name for Hip Hop Is Dead was N---a. It was ahead of its time. Def Jam immediately went out there and said I was being facetious. But that was the name of my album. I don't be out there with everybody. But I want them to know I'm heavily involved. That's why I do the titles I do. Hip Hop Is Dead was a great substitute. It was perfect timing for that joint."

Timing was not on his side for the would-be Hip Hop Is Dead singles and videos "Hustlers" (featuring Game) and "Black Republican" with Jay-Z.

"Yeah, man, I like to just put it out there that we shot a video for 'Hustlers,' " Nas explained. "These guys still got the video, actually. The guy who shot the video, Malcolm Jones, is a different type of cat, man. I don't know what's going on with it, but they took too long. They been needing time. Then Spike Lee was set to 'Black Republican,' but me and Spike couldn't come up with the perfect idea, so we let it ride as one of them tracks that was just there. to me was gonna be shot like Thriller. But sometimes I feel like I don't wanna do that. I don't wanna hog up the radio waves, hog up the video waves. I let everybody else eat, 'cause I'm eating. Been eating for so many years. I ain't hogging it up. That's basically it."

However, he might go hog-wild (no pork on his fork, though) for the new album.

"I gotta hog it up," he said of his new outlook. "People think didn't happen 'cause it couldn't happen, and that's f---ed up 'cause I leave a lot of my listeners out there and they be fighting for me. I don't wanna feel like I'm leaving them out there. Just 'cause I'm in the cut, I don't want them to feel like I don't give a f---. Everybody else is doing as many videos as they want to. When it came to me, I was cool with it. I have a lot of real n---as out here that's behind me and f--- with me. I'm so in love with them real n---as, I don't see nobody else. But I need to push my sh--. It's important. It's the norm."

Over the summer, Nas was one of the acts on the Rock the Bells tour. "That was amazing," he said. "I wasn't on all the dates. It's a great tour. We had 40,000 people in San Francisco alone. Wu-Tang were incredible. I'm thinking about doing the next one and taking it global. I'm thinking about jumping in with and taking it all the way global."

Sony will release a Nas yet-untitled greatest-hits LP in November, before the new studio LP drops. It will feature a couple of new records, including his collaboration with Cee-Lo. ...

THE URBAN JUNGLE - VIEW FROM A LENS

We can all express in a sufficient number of words what it means to live in the urban jungle, otherwise known as the city. But there's only a handful of us who can explain it in pictures, after all they do say that a picture says a thousand words. So we asked Cape Town based Jade Rabie, a talented photographer who'll probably be challenging the David LaChappelles and Koto Bolofos of this world sooner than we think, to put together a collage of photos that describe life in the urban jungle. His pictures are quirky but somehow endearing, and thus are primed to offer you another side of life other than the norm:

Pics by Jade Rabie [www.jadedmedia.co.za]

"Some friends of mine had a clothing label, so I asked a kid who lived down the road from me if he would pose in the clothes, I ended up giving him the hat. He has since got into graffiti and still skateboards "


"Two hot girls fighting over a hoodie, what more can I say?"


"This is from a shoot I did for Shelflife in Cape Town, all the models are graffiti writers, hence their faces being blocked"

"
A portrait of a friend, she works as a production manager for a film company she runs with her boyfriend - Flyonthewall Productions. I shot this in their office, her boyfriends paintings are in the background "


"I took this photo for my portfolio, this is a friend of mine who I used to stay with in a block of flats in town."

"
This is an old friend from college who is an MC; we were standing outside of an exhibit in the street, he was looking after his friends dog, so I asked if I could take a pic of him"



"My good friend from America, he really dresses like this, and he is crazy about his hip hop; he is blacker than a lot of people down here. He recently married his long time South African girlfriend after 5 years of being together. "

"Another photo for Shelflife, no photoshop. I took this near the train station in Salt River"

NO. 1 - THE RICHEST PEOPLE IN HIP HOP

Dollar Status - $500 Million (R3.5 Billion)
Portfolio – Rocawear clothing, Roc-a-fella records, S.Carter sneakers, New Jersey Nets, 40/40 Clubs and more.

By Kopano Marumo

Hova has gone from being a neighbourhood drug dealer to being the head of the most prestigious hip hop record label. The president of Def Jam is entrusted with billions and earns $3 million per annum to sit in his high rise suave sanctuary, otherwise known as his office.

To lend his name to products, he lands $9 million in endorsements per annum.

Just a few months ago, he was sitting at the number two spot on this very list - a "mere" six million separating him from Diddy's $346 million shiny suits. Not only did he manage to make up the shortfall and reclaim the number one spot, he now sits on over half-a-billion dollars.

The sale of his clothing label Roc-a-Wear, which he founded just a scant 8 years ago, to Iconix Group landed him over $200 million. He still has his S.Carter sneaker range with Reebok, which still holds the title of being the best-selling sneaker line in the sportswear brand’s history, and his cool chain of sports clubs 40/40, which gives him a $5million annual pay cheque and is due to expand further than New York and Atlantic City.

He also owns a minority stake in NBA team New Jersey Nets, a transaction that set him back around 5 million green ones. Even with poor sales from his post-retirement offering Kingdom Come, high royalty rates have ensured $2million in his Cayman Island bank accounts.

Damn, Jigga really wasn’t lying when he said “Put me anywhere on God’s green earth, I’ll triple my worth”.

PERONI/5FM FASHION AFTER PARTY

The beautiful people of Cape Town once again gathered for a night of revelry at a Fashion Show after-party organized jointly by Peroni and 5FM. Held at the plush Bloomsbury showroom where Lamborghinis and Ferrari are teasingly spread across the floor, the venue proved to be the perfect setting for the aspirational crowd. The crowd, which consisted of musicians, ad people, entrepreneurs, fashionistas and many a hangers-on chilled and partied to the sultry sounds of Cape Town DJ duo, Goldfish. Although the festivities started on a slow note, things soon got heated up on the dance floor where peeps got hypnotized by the vibes being belted out by the Muizenberg boys. But as is customary in Cape Town on week nights, most of the crowd had disappeared by 2am. What a shame!


















Pics by Thando Toto