LEE KASUMBA INTERVIEW - PART 2

Which Mzansi hip hop acts are you feeling at the moment?
I have to take the 5th amendment on this because firstly I do have some emcees that I am feeling on a whole other level not cause they are from here but because I can flip from them to an overseas cat and its still dope. I never answer this because I have my own type of taste and people forget before radio I was a head and I still am you know; YFM never said lets find a hip hop chick, nah I said hey lets do this hip-hop thing, and now because of where I am some people make their choice on what’s dope because I said and that’s not entirely cool with me. For that reason, I just keep my taste to myself in the bedroom, in my car and in my iPod.

As a prominent woman in the hip hop game, why are women struggling to find similar prominence in the various capacities in the industry? And how can these stumbling blocks be removed?
This is another one of those questions, but yea I guess it’s important. Let me ask you this, how many female presidents are there? How many CEO’s of major companies are women? Do you notice how every time a woman in a so called prominent position always gets her womanhood called out before her work comes into discussion? I think that’s shady.

I don’t do things cause I am a woman and I don’t want it to seem that way, I understand its important so that we can get young girls to see themselves in that space but yeah I don’t ascribe to it from any other level than motivating women, I never want guys to respect me cause –she is a girl doing her thing or she knows her hip hop for a girl, when truth is I’d take a lot of these cats out and that’s a fact.

I think also that yes to a degree women are pushed aside and what I have found is that if you know your story and know as much if not more than your male counterpart you’ll be good.

Which album is currently on heavy rotation in your ride? And what are you feeling about it?
At the moment I am listening to a lot of Kenyan hip hop; MC Kah to be specific. He is one of my favourites. I have no clue what is being said but I am feeling it; the beats and the delivery are nice and it makes me feel like I'm in Kenya…I’m also loving to new Lupe Fiasco [The Cool], which as you know took me a while to get into. He’s a storyteller who likes exploring ‘the other side’ and I also like the fact that he doesn’t go the usual hip hop beat route; his stuff is mad musical.

Then the EMC too; that’s like that hip hop hip hop sound we been missing, even the interludes are ill, I love it and just got the old ‘Handsome Boys Modeling School like a story’, what can I say Prince Paul is a genius. But yea that’s sort of my vibe along with two other local cats but I won’t say for obvious reasons…

March/April usually signifies the time in the radio industry when a lot of stations undergo various line-up changes. Tell us about your new shoe "The Bridge". How do you feel about the brand at the moment? They are views in certain quarters that suggest that YFM has lost touch with its youthful base…
I don’t know if YFM has lost base with the youth; I guess I would have to ask people out there you know? The brand… well, I am still there and I think people need to realize that in terms of young black South African market, YFM is vital and its survival is important because if it goes down it will be another black thing that never worked you know?

I am excited to be part of “The Bridge” I brought Ace of Spades in, as well as D.J Kenzhero and TTP. Its Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 10-12pm - you just need to hear it because the vision we have for it, man it’s too ill...I don’t want to say much but it’s the hip-hop show you’ve been waiting for. We’re just starting out but best believe that “The Bridge” is the next movement because it exists beyond the studio.

What other projects are you busy with? What can the masses expect from you in the near future?
I’m into so many things, I won’t go into details but the long and the short is that I am working on projects that will bridge the gap that exists between South Africa, Africa and the world too. It’s exciting but that’s all that I will say at the moment…But I promise to give you guys the first heads up on everything and that’s real.