The follow up. I was wrong. Rattex represents

This post is a follow up to: This is what is wrong with our music culture - Rattex is poison.I bought the CD. I did it. I've listened to it and I am impressed. The production is good. It's got a great sound and I stand corrected. The guy keeps it local and keeps it as close to his heart as he can.That is clear to me now and i completely recognise that I wrote the last blog post purely on what I was sent by his PR agency or whoever sent it and didn't do much of my own research. That was a mistake on my behalf that I will gladly admit to and acknowledge.I do believe that in future the PR for Rattex should be done considerably better. The Press Release that is sent out should play on his passion for his upbringing, his home, his culture and his skill. It should not direct you to a video that I believe badly represents the artist.I am not going to suggest how Rattex should create music videos because that is not a skill of mine, I have never directed a music video but when I do, I'll open it up for criticism to my readers.I am extremely glad that I wrote the previous post about Rattex. I engaged in some extremely interesting debates with some very, um, interesting characters. Luckily there were a few people who managed to keep open minds, not jump the race card and attempt to educate me.At the end of it all I have learned appreciation for an artist that I previously wouldn't have heard or listened to. I have learned more about a culture that I do enjoy (hip-hop) and learned not to follow press releases that are sent to me.Something I think that my readers should learn: Don't jump to conclusions (like I did and many of the commentators did). Don't pull the race card, it will never end well, ever. South Africa is overly Politically Correctly, we need to let go of it, move on and be who we are and want to be.So do yourself and do me a favour. Go listen to Rattex, do your research, read his bio, buy his CD and open your mind, like I did.

This is what is wrong with our music culture - Rattex is poison

I was sent a press release about this fantastic new artist breaking in to the market locally. Rattex (seriously?) is his name. I am always very open to promoting new music in South Africa so I decided to give the music video a watch:The above is precisely what is eating away at the soul of the music culture in South Africa and providing our youth with the misconception of what it is to be famous, young, successful and funky. This is a discussion that I have been having for years and years, since I was in a band back at university. We tried very hard to be local, have flavour and maintain bits of our heritage or at least we thought, as much as we could. It's tough though and I will give muso's that much, it's tough to be local.But is it really that tough? Is it so tough to be local that you mimic American artists down to the background colour of your music video, your caps, baggy shoddy denims and "bling". Why are our young rappers trying so hard to be American? Everyone hates America and the only person who could change that perception is Kenyan? African is cool, can't they see that?And what's more is that Rattex claims to be proudly South African:

Rattex is now at the forefront of the new school of proudly South African rappers who understand that Hip Hop, more than any other musical art form, is about addressing important issues and representing where you’re from. It is therefore not suprising that Rattex is one of the pioneers of the ‘Spaza’ movement, where lyrics are performed in a combination of isiXhosa, English and Cape Flats slang.Rattex has always been a true Cape Flats soldier, representing Khaltsha (Khayelitsha) wherever he performs. His music has also been on heavy rotation on community and campus radio stations (such as Zibonele, Bush Radio and UCT Radio) across Cape Town and the Cape Flats. Noteable performances include the Fire on the Mountain festival, Drudge Dialect II, the Hype Magazine Live Session and the Planetary Assault launch party. Rattex has also performed on Channel O’s number 1 rated show, Mzanzi Ridez. Most recently, Rattex supported legendary Brooklyn-born super lyricist Wordsworth on his tour to South Africa.

Read the full bio at his website. What goes through the head of an artist who claims to be from the flats, to embrace South Africanism and then puts on a music video feature his hommies, big cars, bling, scantily clad women and a distinctly western flair to it.I am sorry but I cannot believe that any artist who produces this sort of tripe can claim to be proudly South African.Have a look at a couple of "big rappers" in the following music videos from the States:Spot the difference. Just like his name, I think that Rattex and this Americanised-afro-wanna-be culture confusion is poising poisoning the music and culture in South Africa.

Proud To Be White... Is That Right?

I have just received an email outlining the difference between the white race and any other race having racial pride. The email illustrates (very well I might add) that it is OK for Black people to have rallies, groups, parades, protests, pride, dedicated funds, colleges, schools and many other things, but when a school is explicitly for white people it is a racist school. Oprah's new school is a good example I think.This email is more American-centric than South African-centric so much of it is not applicable. However I do think that there is a lot of truth to this sort of mentality. The race card is played very often by various demographics in SA. I am classified (I am not sure who does this sort of classification any more) as a white male although I have never looked like any classically white male in my life. This has really never had an impact on my life. Yet I have dealt with the race card in various situations.I studied Politics back at Rhodes University. I will never forget the day that I almost received the beating of my life when I tried to proclaim that I was an African. I believe that I am African. I am born and bred in Africa and that makes me African. Mark Shuttleworth has launched his Ubuntu Linux System and I believe that he is a man who truly understands the concept of Ubuntu. So is he not African?In the end, I am all for having pride for oneself, for ones culture and for anything else that anyone wished to be proud of as long as that pride is not inflicting some sort of harm on anyone else. I am not talking about a perceived harm here, where one persons belief system conflicts with another persons belief system, that is avoidable and resolvable to a certain livable extent. I am talking about harm in the true sense of the word.Let the Satinists be Satinists and let the KKK be the KKK, but let them be who they are own their own in the privacy of their own home and heaven help any group if they start to bash people around and attempt to enforce their perceived superiority on others. Is this sort of approach correct? I can't say. I think that what the email i received is trying to portray is that if white people have to be quietly proud and restricted then so should everyone else. If other ethnic or racial groups are allowed to proclaim a school to be all black, asian, hispanic or anthing else, then so too should white schools be able to be proclaimed as such.This is where I think the line needs to be drawn, freedom of speech rocks, it truly does, as long as it too does not detrimentally impact on any person, group, culture or nation.I think that South Africa is on the right track, tolerance is of the utmost importance. I think that we have much to be thankful for here in SA. Integration is a slow process and one that needs to be fought for tooth and nail. People need to proactively work towards integration. It is not something that will simply happen. Just as practicing a sport makes you better at it, so too would practicing tolerance, integration and appreciation for others.