Sometimes, I say things cos I really believe that they will happen. Sometimes, I say things cos I wish them for myself. Either way the notion of “be careful what you wish for” seldom keeps me from my mumblings.
Last year, when I heard that Phonte and 9th Wonder would be coming to South Africa in 2012, I didn’t wait for date confirmations. I went on a tweeting spree expressing how excited I was and how I couldn’t wait for the gig. The dates came in and I just started saying how I couldn’t wait to meet and hang out with my favourite rapper; as to how that was gonna happen, I didn’t know. Nor did I care to think of who to call to help me make this happen.
I thought about introducing a “#TlaleMeetsPhonte” trending topic on twitter…then I realized just how lame that was, so I abandoned that idea. Then came April 5th 2012 and I start seeing tweets from 9th and Phonte announcing their arrival and I kept my cool…right up until I got a response from Phonte (to my "DUMELA") that read: “@Tlale_K: sawubona to you as well”. This is my FAVOURITE rapper. Tweeting me. In MY territory. I stayed on that high right up until the next day when Lindiwe and I rolled through to the press conference that we wormed our way into (neither of us are media personnel…LOL). Still, I kept a level head… until the moment Kabomo introduced me to him and said: ”this is probably your biggest fan in the world…” and Phonte interrupted with “oh yeah, Tl..Tla” and all the cool that I had mustered, evaporated as I said: “holy shit! You know me?!” and gave him a beeeeg hug before we took the above photo, with Kabomo. Hehehehe!
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| The Foreign Exchange |
It’s interesting how Phonte and Nicolay got together via the interwebs and the very person who introduced me to their music is someone I am yet to meet, as our interactions have only ever been via the interwebs and a few telephone conversations in between. I fell in love with that boy; we shared music and broke down lyrics and beats as we journeyed through imagined conversations we’d have when we met.
One of the songs he sent me, was “Nic’s Groove” (a Foreign Exchange featuring Little Brother, song). This track had me by the nipples for the longest time. I had been hearing a lot of Little Brother from a regional radio station that used to play proper Hip Hop. I think the first track they broke Little Brother out with was “Good Clothes” and the line that I and the show’s host used to always exclaim was: “Take that coat off, nigguuurr” LOL! But I hadn’t vested enough interest in Little Brother to have noticed that it was a trio made up of two rappers (Phonte and Big Pooh) and a producer (9th Wonder)...until I heard The Foreign Exchange’s “Nic’s Groove”.
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| Little Brother |
I still haven’t found the right words to describe what I felt when the bass came on and the chorus kick-started things, coupled by a few adlibs...and then slipped into Pooh's verse and got even better with the second verse: “nah it ain’t about me, I’m just an average cat/that goes to work, freestyles and kicks battle raps/and damage any nigga fucking with my habitat/me and Pooh connect like he-man and battle-Kat...” Dunno what it was about that verse, but I immediately replied to said Boy’s email and asked: “who is THAT, on the second verse?!” and he responded: “that’s Phonte. He’s one of the rappers in the Little Brother trio and the vocalist in The Foreign Exchange duo”. I’ve been on Phonte‘S music since that day. A dope rapper, that sings with equal amplitude? Come on! How do you not want to hear more of his material?
With that, came my struggle to explain who this guy was when I got asked who my favourite rapper was cos I didn’t give responses like: “Pac; Biggie; Jay-Z or Nas”. So when the news came of their imminent trip to South Africa for a gig in Joburg, I went NUTS. NUTS!
The sold-out Bassline was so electrified on the night of April 6th that there was hardly room to manoeuvre around. Blessed was I who was in the company of a guy with whom for the past year, I’ve shared my love for Little Brother and The Foreign Exchange and Hip Hop in general with...amongst other things. I couldn’t have imagined a better way to have spent that night. From the time 9th Wonder came on and I was at the bar...you could almost feel the place about to erupt, that’s how the excitement reverberated...and when 9th introduced Phonte on stage, all hell broke loose. I can’t even remember what song he opened with. I was embedded in pure bliss. The moment I had thought about for so many years personified itself in front of me and I just got lost in it. It was nothing like I nor the North Carolina boys had imagined it would be like (this I confirmed after the gig with 9th saying that that was the biggest crowd they [him and Phonte] had performed for).
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| What was left of the lunch |
It was a beautiful night, followed by another kick-ass night with the NC guys that started at a dull birthday party before we found a perfect spot in Catz Pyjamas, Melville. Myself; Lindiwe; Kabomo and Nomusa just chilled with 9th and Phonte...chatting and laughing about Hip Hop until the wee hours of the morning. It was a special night (read: late night/early morning) that seeped into one of my best lunches (and 9th’s favourite), at Nomusa’s house in Diepkloof on Sunday afternoon where we were joined by our girls and the Hype Magazine crew.
I suppose I can mention how when we went to go and pick the guys up on Sunday morning, Tay asked me to remove my beret and subsequently put his “P” cap on my head J...and then later gave me some music and his Pro Beats By Dr. Dre™.
Not in my wildest of dreams would I have believed that I would’ve actually met and hung out with Phonte Lyshod Coleman and Patrick Douthit. Moreover, I wouldn't have beleived you if you had told me that not only would I hang out with them, but that I’d hang out with them AND have them feel so at home, they genuinely had a good time...ok...maybe I would’ve believed THAT.
So, another dream manifested into a reality not even my imagination could’ve cooked up: I met my favourite rapper.
Perhaps I should speak out loud, on how I want to win the jackpot in the Lotto? Yes.
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