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Written bySaien Benjamin
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Images byIndia Trapman
Long Live: Hip Hop – A reminder of the unifying power of The Genre.
In 2022 I attended the inaugural Cape Town edition of Cotton Fest, the Hip-Hop event founded by the iconic Riky Rick. The manner in which the event provided a platform for local superstars like Blxckie, YoungstaCPT and Shekinah and up-and-comers like K.Keed, Laudable (now Big Body Bones) and Orish to an audience of over 5000, filled me with optimism for the future of the Mother City scene. As a longtime fan of the genre I was hopeful that Cotton Fest would provide the spark needed to bring Hip-Hop and the endless list of immensely talented local artists the platform deserved in Cape Town. Sadly this did not prove to be the case – there was one more Cotton Fest here in 2023 and there have been a host of venues and organisers doing their part for the culture – but ultimately Rap as a genre on the whole has remained on the margins of the local live music scene.
One Park, Broke Klubhouse, events hosted by local artists like Meccamind and Verve’s StayHomme tour deserve props for doing their part to change these dynamics. Whilst it was cool that Gunna pulled up for Milk & Cookies, by and large international Hip-Hop artists that come to the country only perform in Johannesburg due to the larger appreciation of the genre, meaning that Cape Townian rappers no longer have the kind of opportunities for international exposure Khuli Chana got opening for Kendrick Lamar and Youngsta CPT had in opening for Eminem. Although on a smaller scale, attending the recent Curated by KAYA’s Long Live: Hip-Hop filled me with a renewed sense of hope for the CT scene.
“Long Live Hip-Hop and Long Live Riky,” was how the enigmatic LUUKHANYO closed his powerful encore tribute to the late rapper, performing Riky Rick’s verse on Frank Casino collaboration “Whole Thing”. The track and heartfelt shoutout to one of SA’s greatest of the genre, who influenced countless artists of the next generation including LUUKHANYO himself, was a fitting testament to a night that showcased some of the best Hip-Hop talent CPT has to offer. After a successful launch of ‘Long Live’ at Sergeant Pepper with the Rock n’ Roll opening edition, The Curated by KAYA team pulled off one of the most exciting Hip-Hop shows in the city this year.
The lineup organised – comprising of; Alternative lyricist and underground Rap legend Master Kiii, rising Kwaito-Rap star Maylee Malindi, genre bending rapper LUUKHANYO with masterful live band The Hii ROLLERS and emerging Hip-Hop & R&B DJ Mia Mia – showed a deep appreciation and support of the culture. Which is something that is extremely refreshing to see in a Cape Town music scene that tends to sideline Hip-Hop artists in comparison to Indie and Punk bands, Pop artists and Techno/Afro-House DJ’s.
“Talkyoshii was a braggadocious track that saw Kiii flexing killer flows and hard hitting bars such as, “I’m like Aang when I activate past-life vision”. ”
The Curated by KAYA team deserves immense credit for their role in putting together this show. From the crisp sound in a venue that has not hosted live shows in a while, to the lighting which perfectly accentuated the artists on stage and the gorgeous projections – every aspect of the production was immensely creative and professional. The audience, dressed in fresh outfits that fused streetwear and authentically local styles, had a palpable sense of enthusiasm going bar for bar with some of their favourite local rappers and moving in a syncopated blur to the rhythm of the beats. The intimate atmosphere, aided by the close proximity of the stage and the fact that all the live performers ventured into the crowd during their sets, led to a tangible sense of mutual appreciation between the attendees and performers. Whilst the turnout was not the largest, at my estimate 100-125 pax, this is more reflective of the Cape Town live gig going crowd being more partial towards other genres. As unfortunate as this reality is it did not detract from the successful activation and positive steps made for Hip-Hop in our city.
Master Kiii, styled in a (up-and-coming local fashion brand you need to know) custom OTZhome denim jacket and fit, opened up the night with his smooth yet unpredictable flows over an eclectic range of beats that mixed East Coast soundscapes with Jazz and Soul samples aided by his DJ and Producer Loungesinger. Whilst Kiii’s style is laidback and makes you take notice through intricate wordplay and killer punchlines rather than in your face Trap beats and shouted verse. His undeniable charisma and skill as an MC got the crowd so hyped that a quasi-mosh-pit formed – a rare feat for a mellow Alternative Hip-Hop lyricist – but a testament to his sheer ability as a performer and artist. He performed a selection of tracks from Anemoia – his 2024 collaborative EP with producer and rapper Andre Loot – an introspective and thoughtful project that is in my view a quintessential contribution to the Cape Town and South African underground Hip-Hop scene.
‘GOOYH’ showcased Kiii’s lyrical depth over a tastily flipped soul sample, with some fantastic double entendres that included: “Here’s another episode, Truly Yours like the old Cole”, “Flow Michael Jackson when I beat it”, “I wish life could pause I ain’t talking Doogie Houser”. ‘The Witchdoctor’s Grandson’ was a beautifully introspective testament to the culture and musical heritage of Master Kiii’s family and the way it inspired his music career. This set was a masterclass in Alternative Hip-Hop performance and much deserved victory lap for one of the local greats of the genre that I hope will get him more of the acknowledgement he deserves.
Maylee Malindi, one of the most exciting young talents in the scene, carried on the momentum that Master Kiii set with her fiery energy, hard hitting Kwaito infused Modern Rap production, and breakneck flows. Performing tracks off her debut album ‘Yonke’ which dropped earlier this year, she provided real excitement for the future of CPT Hip-Hop with her unashamedly authentic sound. ‘Imedi’ a bass heavy banger saw her hitting some killer flows and smooth transitions between IsiXhosa and English raps. Maylee’s performance was a statement of intent from a young rapper that has immense potential and whose career I for one will be following closely to see what comes next in her blossoming journey.
LUUKHANYO and his now 8 piece, live band the Hii ROLLERS ended with a final extremely fun encore of Anderson .Paak’s ‘Come Down’ – another fitting track as although LUUKHANYO is more of a rapper then Paak, you can certainly see his influence in his undeniable swagger and the funkiness imbued into much of his music. Before the two incredible finale covers, LUUKHANYO aided by the rich instrumental textures of the Hii ROLLERS, brought his incredible debut album ‘Lucky UU’ to the live stage and added another dimension to one of the best local Hip-Hop albums of 2025 by opening with lyrically dense acapella verses.
“LUUKHANYO aided by the rich instrumental textures of the Hii ROLLERS, brought his incredible debut album ‘Lucky UU’ to the live stage and added another dimension to one of the best local Hip-Hop albums of 2025 by opening with lyrically dense acapella verses.”
Mia Mia closed the night out in style with a rich selection of 2010’s and 2000’s Hip-Hop classics and effortlessly slick transitions. From Rick Ross, Drake and Chrisette Michelle’s (who’s often forgotten about despite her chorus being arguably the best part of the track) ‘Aston Martin Music’ to Gunna and Young Thug ‘Too Easy’, throw in some Kendrick, Drake, Nicki Minaj and 2 Chainz, and you have the recipe for a dancefloor banger heavy set that kept the vibes going past midnight.
Long Live: Hip Hop gave me immense excitement for the future of the Cape Town scene and culture in the way it brought together some of the best young and established performers in the scene who all delivered with distinct styles but equally captivating sets. Master Kiii, Maylee Malindi, LUUKHANYO and The Hii ROLLERS, Mia Mia and The KAYA team all deserve their flowers for a night which was a timely reminder of the immense power of Hip-Hop to bring people together.
I truly wish that more event organisers, bookers and venues will take note of the impact this genre can have and its role as a bastion of South African culture and arts! I love Indie Rock, Pop, Punk and Folk as much as the next person but I think it is hard to deny that Hip-Hop is a genre that resonates with a much more representative and diverse slice of Cape Townians and South Africans as a whole. As an artform that is so conducive to honest and thought-provoking storytelling and has the global impact it does, it is disappointing to see such underappreciation of the genre within our city. With this in mind I hope we can see a future in the local live music scene that gives up-and-coming Hip-Hop artists the airtime and space that they and audiences deserve.
