Created by renowned veteran rapper and poet, Tumi ‘Stogie T’ Molekane, the "verse of the month" concept has gone from strength to strength - it began as monthly social media content which later grew into a web series that found a home on popular urban music website, SlikourOnLife and now, it is a fully fledged event.
The ‘verse of the month’ web series, in which Stogie T evaluates and rates the best, latest hip-hop music verses, has garnered an average viewership of between 10 000 and 12 000 views per month. The most popular songs and their verses then made it into the running for the 2017 Verse of the Year Awards. The awards were then handed out at a ceremony which was held on 8 February in Braamfontein at Untitled, a club in Braamfontein owned by DJs Kenzhero and Bionic, and was partnered by Hennessy Cognac.
“We have all heard a rapper perform magic on a beat, express experiences so personal and private you felt like a sibling, or depict stories so outrageously far-fetched that you wonder if you share the same air. This enchantment comes from trained sorcerers, masters of form, rhythm, quip, wit, and cadence – those who turn the mundane into something else. The Verse of the Year is a tribute to the countless hours spent in front of an empty page or a silent mic making shit up. Who best to honour than the people who translate life for us or make the unattainable a click away,” said Stogie T in a statement.
Slikour went on to add, “we believe that the lyrics are core to rap music, and the best wordplay, story-telling, and lyricism must be celebrated. Every month we have been impressed at the genius in the words of the rap songs – and we believe that an event that takes our digital platform live and credits what our young writers are producing will add value to their work and bring greater recognition to the genre as a whole.”
The winners of the 2017 Verse of the Year are as follows:
12 Maraza - Black Skin (Pick And Pay The Price) [Silver trophy]
11 Kid Tini - Lawd HamMercy [Sliver trophy]
10 Maggz - Something Else (featured by Da L.E.S) [Silver trophy]
9 YoungstaCpt - Better Than Money [Silver trophy]
8 Zakwe - B.I.S [Silver trophy]
7 A-Reece - Loyal [Trophy]
6 Kwesta - Been Thinking Remix (featured by Junior De Rocka) [Silver trophy]
5 Black Thought - Ng'yekeleni (featured by Cassper Nyovest) [Silver trophy]
4 YoungstaCpt - Gehard (featured by Miss Celaneous) [Silver trophy]
3 Kid X - Skebe Dep Dep (featured by DJ Capital) [Silver trophy]
2 Kwesta - Hyena [Silver trophy]
*Hennessy People's Choice award (voted for by fans on social media) - A-Reece [Gold trophy]
1 Ginger Trill - Nobody (Interlude) [Gold trophy]
Check out some snaps from the event:
Main image credit: Supplied