The Evolution of Hip Hop Pantsula Music

Hip Hop Pantsula music has evolved significantly since its humble beginnings in the early 1990s. In this blog post, we take a look at the history of this genre and how it has changed over the years.

The Origins of Hip Hop Pantsula

Hip hop pantsula music, also known as kwaito, is a genre of music that emerged in South Africa in the early 1990s. The style is characterized by its use of African sounds and instrumentation, as well as elements of hip hop, such as rapping and DJing.

The influence of American hip hop

The earliest form of hip hop pantsula music was influenced by American hip hop and incorporated elements of South African Township music. The first hip hop pantsula groups emerged in the early 1990s, when a group called Blackhouse released the album “No More Waiting”. This album is considered to be one of the first examples of hip hop pantsula music.

In the early 2000s, a new wave of hip hop pantsula artists emerged, including Tumi and the Volume, Sketchy Bongos, and Khuli Chana. These artists took the sound of hip hop pantsula in a new direction, incorporating elements of other genres such as kwaito and house music.

Hip hop pantsula has continued to evolve since then, with new artists emerging all the time. The sound of the music has also been adopted by other genres, such as pop and rock.

The influence of South African township music

Hip hop pantsula is a type of South African township music that emerged in the late 1980s. The name is derived from the pantsula, a type of dance popular in the townships, and hip hop, which was growing in popularity around the world at the time.

The early pioneers of hip hop pantsula were artists like Nkululeko Habedi, better known as Lebo Mathosa, and Jabu Khanyile. Their music was influenced by American hip hop, as well as by traditional African music and South African township styles like kwaito.

Over time, hip hop pantsula has evolved to incorporate elements from other genres, including house music and reggae. Today, it is one of the most popular types of music in South Africa, with artists like Cassper Nyovest and AKA becoming household names.

The Development of Hip Hop Pantsula

Since the early 1990s, South African hip hop Pantsula music has been constantly evolving. This is due to the ever-changing political and social climate of South Africa. pantsula is a type of music that is unique to South Africa and is a blend of hip hop, house, and traditional South African music.

The rise of kwaito music

Kwaito music is a genre of South African popular music characterised by syncopated basslines, and often accompanied by synths, samples and electronic drums. The style emerged in the early to mid-1990s, mainly in Johannesburg’s townships’ but later enjoyed wider mainstream appeal. Kwaito is loosely based on numerous other music styles such as cut and paste house, hip hop, soul,traditional African music and has even been influenced by kwela and mbaqanga. Kwaito Features Congolese rumba rhythms played on the electric guitar, conga drums and maracas. Lyrics are almost exclusively in Tsotsitaal or Isicamtho (sub-dialects of shembe).

The influence of American trap music

Since the early 2010s, American trap music has been increasingly influential on the development of hip hop pantsula. American trap music is a subgenre of hip hop that originated in the South Bronx in the 1980s. The style is characterized by dark, violent, and often confronting lyrics, and often features samples from horror movies.

While initially underground, trap music began to surge in popularity in the 2010s, with mainstream artists such as Drake, Future, and 2 Chainz incorporating elements of trap into their music. This rise in popularity coincided with the development of hip hop pantsula in South Africa.

Hip hop pantsula artists began to sample and reference American trap music in their own songs, both sonically and lyrically. American trap music helped to shape the sound and style of hip hop pantsula, and its influence can still be heard in the music today.

The Future of Hip Hop Pantsula

Hip hop pantsula music has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the townships of South Africa. What started out as a way to express the struggles of township life has now become a fully-fledged genre of music with its own unique sound and style. But where does hip hop pantsula music go from here?

The influence of Afrobeat

Afrobeat is a music genre that originated in Nigeria in the 1970s. It is a combination of traditional Nigerian music, jazz, and highlife. The genre was pioneered by Fela Kuti, who is often considered the father of Afrobeat. Afrobeat has since spread to other parts of Africa and the world, and has been embraced by hip hop artists such as Wizkid, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Childish Gambino.

The influence of South African house music

Since the early 2010s, South African house music has increasingly been incorporated into the music of Hip Hop Pantsula, most notably artists such as Riky Rick, Okmalumkoolkat and Cassper Nyovest. This synthesis has been credited as a “rebirth” of the Pantsula sound, and has led to increased popularity of the style outside of South Africa.