Not sure if the hype n’ taste still the same…after all the list has now become easily predictable!
MTV Base will once again put together a list of SA’s hottest MCs on 30. MTV Base Roundtable: SA’s Hottest MCs 2017, a no-holds-barred top 10 countdown curated and compiled by MTV Base and SA Hip Hop industry giants.
For the fourth year running MTV Base has appointed a panel of industry experts to judge Hip Hop’s “King or Queen of the scene” for 2017. This year’s session will be mediated by TV & Radio Personality AyandaMVP, and on the panel we have:
Slikour, Thabiso Khati, DJ Speedsta, Fred Kayembe, Caron Williams and iFani.
The show will air in two unmissable episodes, airing consecutively at 18:00 CAT on Thursday 30 November and Friday 1 December 2017.
The 6 key criteria that the panellists will weigh up include impact, lyrics, sales, buzz, style and other ‘intangibles’ that make them stand out from the crowd (more on this below).
MORE ON SELECTION CRITERIA:
In essence the hottest MC of the year needs to fulfill/meet all 6 criteria for the last 12 months
1) Impact: In order to be considered among the hottest, you have to have an impact like Kanye West or T.I., artists who are able to shift the rap’s landscape, whether it be with soul samples or their own brand of trap music.
2) Lyrics: Whether you’re spitting about “good kush and althrough like Lil Wayne or being a good kid in a mad city like Kendrick Lamar, make sure those lyrics are sharp.
3) Sales (Physical and/or Digital): Cash rules everything around and though certain corners of the industry may be experiencing a sales slump, the top MCs are still able to keep the registers ringing.
4) Buzz: It’s not enough to just have lyrics. You can be the best lyricist on the planet, but if no one is aware of your rap existence then your talents will just fall on deaf ears. Are you on the top DJ’s playlists, do the blogs cover you, are you trending topic on social media? Who is talking about you and where?
5) Style (both lyrically and the artist as a brand ie swag): Lyrics are important, but they only tell a piece of the story. Without a formidable rap style, those well-crafted bars might as well just be words on a page. In hip-hop, delivery is everything and it doesn’t stop in the booth. Spitters like A$AP Rocky and Drake don’t only have distinct rap styles; they also have unique looks that influence their respective fan armies. The same applies to the rappers threads, look and overall packaging of the artist as a brand.
6) Intangibles: There are some things that just can’t be taught. When it comes to rappers like Kanye West, Jay Z or Nicki Minaj there is a certain star-quality that just can’t be measured. What are the other intangible qualities that make the artist that extra special – ie. Endorsement deals? Awards won? Own record label? Own clothing range? Any other business ventures that contribute to the hip hop culture?
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