“There’s a real energy of local guys who are trying to deviate from the norm.”
If you've been following along, you'll know Johannesburg, or Jo'burg, has featured prominently in the Obey You Collective: South Africa series. It's where Tarryn Alberts rehearses her dance moves, where rapper Tony Dangler plays Fight Night 2, and where Lenny Mogoba precariously balances medical school and college hoops. We also spent time in on-the-rise neighborhoods like Braamfontein and Maboneng—nuclei for Jo'burg's creative youth. Yesterday we presented a small slice of what's happening in the Cape Town music scene, and today, in this new, seven-minute documentary we offer a look into Johannesburg's boundary-pushing music community.
We spoke to a few of the city's tastemakers— DJs, photographers, video directors, rappers and electronic-minded songwriters about genre-muddling experimentation, finding inspiration from accidentally cool locals, and the general business of being creative in one of the world's coolest cities. "There’s a real energy of local guys who are trying to deviate from the norm,” says BIG FKN GUN frontman Soloman. "We don't have to work for somebody," adds Scoop from the OkMalumKoolKat-featuring rap group Boyzn Bucks. "We can do something with our own hands and our own minds.” Watch the entire mini documentary above and check back tomorrow for a definitive Soundcloud playlist filled with musical highlights from the entire Obey You Collective: South Africa series.