Four SA Underground Mixtapes To Look Forward To In 2015

1. High $chool Dreams - Ill Scripts
Mack Records 

They've been active in the West Coast underground scene since 2012, and after diss songs, a hiatus, chart-toppers, winning second place in their high school talent show, South African remakes, street-cred, and whatever else goes with the ISOE brand, a coined term which stands for: 'Ill Scripts Over Everything', the Saldanha-Bay based rap crew promises that their anticipated debut mixtape, 'High $chool Dreams' is nearing completion.

Let's hope that this year, will be the year it releases.


2. The Fresh Prince of Kimberley - Big Twist
Star Media Communications | Twistyle Muzik 

Following his debut 'Twistyle Mixtape' in 2012, Big Twist returns to the scene with his sophomore LP, 'The Fresh Prince of Kimberley'. An obvious play on words from the popular TV-show 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' which stared the young Will Smith, Twist sees himself reaching his hometown and reflecting it in it's very best in both the West Coast underground and Kimberley underground scenes.

The mixtape is scheduled for release March 2, 2015, through Star Media Communications, Twist's latest distributor, and is released under the artists' own recording label, Twistyle Muzik.

3. #ShalomaFuture - Shaloma Muzik
Independent | Shaloma Muzik Recordings

After a year long hiatus from the music scene, Shaloma Muzik aims to reach broader audiences and new markets with it's upcoming mixtape '#ShalomaFuture'.

While this would be the forth mixtape project from the label following it's two 'Shaloma Friday' and '#Shalomatober' series in 2013, and '50/50: The Vision', the debut mixtape by it's founder Tha Real U - #ShalomaFuture promises be unlike anything heard before from the label.

It claims to be the future of Hip-Hop and is taking on the massive Cape Town underground Hip-Hop scene with this release. Already in partnership with various local brands, namely Music Generation Apparel, a growing Cape Town's street wear brand - this mixtape is something not to be overlooked by the revolutionary label.

4. SWGCTY.tk Presents We Are The Underground - SWGCTY
Cape Vinyal Beats Mixtapes

The leaders in West Coast Hip-Hop music, SWGCTY (formerly Swag City) plans to take to the mixtape market as well by further promoting local content with the launch of it's new website, brand and interface.

With their former tagline, "We Support Local Music" - the website now seeks to uplift new and undiscovered artists, whilst providing quality free, underground downloads from across South Africa all on it's website, hence it's new slogan "We The Underground."

The line is more than just a slogan now, as it gives birth to the first self-compilation mixtape the West Coast has seen. It promises to deliver familiar favorites with the addition of new artists and sounds - blending the West Coast with a lot of the other music scenes left unheard.

While all songs are featured on the website as  "SwagCityXclusives" - this mixtape is surely iconic and every-way and a first to promtoting the underground in a unified way.

Top 5 Most Downloaded Fantasy Productions Songs

Official list of top five Most Downloaded Fantasy Productions releases at the moment, as of Wednesday, March 12, 00h00 (GMT+2).






5. Pretty Little Things
Ill Scripts
118 downloads in total






4. Light Up
Junio A!
146 downloads in total





3. Careless
Ill Scripts
226 downloads in total









2. Cast My Eyes
Ill Scripts
243 (Kasimp3) + 19 (Soundcloud) = 
262 downloads in total
might have been released pre-Fantasy Productions establishment yet incorporated for promotive purposes by the production scheme

1. Killed Twice
Ill Scripts
510 downloads in total


___________________________

TOTAL AMOUNT OF DOWNLOADS FOR FANTASY PRODUCTIONS:

1622 downloads

on Kasimp3, Soundcloud & Data File Host combined.

Apart from Fantasy Productions, Ill Script's debuted with their first release 'Ons Is Bevok' in 2012. With this song included in the total download statistics, the groups total is 1576 downloads (excluding the solo release).

Note: Only Soundcloud, Data File Host and Kasimp3 has been sourced for the above statistics. Other resource information has been excluded from the statistics reflected above due to irrelevance and unavailability of feasible data.

Jempas Now Part Of Ill Scripts

Remember that once odd beef between Ill Scripts and Shaloma? Well... who's to say it was even a beef right? Apparently it wasn't, nevertheless, two years later after the release of 'Lord Have Mercy' and 'Ons Is Bev*k' comes the newest shocker in the underground scene, the membership of Jempas to Ill Scripts.

While this might seem as just another interesting rumour, it's not. The surprise came not to long after the Fantasy Productions produced duo, Insane and Junio A, announced on their Twitter page their irrefutable success with their latest release 'Killed Twice' which currently stands on 499 downloads via Data File Host.

Less than 5 hours ago, it was thus made official, Jempas had joined Ill Scripts. Whilst the group for the past two years after the part-age of Ballergang had been stranded with two members, Jempas would thus form part of the duo making it a trio rap crew. This was verified by Shaloma Muzik management posting a word of good wishes as they gradually partways.

If one were to compare this to the likes of Destiny's Child or any other trio group, you'd probably agree that it what lies ahead indeed might be promising. While it seems like a first in the West Coast and is quite rare for male Hip-Hop acts, Jempas' position in Ill Scripts is secured placing him once again at the spotlight of the Saldanha Bay Hip-Hop scene.

As a solo artist Jempas reached various chart positions on KasiMp3 for his song 'Ransom', namely #3 on the Streets chart and #1 on Top Co-Signs. With this as debut, obtaining 93 downloads in 17 hours, second to Ill Scripts who held the record for 101 in the same time period, Jempas went on to reach 130+ downloads with in two to three days and later went on to seal another 100 with 'Take Me Away'.

With the shift between the two various production schemes happening this quick to be noticed, Jempas is yet to publicly respond. More likely the similarity of their content proved Jempas with the interest of joining what was once considered rivals. The only question left is what will happen to Shaloma as the brand has recently been underpresure trying to cater for it's target audience. Only time will tell...