Latest news with #Mazwai
Mail & Guardian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mail & Guardian
Nomisupasta and Rapsody: The collab that took 13 years
Nomsa Mazwai and Rapsody in studio. Photos: Courtesy of Nomse Mazwai Nomsa Mazwai first came into contact with Rapsody when the producer 9th Wonder sampled Mazwai's music for three songs on the North Carolina, US rapper's 2012 debut album The Idea of Beautiful. The songs sampled music from Mazwai's own debut album, the self-titled Nomisupasta, released in 2010. On the song Kind of Love, Mazwai sings, 'What kind of love is your love that you only feel when you happen to be with me?' as Rapsody opens her first verse on the track with the line, 'Soweto, we feeling the love y'all.' Poignantly, Rapsody even travelled to South Africa and shot the video in Soweto, walking through the streets, hand-in-hand with groups of children, delivering her bars in front of spaza shops and in passages. Mazwai is credited as a featured artist on this song as well as In This Town and When I Have You, but 13 years later she has not received a cent in royalties from any of the three songs. The systems meant to ensure that she collected money off the use of her intellectual property failed her. 'It's not 9th Wonder or Rapsody's fault,' Mazwai explains. 'It's our government. I can't sit here and blame people for not forcing my government to do what they're supposed to do. But, you know, I prayed about it and, luckily for me, I did not take my frustrations out on the wrong people. Sisters Nomsa and Thandiswa Mazwai and US rapper Rapsody And Rapsody and I maintained a really wonderful relationship over the years. We performed together at Zone Six, but we never really spent time together and we were just in touch on social media. And so this time when she came, she came with the intention to record with me and have me on her next album.' The friendship Mazwai and Rapsody developed over the years recently led to the two of them collaborating properly for the first time, over a decade after the release of The Idea of Beautiful. Rapsody visited South Africa for a week, accompanied by a crew of collaborators to make music for her next album. The rapper has grown to become a celebrated musician, releasing several critically acclaimed albums, and working with artists like Kendrick Lamar, J Cole and Stevie Wonder. She was named Lyricist of the Year at the 2020 BET Hip Hop Awards and earlier this year she won her first Grammy Award for the song 3:AM featuring Erykah Badu, taking home the trophy for Best Melodic Rap Performance. Mazwai already had a lot of songs she had composed with just vocals and piano but hadn't started the process of producing and recording any of the music. Through Rapsody's visit she took the opportunity to work with some renowned producers and record the music for her sophomore album, which is now scheduled for release in October and is titled Surrender. One of these producers is Mr Porter, most famous for having been a member of the Detroit rap group D12 and having produced music for fellow group member and legendary rapper Eminem as well as many others including 50 Cent, Royce da 5'9', The Game, Method Man, Snoop Dogg and Jadakiss. She also got to work with Madlib, most well-known for being a frequent collaborator of the late greats MF DOOM and J Dilla as well as Freddie Gibbs and Talib Kweli. Earlier this year, Madlib and Rapsody teamed up to release the EP Madraps which is only available on vinyl and cassette tape. This week Mazwai started teasing the Mr Porter-produced single Next Week Tuesday with a 20-second snippet on her social media accounts. This will be the first single off her album and she plans to drop it on National Women's Day – 9 August. On Instagram she's credited big sister Thandiswa as creative director for the visuals but plays coy when I ask if we'll hear the sisters collaborating on Surrender: 'You will see in the album.' She does tell me that the song she recorded with Madlib will be the second single and hints that these aren't the only well-known producers she had the opportunity to work with. And of course Mazwai and Rapsody also recorded music together for both their albums. Nomsa Mazwai and Rapsody at Soweto Theatre 'God brought Rapsody into my life at the perfect time. We spent the whole week together and it really felt like it was God's special art project for 10 days. It was this incredible moment of two creatives from two parts of the world coming together. And it was just amazing for us to connect and to meet and to really get to know each other. So while we've known each other for years, I would say we got to really know each other over the last 10 days. It was such a pleasure working with her.' Mazwai even brought in the Karabo Ya Morena youth choir into the recording process and says that the Soweto teens are going to be featured on a song Rapsody's doing with another famous rapper. She resists my attempts to pry some more info about who this prominent artist could be: 'I don't want to give all the gems away, but I can tell you that they're featured on a banger alongside someone I would say is one of the forefathers of hip-hop.' I'm dying to hear what Rapsody and Nomisupasta have created, though I know all good things require time and patience. Or as Rapsody raps on When I Have You: 'Fake ones I had in my life can't find 'em / They say God got a silly way with timing.'
The South African
11-07-2025
- Business
- The South African
How poor are South Africans compared to the rest of the world?
South Africans are significantly poorer than the global average, and the gap continues to grow. According to BusinessTech and Investec Wealth & Investment International, the country's economic stagnation since 2010 has left its people trailing far behind the rest of the world. In 2023, South Africa's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), was $15 194. The global average was $22 850. That's a vast difference of over $7 656 per person. This means that, on average, South Africans are producing and earning far less than the average person globally, about $7 656 (+/-R136 000) less in 2023. The turning point came in 2010, when South Africa's GDP per capita started falling behind global trends. 'You can see a decoupling of South Africa's gross domestic product per capita from the rest of the world in 2010,' Osagyefo Mazwai, an investment strategist at Investec Wealth & Investment International, said as per BusinessTech . Since then, the economy has been bogged down by a toxic mix of rolling power blackouts, corruption, high crime rates, collapsing infrastructure, and questionable foreign policy choices. These factors have combined to drag growth down to a crawl. According to Investec's analysis, the economy is 37% smaller than it could have been if it had kept pace with its emerging-market peers. To close the gap with the global average in the next decade, South Africa would need to grow its GDP per capita by 8% per year, not something easily attained, Mazwai said. That's well above the 5.9% average growth rate for middle-income countries since 1991, and nearly double the global average growth rate of 4.4%. 'You need to be exceptional in your GDP growth outcomes, and even in that environment, you only get back to the global average,' Mazwai added. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
04-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
How low business confidence affects South Africa's investment and job market
Investec says a stronger fiscal position would have had a positive impact on the broader population. Investec's data shows that, had growth averaged 4.5% since 2010, the unemployment rate would be significantly lower. Stronger business confidence could lead to more investment, better employment figures, and improved outcomes for both households and financial markets. Recent analysis from Investec Wealth & Investment shows that if South Africa's economy had grown in line with its emerging market peers, at 4.5% a year since 2010, nominal gross domestic product (GDP) would now be around R11.5 trillion. Currently, it is at R7.4 trillion, said Osagyefo Mazwai, investment strategist at Investec Wealth & Investment International, in a blog post. Under the higher growth scenario, the National Treasury could have collected a cumulative R5 trillion more in taxes. That would have gone some way toward funding services and reducing the debt-to-GDP ratio, said Mazwai. Investec says a stronger fiscal position would have had a positive impact on the broader population. Investec's data shows that growth has averaged 4.5% since 2010, and the unemployment rate would be significantly lower. GDP per capita, on a purchasing power parity-adjusted basis, would also be much higher. The analysis highlights several underlying drivers of growth, including business confidence, policy consistency, and structural reform. Mazwai points to a statement made by Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago in 2019, stating: 'Restoring confidence is the cheapest form of stimulus.' Data from 1994 to 2024 shows a clear relationship between business confidence and economic performance. For example, real GDP growth averaged above 4% during former president Thabo Mbeki's second term, when business confidence was high. During the same period, the unemployment rate dropped from 28% in 2004 to 21% in 2008.
IOL News
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Rapsody set to honour Nelson Mandela's legacy with special Soweto performance this July
Rapsody is set to hit the streets of Soweto in honour of Nelson Mandela's legacy. Image: Instagram/@rapsody 9th Wonder's first lady, Rapsody, will be coming to South Africa, Soweto, on July 18 for 'UPRISING: A Night Walk Through Memory, Music, and Resistance'. The rapper will be alongside Nomsa Mazwai, with whom she built a long-term friendship and sisterhood. According to the joint post by Mazwai and Rapsody, the night tour will honour the legacy of Nelson Mandela as well as the June 16 Soweto Uprising. The night will include an intimate community dinner and a conversation between Seth Mazibuko, a former student leader and historian who was part of the 1976 march and the youngest student to be imprisoned. Also part of the conversation will be the Grammy-award-winning rapper, with Mazwai moderating the event. 'I remember how much Soweto inspired my 'The Idea of Beautiful' album. You gave me so much inspiration, fueled verses and sonics well beyond that album. 'I'm looking forward to walking the streets of Soweto on July 18 with you and drinking from the fountain of wisdom that is Bra Seth!,' said Rapsody. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading The rapper's relationship with South Africa goes way back, in her own words, the country had a lot of influence on her critically acclaimed 2012 album 'The Idea of Beautiful', which featured Mazwai, Childish Gambino and Ab-Soul, to mention a few. Talking to 'Daily Sun' about her relationship with Rapsody, Mazwai revealed the depth of their sisterhood. 'Rapsody and 9th Wonder sampled three of my songs from my debut SAMAs-winning album, 'Nomisupasta'. We've been friends and sisters ever since,' she said. Additionally, she emphasised Rapsody's involvement with South African history and rich heritage. 'She's been invested in the community of Soweto since her debut album 15 years ago. Now that she has a Grammy, we want to see her and congratulate her,' Mazwai told 'Daily Sun'. The 'Forget Me Not' hitmaker was also involved in another South African inspired album, Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp a Butterfly', which was released in 2015. She appeared on a song titled 'Complexion (A Zulu Love). At the time, Kendrick Lamar's visit to Nelson Mandela's prison cell on Robben Island had a huge impact on his album, which inspired themes of racial injustice, self-reflection and cultural history. Given Rapsody's history with South Africa, her involvement in the album, particularly the track, was a no-brainer, as she is known for her introspective and personal lyrics, as well as her soulful, jazzy delivery. Her own music often incorporates elements of hip-hop, R&B and spoken word, showcasing her versatility and lyrical skill. Through her work, Rapsody has established herself as a respected lyricist in the American hip-hop scene and on a global scale.
The South African
19-06-2025
- Business
- The South African
South African economy failing behinds its counterparts
The South Africa economy would be R5-trillion better off if we'd simply kept pace with other emerging countries over the last 15 years. In the last decade and a half, the South African economy has grown at an average of 1% annually. However, other emerging counterparts have grown at 1.4% or higher. This damning data was revealed by Investec's Osagyefo Mazwai. 15 years of lost growth coincides with the South African economy plowing money in State-Owned Entities (SOEs) like Eskom, Transnet and the Post Office. 'It is our proposition that the South African economy is falling behind. Had it followed a more pragmatic approach, focusing on the structural enablers of the economy, the outcomes could be much better for society,' Mazwai said in a Daily Investor report. Likewise, the South African economy displays a stark dislocation in GDP per capita. Proving that, essentially, residents are worse off than they were in 2010. The government has been ineffectual in addressing poverty, unemployment and inequality. And, per capita, the rest of the world is 50% richer than the average South African. With more money to play with, many of the country's crippling debt issues could've been avoided. Image: File As such, Investec compared the South African economy to other emerging markets over the same period. Many emerging nations have been growing at upwards of 4.5% per year. 'Had we grown at 4.5%, our nominal GDP would have been just below R12 trillion. Compared this with the actual number, R7.5 trillion, which is 35% less,' explained Mazwai. This lack of economic growth cost government revenue R800 billion in 2024 alone. And remember that the 2025 Budget impasse squabbled over a mere R75 billion from proposed VAT increases. This is an insignificant amount when one considers how much more growth our emerging-market peers have to play with. In practical terms, Mazwai explains that the missing R5 trillion would have been enough to clear nearly all of the country's national debt. Should SASSA grants be given a re-think in light of this damning data? Image: File As such, finance experts point out that Eskom and Transnet's lacklustre performance is arguably the most significant factor impeding the South African economy. Eskom is R400 billion in debt. Transnet is R140 billion in debt. Likewise, South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) grants cost the fiscus around R265 billion annually. SASSA grants, while well-intentioned, breed an unhealthy dependency on the social welfare system, reducing employment. SASSA grant beneficiaries now number 45% of all residents, and five out of nine provinces have more SASSA recipients than salaried employees. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
