PTA native and one half of the duo Baphixile, who were the first group to spit in Setswana back in the 90s form a crucial part of our hip hip history. One half of the group, Mr Blax.Myth recently announced his return to the game after a decade when they dropped their first commercial full length Motswako album Ngoma.
We got to chat with him at his listening session where he recalled being told by label bosses that rapping in Setswana would never work way back when him and group member Prof were rhyming in vernac. Now looking back at the success of Motswako he told us: “I am so happy for Motswako. We were very adamant that it would work. It was a very long, hard road in the beginning. We opted to rap in other dialects. This was at the height of kwaito, and house was making a resounding comeback. We shopped for a deal for a while. We were told we wouldn’t last. Back in those days we’d be the only act doing what we did. We’d perform right after Thebe just before M’du”.
Making a comeback he reminisced on Baphixile reuniting last year: “For the first time in a very long time Prof and I performed at Maftown Heights. What’s happening in this space makes me feel very good. We used to dream about events like that happening back then. I’m so happy about where Motswako is. I think about all those record execs who told me it wouldn’t work…”
Be sure to check out the Apr/May issue of HYPE for more on Mr Blax.Myth and make sure you cop his album Good Space Vol. 1