In the June/July issue of HYPE, we have an all EXCLUSIVE mixtape executively produced by Slaghuis Studios. Titled Ezasefrijini, it’s features absolute gems by 985, Red Button, F-Eezy, Molly and more!
We hit up Slaghuis founder Enzo for a quick chat about the careers his monthly Sunday sessions helped to launch and the lessons he’s carrying with him forever.
Whose careers really blossomed after starting at Slaghuis?
Slaghuis which initially was a co-founder to the Black Sunday Movement before we went our separate ways has paved ways for a number of artists in the mainstream market, such as Pitch Black Afro, PRO, 985, Maggz, F-Eezy, Siya Shezi & Molly who are all products of Slaghuis. Once they had sharpened their skills on the Slaghuis stage they were ready for the big time hence their careers have blossomed after Slaghuis. If you think about it Slaghuis gave the industry the only artist to have ever sold over 100,000 copies – Pitch Black Afro – and at the rate things are going I doubt that statistic will be surpassed soon.
What is the equivalent of Slaghuis today – do these kinds of platforms still exist?
To be honest the is no equivalent of Slaghuis today, everybody is popping bottles or twerking. I stand to be corrected on this one but there is no Hip Hop event or festival which focuses on artistic development anymore. Almost every event and festival is about lifestyle living or targeting affluent youth. The Slaghuis audience did not care whether you got swag (whatever that is) or you step to the mic looking like a hobo, we were all about skills not imagery. I feel SA Hip Hop wont grow to its full potential if we don’t get back to grass roots and have more platforms such as Slaghuis, hence we have the top 5 guys who have been dominating our media for the past five years now. Fortunately I have been blessed to travel these great South African lands and got to hear a lot of MCs. There is talent out there but it’s hard for unearthed artists to make it in the mainstream because there are simply not enough platforms where talent scouts and A&Rs can go to.
Looking back at a decade of hard work, what was the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
The are three kinds of people in the world…those that don’t know what happened, those that won’t know what happened & people like us from the streets who make things happen. JAYEEIH!!
Get your copy of the June/July issue of HYPE now that comes with the full interview with Enzo as well as the free HYPE CD: Ezasefrijini by Slaghuis.
