Pretoria is not only the capital city, but also a hub for new, talented rappers. Every Thursday and Sunday, there are some Hip-Hop events that introduce me to many rappers I have never heard of before. I call those events the underground conscious scenes, where you won’t hear those rappers anywhere else unless you move like illythehost or you are about the culture like Hype Magazine.
During one of these events, I discovered a talented Spitori rapper who raps about conscious topics, and I was blown away. I looked at how the crowd related to his music and rapped along with him, something you would only see mostly from established rappers. I approached him to request an interview, but he was honest with me and said “Hype is such a big publication for me, I would love the interview but rather just tell people about what you have heard so far.” That was in mid-September, and I did let it go, but I understood.
The second time I approached him was two weeks ago at the South African State Theatre. I humbly introduced myself again, even though he had forgotten me. The young lady he was with somehow convinced him to talk to me, so we exchanged contacts. He told me about his upcoming project which he had just dropped a few days ago. As I write this piece, I’m listening to the album, blown away by his pen, intellect, and the emotions he poured into this project. All eleven tracks were produced by him, even the beats too. His writing technique is different from all the rappers I have heard before. Look, he has this funny voice, but when he taps into his zone, you can hear how dope he is. He is a young brother talking about what all the young South African youth face in this life – from dating to work, financials, and everything. He even touched on how his rap is a gift from his ancestors. Oh man, you can’t help but listen to this cat’s raps.
Let me introduce you to Virkil Khaan from Hammanskraal, Pretoria. He is a rising star in the South African rap scene. Check out his latest release below.
