Cashless Society AKA The Hard Cashless Society AKA THC Society highlights the collaborative efforts of Botswanan and South African Emcees Draztik, Snazz D, Black Intellect, X-Amount, Fat Free, Criminal, Tizeye, and Gemini. The music video for their 2004 track “Hottentot Hop Bantu 1, 2”, off of their album African Raw Material Vol. 1, was shot on a Botswanan salt pan. The track’s lyrics and imagery of its video wittily present the melding of ancestral heritage with the newfangled tech spoils of the early aughts. “Hottentot” refers to the former designation of the Khoikhoi people that neighbor the San. The San people are featured in the video in traditional garb that clashes with their modern hobbies. A San man absolutely slays on the electric guitar, while a San woman jams to her Walkman player.
The crew delivers a strong message clearly playing on the clash of the old and the new, the traditional and the modern, and hip-hop and San culture. Lyrically the track reinforces this assertion through their various references and allusions to a wide array of topics involving the dichotomy between traditional cultural practice and the digital age. In the first verse, Snazz D cuts right to the chase in pointing out the global desire for hip-hop with a uniquely “authentic” feel: “Through my third eye scanner I write laptop hieroglyphics / Satellite appetite for a homemade image, it’s the Hottentot Hop.” X-Amount follows while sticking to the point with a reference to how violence has evolved in his country: “I’m runnin’ with the spear of a nation these days called a AK / Gunpowder scent the animal spray, make me the prey.” Finally, Fat Free offers a thought provoking comparison between traditional art and hip-hop culture: “Artistic youth paint rocks with ancient crayons / Applying warpaint on my arms to perform a séance / It’s tradition, african drums beat in unison.”
And now for something current to check out…
Up and coming emcees Luzkat and Edison Matthews, hailing from Selebi-Phikwe, serve up some vicious bars on “Till I Rest.” Their ceaselessly rousing delivery verse after verse on the track evokes major Guru vibes à la Gang Starr’s “Next Time.”
Keep up with Edison Matthews here: https://soundcloud.com/edison-matthews