Pioneer Unit

We finally created a Myspace page for Rattex so go and make friends with the hottest Spaza cat on the block.

That’s how we rrrrrrrroll!!

Words don’t get any Sharpa than this!

As his name suggests, Brooklyn-bred microphone fiend Wordsworth is the epitome of a true Hip-Hop wordsmith. At a time when the rap market is flooded with cookie-cutter sensations who churn out forgettable pop hits rather than solid albums, this Lyricist Lounge all-star is looking to the past to reinvigorate the present by recalling Hip-Hop’s golden age of 1994 - when the beats were hard and emcees talked to listeners about relevant topics they could relate to.

Now back on stage together for a second time in SA, Unlearn brings to you two of the dopest lyrical emcees alive today, Wordsworth and Ben Sharpa for one night only at The Assembly in Cape Town. Rattex will also be adding his own lyrical Spaza flavour to proceedings. Big Dre and Raiko will be supplying the beats.

This event promises to unleash an avalanche of rhyme heavy, heart thumping music - nothing but that real Hip Hop ish!

Venue:
The Assembly
61 Harrington Street.

Date:
Thursday 3rd April, 2008

Doors open:
 9pm

Price:
 R70

Wordsworth on Myspace

Ben Sharpa on Myspace

That’s how we rrrrrrrrrrrroll!!

Check out this interview with Milanese from MaryAnneHobbsTV. Milanese talks about his various collaborations with our very own Ben Sharpa, his future plans and his lovely new shirt.

You can get a sneaky advanced preview of one of Sharpa’s collaborations with Milanese by listening to the stream of his live set on Mary Anne’s BBC page (click the ‘listen to the show’ link).

Milanese on MySpace

That’s how we rrrrrrrrroll!!

Voting closes today!

Today is your last chance to help us win an SA Blog Award under the Best SA Music Blog category!

To vote for us to win:
- Click on the SA Blog Awards icon above
or
- Go to the SA Blog Awards website and vote for us (We’re under Best SA Music Blog).

Thanks for your support!

As promised, we’re going back through our archives to bring you FREE downloads from Drudge Dialect Vol. 1.

This time it’s Last Emperor by aNon. We used a traditional Chinese music sample which goes perfectly with the theme of the track. Check it out…

Last Emperor - aNon - MP3 - (3.3MB)

Last Emperor - aNon - ZIP - (3.39MB)

That’s how we rrrrrrrroll!!

Our very own Ben Sharpa represented Pioneer Unit to the fullest in the Channel O Sprite Emcee Africa Battle competition.

Sprite Emcee Africa is a reality based talent search show that travels to Accra (Ghana), Lagos (Nigeria), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Nairobi (Kenya), Luanda (Angola), and Johannesburg (South Africa) with the mission to crown the King or Queen of Africa’s lyrical freestyle arena.

Ben made it through the preliminary qualification round with a dope freestyle on the topic ‘whips’. Proverb (one of the judges) asked Ben to play with both meanings of the word. Ben somehow managed to get cars and sadomasochists into his rhymes! Crazy!

The South African finalists were Adamiz, Ben Sharpa, Heavy G, Projektah, Qaz, Slege, Steezy Stylish and Snazz the Dictator.

Sharpa got elimated by Adamiz in the semi-final, but there’s no shame in that - Adamiz is a vicious battle specialist who really knows how to turn on the aggression, intimidate his opponents and work the crowd.

The final was contested between Snazz and Adamiz. Snazz came out victorious because he managed to stay cool under pressure and stayed on point with his rhymes. Snazz clinched it when he started breaking down Adamiz’s style, telling him he should rap on the beat and mocking his crazy angry flow. Snazz was a well-deserved winner because he was one of the very few rappers (in the whole series) who consistently took what the opponent said and used it in rhyming couplets (that actually rhymed) against them.

The overall standard of the show throughout the various countries was very poor indeed - maybe it’s a bit unfair that the battle had to be in English (even if it understandable).

Having said that, I’d like to see Sprite and Channel O continuing with the show so that our local MCs step up their freestyle game. When you see Wordsworth spit off the dome it’s effortless. That should be the entry level for anyone who even thinks about being crowned as the ‘Best in Africa’.

Despite going out, you can still vote for Ben Sharpa to be a WildCard entry in the final. Show your support for Ben by going to the Channel O website and casting your vote.

Anyway, BIG UPS to Snazz… check out some photos of the event…

Sprite EMCEE Africa! (click for larger image).

Sharpa qualifies (click for larger image).

Sharpa takes out Slege (click for larger image).

Adamiz destroys Steezy Stylish (click for larger image).

Adamiz takes on Sharpa (click for larger image).

Sharpa give it to Adamiz (click for larger image).

Adamiz looks vexed! (click for larger image).

Mizi gives his verdict - Adamiz wins (click for larger image).

Snazz schools Adamiz (click for larger image).

Lee congratulates Snazz (click for larger image).

View the full set of photos on Flickr

That’s how we rrrrrrrrrrroll!!

We’re going to be uploading a whole lot of FREE MP3s from our archives over the following weeks so keep it locked and tell your friends!!

We’re kicking off with a classic joint from the one and only Artikulate KONFAB. This track is off the Drudge Dialect Vol. 1 Mixtape and it’s called It Rocks…

It Rocks - KONFAB - MP3 - (4.19MB)

It Rocks - KONFAB - ZIP - (4.19MB)

That’s how we rrrrrrrroll!!

Wow! We just found out that that pioneerunit.com is a finalist in the SA Blog Awards under the Best SA Music Blog category!

Massive thanks to everyone who nominated us! We’d love to win the award but we still need your help…

To vote for us to win:
- Click on the SA Blog Awards icon above
or
- Go to the SA Blog Awards website and vote for us (We’re under Best SA Music Blog).

Voting closes on the 19th of March.

Our sister company, Apartment Applied Visual Arts is also a finalist in the Best SA Design Blog category so go wild and vote for both of us!

That’s how we rrrrrrrrroll!!

Big ups to Diggin Deep Productions for a great day at Mzoli’s in Gugulethu yesterday. Ill Literate Skills and Driemanskap were launching their latest mixtape, Battle of Gugulethu Vol. 2.

Rattex represented Pioneer Unit to the fullest with a performance that sent the crowd wild with a taste of tracks from his forthcoming album Bread and Butter.

Rah took to the stage (the back of a bakkie) and kicked off the set with a verse from his smash hit digital download RnD (we’ve just re-uploaded RnD on zShare after exceeding our bandwidth limits on SendSpace - click here to download RnD from zShare). Rattex then performed Da Real Shit on a blazing beat by Planet Earth, followed by Welcome to Khultsha on a classic Hipe beat that had everyone at Mzoli’s chanting the chorus.

Our boys TOP and Lolo from Archetypes held it down before ILS took to stage and gave a great performance. Sadly I had to leave before the end so I don’t know who else performed, but it was a perfect day.

Check out the photos…

Uno, Ootz the Afronaut and TOP (click for larger image).

Rattex takes to the stage (click for larger image).

Now pay attention (click for larger image).

The crowd goes wild (click for larger image).

Rah takes the applause (click for larger image).

Archetypes hold it down (click for larger image).

Ill Literate Skills on set (click for larger image).

Click here to see the full set of photos on Flickr

That’s how we rrrrrrrrroll!!

Part 3 of the Ben Sharpa interview. Keep it locked for more exclusive behind the scenes footage and interviews.

Ben Sharpa Interview Pt. 3 (26th Feb 2008) from Dplanet on Vimeo.

That’s how we rrrrrrrrroll!!

As promised, here is part 2 of the Ben Sharpa interview…

Ben Sharpa Interview Pt. 2 (26th Feb 2008) from Dplanet on Vimeo.

That’s how we rrrrrrrrrroll!!