DStv iRock Music Festival: Unlocked, Unhinged & Unrestricted!

Long weekends are the devil because they feel like some unnatural force dares you to get up to no good and you accept the challenge because what must to can happen?

Yoh, then came Thursday and off we trekked to Limpopo for the DStv iRock Music Festival, or rather the Limpopo take over. The bus ride was a mixture of actors from the Mzansi Magic telenovelas and a contingency of journalists from different media houses - a recipe for a ten up of epic proportions.

What was supposed to be a three hour bus ride became a five hour one. Jesu, the heat + holy water were a rather interesting combination for the trip. But we made it work, as one does. And also because, #turndownforwhat? 

We hadn't even arrived in Limpopo but ANN7's Mpendulo, Mapule and I were looking bronzer than we were before we left Jozi. 

The hosts with the most.

On the Thursday we arrived at PLK, we went to unlock Industrial Shisa Nyama. DJ Shimza was on the decks and he did what it does. Dope set he laced there! 

We left Industrial Shisa Nyama in the a.m.  so when we had to leave for lunch at Mall of the North around midday on Friday, my body said not today Satan! So I sat out the lunch but was told it was lit. 

The group came back to the hotel and the festivities started again. We had to leave for the pre party at Jembe Tarven so the pool deck vibes came to a screeching halt. 

Huh, the crowd at Jembe never expected the amount of crazy we brought with us. It was too surreal for the poor folks.

This is how people looked like upon arrival... Lol!

Then...

Lol and then my phone was hijacked

 

But like?!?

Zero chill! Doreen making me kiss the booze to thank the Gods. 

My boo

AboUncle bae trending. Thap's is going to kill me for this one! V-Ent rep. 

And then there was Tumelo, also from the V-Ent side of life

Then the bubbles came! 

Abdul Khoza from The Road is such a gentleman yazi, very well mannered fellow this guy. Rare breed in the space 

Bathong we didn't realise Nanka was not unlocked so we did a retake! 

Soon after the whole place was lit! Friday was wrapped up and all was well.

Saturday we switched things up and were like let's exercise some of our brain cells bantu - then playing 30 Seconds was the order of the day. My team won, naturally. Because we the best! 

And then we went on to rock Limpopo... 1,2, 1, 2, testing with my sis Alfreda 

Guys, that place was packed. The guys from Limpopo are #turndownforintoni personified yazi.

 

Sunday saw us checking out the hotel and unlocking Waterland Shisa Nyama. 

The cool kids.

Cava Di posing for the Gods... Ndimakazi is unable to can with life it appears, at this stage of the game! 

When Michelle tried with wanting to be the Beyoncé of the group! 

The team.

Mapule in the thick of things, modimo! 

I was dead beat at this stage of the game Mara had to serve because look at Lee looking fresher than you, nah mean?

Al and I doing best...

My friend Sandile was shocked out of his witts because his sober self was unable to can! 

Good weekend all around, got back to the grind today because... Trevor Noah!

Went to the screening of the first episode because, VIP mos angithi niyazi.

Comedy Central gave us no option but to lick the hotness that is Trevor, so Lindi and I did best! *hides*

Don't forget to tune in from tonight on DStv Channel 123 at 21:00, best believe the first episode was fire!

Back to reality, my marketing assignments... FML!

Yours unlocked, unhinged & unrestricted!

Nthabi with an "H"

Summer heat loading...

Soo, learned people tell me Spring season officially starts on the 21st of September but then how do you explain today's weather grand sharp? Why does Spring keep alluding us like that mzwalane chick who keeps saying to you her church doesn't allow for majolana Mara that time she be creeping in your inbox ka bomidnight? And what's more upsetting is every time we think we can get our summer wardrobe out, that chilly weather keeps creeping up, like WTF? Not like Witness The Funk - Nomusa fame WTF, but the confused kind.

So nna I decided to keep warm with all the hot music that has been doing the rounds. Fam, yal have heard that Wizkid joint that Drake jumped on the remix mos? Tell me yal have been on it because, flames baba! The song has a social message in it but the beat is straight turnt, "I kyant explain!".

Listen here: Wizkid's Ojuelegba

But before that, make sure you peep Mavins' Dorobucci, which is doro supa mega! These naija brothers are not sleeping on yal, plus my girl Tiwa Savage is slaying the boys with her sultry voice. Heat fam, just pure heat.

Not one to be missed - AKA, the hottest rapper since, well just since (in my humble opinion) dropped a diss track addressing a couple of folks in the entertainment industry. No names mentioned but when you know, you know. One word: #Composure AKA

And in how did you not know this news, my favourite DJ duo Sphe & Naves also dropped their new album called #KOTW, short for Kings of the Weekend. The album is the kind that will be on high rotation for the next four months because, abantu babantu! The song has that 'gcom' sound coming from God knows where with even more colorful lyrics to go with it. The basic moral of the story is, people's people will be eaten this festive. Same isht, different festive. Niyazi mos. 

And then there was Zahara 2.0. Shame in Nathi's defense, Zahara made that Xhosa music feymas and he just brought a different dimension to it. I heard him being interviewed the other day on Metro fm and it didn't sound like he took kindly to the comparison but oh well. His Buyelekhaya album is the stuff we will be jamming to ka Christmas because some of yal must go home and leave Jozi to its own peril bantu. There is still next year wethu. The title track is my favourite, and as well as 'Noba Ngumama'. That album has probably gone gold ngoba it's got that crossover appeal amongst generations. 

Don't be catching feelings listening to this song, because you will if you have #daddyissues. 

Oorkant, the GOAT (greatest of all time) Dr Dre dropped his 16 year long awaited album titled 'Compton'. 

Hmm, I'm afraid you will have to actually appreciate Hip Hop for you to fully get the gist of the album. But you ain't got the juice like that if you ain't vibing to it every morning. 

My fav is 'Talk About It'. Opening line gets you in from the get go - I don't give a fcku! 

I know a lot of yal are house heads. Put us on phela hawu, I'm not a fan per se but will jaiva ngathi ngimenyilwe when that 'Mamelodi' song drops. 

So ke, back to the regular schedule - we are off to Limpopo for the #DStviRock music festival this weekend. #Teamtoomuch #TeamNoSleep #TeamTurndownforintoni

Because...

What's on your radar? What are you getting up to this long weekend? 

P. S. The 25th is on Friday so let's cop tickets for the #SpringJumpOff, I will catch yal there upon my return on Sunday. Kuzabe kummandi kabuhlungu! 

Yours in music,

Nthabi with an 'H'

In this week's news...

Confession: I like things but things don't like me back hence I should stop with this being a liker of things business. 

So my partner, aka my sister and I heard that Tony Braxton ( she of the unbreak my heart fame) and her longtime producer and friend Babyface were coming and we immediately thought that's a concert worth going to. 

I mean who didn't cop their collab album Love, Marriage & Divorce?

Hayi ke, we got the tickets, sharp. Driving to the Dome was a mission, as per most concerts but one must just deal - so we dealt. The pouring rain didn't make it any easier mara we were determined to be "reunited, back to the business of love" with Tony and Baby. Face. That man is too grown for me to be calling him baby yazi. 

Speaking of which, why do people feel the need to shorten people's names  mara heh? Like when did I ever tell you that I am Nthabs? Or Nthabbie? Like if we don't relate ngalohlobo, let's exercise some mutual respect bathong. My name is Nthabiseng qha. Ms Motsei if you're nasty. Ha! 

Yoh okay back to the story, yes TB. There I go again. Babyface performed first. Hehe, I think I only know about two of this guy's original songs. Imagine. I don't believe it. Shem mara yena he sang his heart out yazi. Clap for a ninja.

How come, how what what...

Tony then came on stage with a rather interesting outfit. 

Fam, bathi guga mzimba sala ntliziyo vaarbz stru. Anywho I knew a fair amount of her songs but it was her ode to hip hop that got me hot. Proper throwback san. I forgot she worked with Method Man and & RedMan at some point. And then a young Biggie tribute thrown in as well, hayi shem I was never ready. 

She also called fans to the stage. And there was this one guy who was a hot mess when called to the stage to take a selfie with the song bird. That darn selfie took half of the show, well it felt like it to

me anyway. Didn't take a pic of him because he's gotten enough PR unfortunately. 

We waited for the two to perform together mara they only did like two songs from the duo album. Nthoe ntenang! So we left. It was still pouring, took us an hour to leave the Dome. I hate concerts and don't know why I went. Nxa. 

Reunited...

In other news worth mentioning, I held a press conference at the DStv offices for my friend Gabriel Macht. Popularly known as Harvey Spector to most of yal who know him from the M-Net hit series Suits. Me and him on the other end, go way back. I just don't like talking about my friends in public. Tltltl...

Pictured below is him laughing at me after I told him I'm going to report him to our CEO for disturbing the female workforce at the office. 

Jokes. So Gabe, as I obvs call him was announced as MultiChoice's new DStv Premium brand ambassador. He has been in SA for over a week shooting commercials and doing photoshoots with the cool kids from DStv.

The campaign reveal date hasn't been announced but Gabe and I will be catching up when he comes for a proper visit in March 2016. Might even do a young Shisa Nyama with him. Oops, feel like I've said too much. Suits is currently on production break so I suppose I will have to chat to him via whatsapp till it comes back on air. Said delusional me. Kwaaa! 

Yoh, feels like I've been rambling. It's a rainy weekend, thank the Lord. So it means I can stay indoors without any FOMO. Sphe and Naves are launching their #KingsOfTheWeekend album tour tonight at Taboo. Go support the brothers fam. Mina I will be copping the album on iTunes. Clubs never loved me. 

I had a very interesting conversation with someone this week by chance, and it was only because I took a shot at it. Can't wait to see how it works out. 

In conclusion...

Pic credits: Instagram

Yours in awesomeness,

Nthabi with an 'H'

Locals mix it up at DStv & Cappello's #LocalMix Finale

The last couple of weeks have been rather shitty on the personal front but we keep on keeping on, and just like Nathi I keep thinking, "ndimana ndi zibuza ukuthi ndingenza njani na". 

But anywho, moving on from that. DStv had their #LocalMix campaign finale at Cappello's in Ghandi Square. It's a hip venue, but you could see that that's where all the bankers from Bank City go to flourish for their lives. 

The #LocalMix campaign called for DStv viewers to create a cocktail named after their programming or one that had ingredients that spoke to that particular program named after it, i.e. Isibaya Sunset, OPW daiquiri, and so on and so forth. 

Thabang Moleya from Kuruman won. Hehe, he was the life of the party. Mzansi Magic's new telenovela The Road cast were also there to congratulate the man, and Big Brother Mzansi winners Ace & Ntombi alongside previous season's winner Mandla and his beau Lexie. The event in pics...

Pictured below is Glen (DJ Dimplez' manager), MC Tebogo Lerole, BB Mzansi contestants Mandla & Lexie.

Fam: Denis from ANN7, his leading lady Lesego and The Citizen's photog Refilwe Modise.

 

Other, other fam: Daily Sun's Doreen Molefe, Drum's ever so lovely Hopewell Mpapu and JustCurious.com's notorious PK Lefifi saying something to Ally at the back.

My sister from another mother, Alfreda Webb.

Zkhiphani's Ally Fathana was in charge of his body! Tltltl...

Ace and Ntombi, pictured with a fan. Kwaaaa! 

SK Khoza is like a ball of energy nje, that guy probably doesn't need gym with the amount of energy he uses just talking.

The Road cast. 

Izinja ze game. That's all. 

Here's to hoping that that you have a better week than I did. 

Yours in awesomeness,

Nthabi with an 'H'