“Rebel Come Down” was shot mainly in the northern township of Alexandria located in Johannesburg, South Africa. A densely populated area, it remains one of the poorest townships in the country. The backdrop of this video captures everyday people getting through economic struggles as a result of effects of South African post-era apartheid.
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“BlacWater” is the first ever collaborative album between an African producer, Draztik of Johannesburg South Africa, and an US artist, Silence Demall hailing from the Oakland/San Jose, California. The two met over the internet and soon began to share music back and forth; gaining a mutual respect & admiration for each other’s work in the process. In 2008, during a trip to Johannesburg, South Africa that Silence made to work with disadvantage youth, the pair met in person. It was during this trip that the two began formulating an idea to work on a collaborative album, comprising mainly of Silence’s lyrics over Draztik beats, but also bridging the two continents with artists from their respective regions. The song “Rebel Come Down” epitomizes this idea, matching Silence with South African hip hop heavyweight, Young Nations and Bay Area based (Guyana born) singer/ragga artist, Lasro. The result is a blend of hip hop with a flare of roots reggae; reminiscent of a period in which music was used as a vehicle to get a message to the masses. The BlacWater project is unique in that it has the ability to cover & contrasts the struggles that take place in the urban communities of America and South Africa’s inner city/township.
The duo just completed a promo tour in Johannesburg and Durban; performances, radio and tv spots. Currently BlacWater is working on their full length album and planning out more visuals for the project.
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