Posted in News on Mar 20, 2008.
In the early 2000`s Skwatta Kamp hit the musical landscape with a vengeance. The awesome four that made up the group that revolutionised HipHop in South Africa were Flabba, Nish, Smaks – and Slikour. Skwatta Kamp heated up dance floors across the land with their message loaded joints for the soul and mind.
Hailing from the East Rand, Slikour cut his teeth and shaped his rhyming skills with his best friend and fellow group member Smaks in the cipher circuit – destroying emcees and leaving a sizeable emcee body count (metaphorically that is!). That is part of the living legend that is Siyabonga Metane, as is the legendary battle against Snazz at Le Club, the freestyle sessions at YFM`s Rap Activity Jam and his distinctive on-point delivery on many street anthems.
Then there was the chance meeting with Sizwe Zako. Slikour was given the opportunity to get into a recording studio and grabbed it, heralding the start of a tremendous career in HipHop.
There are many facets to the Slikour personality. He has a Diploma in Computer Engineering from Varsity College. He is the face of the Edgar`s Youth Cinema advertisements. He is a spokesperson for Khomanani, a government initiative that tackles the spread of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. He is also in business as a partner in Buttabing Entertainment, the indie label that introduced the world to Skwattta Camp and more recently its new franchise player MY MAN.
Slikour has toured throughout Africa, sharing stages with the likes of HipHop Ludacris, Will Smith, Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, Black Thought, Ghana`s VIP, Kabelo, Malaika, B.O.P., Tamara Dey, Tweak and N8tives. He won the South African Music Award (SAMA 9 & 10) in 2003 and 2004 for Best Rap Album and the Best HipHop Metro FM Award in 2003 with his group Skwatta Kamp.
Slikour`s latest venture, that has all the hallmarks of a runaway success, is Ventilation Mixtape Vol 1, an album that is layered with juicy basslines and laid back flows, party anthems and streets with joints including underground songs to keep the HipHop die-hards and heads satisfied. It`s being released through a partnership between Buttabing Entertainment and The David Gresham Record Company.
The jump off single, Banga Banga, is currently tearing up radio airwaves. It was on Metro FM`s Top l00 Best Songs of 2005 and is due to hit dance floors across South Africa soon. The album itself has made history by being the first album to be rated “5 mics/classic status” by Hype Magazine.
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