African Swim is a collection of some of the most popular African hip-hop music from the recent years. The compilation, brought to us by Cartoon Network’s animation bloc Adult Swim, features fifteen great tracks hand selected from the far corners of South Africa.
Among the artists making an appearance on African Swim you will find B Zee, Juzi with his latest hit Muthaland, Gumshev, Da L.E.S., and Drencko; all showcasing their modern sounds, great vocals, and beats that will keep you on your feet. All in all the release is definitely worth checking out!
Adult Swim have already come up with a number of great compilations, all made available as a free download, and collaborated with artists like Dangerdoom, Killer Mike, and David Banner. Yet it is this little gem that can be easily placed on my list of favorites. Unlike the other releases, creative director Jason DeMarco took slightly different road with the African Swim and decided to branch out of the more indie past; We decided on South Africa because of a few factors. It has a very vibrant hip hop scene that’s only getting bigger and is ripe for exposure. Many of the other rappers we considered throughout Africa were in countries that we logistically couldn’t shoot in. And in South Africa, we were able to hook up with Ghetto Ruff, a well-respected label that plugged us into a number of amazing artists there.
When listening to the album be sure to check out the third track, We On Fire by Da L.E.S., which could easily fit among the contemporary hip-hop beats we now hear on the radio nearly everyday. But aside from the radio hits we are used to, you should be also nicely surprised as number of tracks will give you a more of an inside look into the world of a more traditional African hip-hop; something that can be easily heard in the work by Gumshev and Drencko, among others.
Related Links:
African Swim on Adult Swim
African Swim on Wired
Adult Swim on Top Tech Dog
African Swim on World Hip Hop Market