Zimbabwean-based telecommunications company TelOne recently launched city-wide hotspots giving them a competitive edge to their counterparts.
The company, which also recently re-vamped their logo and company profile, has rolled out WiFi hotspots around Harare at a very competitive USD $1 per 100 Mb (that’s about R11 here).
After looking at the wired and wireless options for internet connectivity, it remains clear that there is a piece of the puzzle missing that may give us the best way to go about this struggle for access.
I mentioned last week that the winning combination may not just be wireless tech alone but a combination of that and our good friend the mobile phone.
Mobile technology gives us a number of speed options depending on your device, so everyone actually has a chance at being part of the internet access race. Continue reading “Is mobile Africa’s answer?”
Last week we delved into the world of wired technology. If you missed out, you can catch yourself up here.
It is clear that there are access problems that our wired technologies just fail to address.
I love the word access because I think of it as an open door to so many possibilities.
With this in mind, I thought about the different types of internet access we have available today thanks to our dear friend technology.
In this day and age, most people are able to synonomize the word internet for “amazing”, “wonderful” and “convenient”.
This plethora of information has truly revolutionized the way we think and go about our daily duties, much to the point that we forget the one fundamental pillar that we all know the internet is about – access.
If there’s one thing that strikes you first about Arlington “Aytee” Mawarire, it’s definitely his eyes. Described in his own words as ‘piercing’, one can liken this to the precision and attention to detail he gives to his music production.
Aytee busy in the studio on a usual days work
The (soon-to-be) 21 year old may be young in comparison to others in the music production industry, but is steadily climbing the ladder to become a household name.
Among some of his achievements, Aytee highlights his recruitment to MixMasterz Entertainment as a milestone.
“To be introduced to an award winning stable without mainstream exposure means a lot…that bridged a gap to the industry that I really needed”, he says.
He is also well affiliated to Zimbabwean-based Star FM’s Super DJ’s and has had the chance to mix on air which he describes as fulfilling.
Aytee has been making music since 2008 and his current project J.A.W. which dropped on February 20th is more of a showcase to the public of who he is as a producer and what he does.
J.A.W: Just Another Weekend:
His project encapsulates a range of styles that you might not expect given the norm within Zimbabwean hip-hop circles.
From the start, you can expect a couple of surprises; if not from the spoken word that is perfectly in sync with the self-produced beat, then perhaps from the talent exuded through his sampling a familiar John Legend track.
As a hip-hop producer, it is not unexpected to hear some base-dropping hits, but you can be assured that the style of each track is unexampled by others in the same field.
For an EP with only seven tracks, you might feel a little cheated but Aytee notes that “as a newbie in the industry, I have way more to learn and I’m growing day by day.”, so I guess we can forgive him for that.
J.A.W. features a couple of collaborations which include Femcee Rae, Brad (Dem Boiz), Terry-Shan, producer/rapper C0M3M0 and Karma of the MixMasterz label.
The project, he says, is based on memories, moments and emotions that most people can relate to.
Being the versatile artist that he is, Aytee is not intimidated to experiment with different genres when mixing his beats and encourages fellow artists to do the same.
In his own words:
Apart from production, which he does on a daily basis, Aytee has also been able to expand his repertoire to include rapping and (sometimes) singing.
“I try to add every element into my music as I create. I also have the ability to create music in more than one genre which a lot of hip-hop producers have a problem with.”
“Personally I feel like as an artist you have to brand yourself. Get yourself tangible products to get the public to actually feel your presence.”
Though his confidence might come off as arrogance he makes a point that (some) artists often confuse character with arrogance and tend to take it over-board.
“If you are winning, sure, you’ve earned bragging rights, but not the right to oppress the rest of us because of one achievement”.
His opinion on Zimbabwean music is one that reiterates this sentiment.
“We are lacking the creativity to create music with a lot of replay value. We are lacking that strong international appeal because our music is either ‘too international’ or ‘too Zimbabwean’.
“As much as we have a world stage appeal, our music needs to be able to bridge between our roots and our international influence. It Is very rare to find artists that are loved by every demographic and stereotype because every artist has their own niche. Zimbabweans also lack unity in the industry. We need to realise that it’s not a race, we should all help the one on top and wait our turn.”
Strong words for an up and coming industry player? I guess we’ll have to see what else the producer has in store for us.
In the meantime, be sure to download and listen to J.A.W. here and let us know what you think in the comments below.
Over the past few years the natural hair movement has sparked debate which has had a significant impact on the way some black women view beauty.
Some of the greatest heists of all time have happened in plain sight. Numerous details and expert planning that have left one and all in a hazey daze of wondering “wait, what just happened here?”.
By this time, you can’t help but smile at the resolution of a beautifully executed plan, and the mastery that goes into that.
The Heist by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis did just that. It’s one of those albums that takes you by surprise, and before you know it, you’re sitting befuddled, wondering how you could have missed it in the first place.
If you’re partial to mainstream, then Thrift Shop has probably been on your playlist for longer than the intended four minutes. Between that and Can’t Hold Us ft. Ray Dalton, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis seem to put on a good enough show to keep you listening.
My favourites from the album are Thin Line ft. Buffalo Madonna, Neon Cathedral (cause Allen Stone killed that hook and chorus), White Walls ft. Schoolboy Q (If you don’t find yourself bumping to the ‘off-black, Cadillac, midnight drive, gas pedal, lean back, taking my time’ part of the chorus, then this is clearly not for you), Jimmy Lovine ft. Ab-Soul and A Wake ft.Evan Roman.
The list of features is not thin, but each one seems to have been well-calculated to add to the depth of the album.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the almost 5 minute instrumental BomBom ft. The Teaching which had me bopping away to Mr Lewis production skills.
All in all, I think it was a pretty solid album, the duo probably could have done away with a couple of the songs (Cowboy Boots and Castle to be particular) and still managed to make away with a good stash of fans.
The album is available at all good retailers worldwide so have a listen to it and let me know what you think, did they manage to steal away some of your approval?
A not-so appealing health food gets some new flavour on the TDE collaboration track, Collard Greens which features Schoolboy Q and Kendrick Lamar.
The hook goes down well and the pairs flow makes each verse an amuse-bouche to the ears.
Check out the video which has a “chidi-ching ching could buy anything” dope-house-party-with-my-homies feel to it.
I recognise that the timing of this post may be misconstrued since we are already on our way to a refreshing spring and summer, however, I could not possibly let my two cents about two of my current favourite artists simply gather dust in the back of my closet as some of my coats and jackets soon will be.
I took the liberty to listen to the much anticipated Born Sinner and The Gifted this vacation and was not left by any means disappointed. In some respect, I think the Hip-hop Gods heard my pleas for something great to listen to. As my birthday came and passed, the only thought that seemed to really freak me out was, what will I listen to as I (keep) getting older given the bubble-gum pop-like state hip-hop and rap seem to be taking. Thanks be to Wale and Mr. Cole for two albums that were both a gift and kept this born sinner pretty warm over the winter months.
The Gifted is Wale’s third studio album released under Rozay’s Maybach Music Group & Atlantic Records. Now I have to say, being the Stan that I am, I’ve followed Wale’s music pretty closely and noticed the change (as I’m sure most fans did) when he was signed to this label. That’s not to say Ambition wasn’t good, in fact, it went in pretty hard, but it wasn’t the Wale I had grown to love. You can imagine my joy when the release of The Gifted noted a return to the Wale we knew and loved from before.
It was evident, in the claps and kicks that are synonymous with the go-go style DMV rap that an old friend had come back to visit.
My favourite tracks were LoveHate Thing ft Sam Dew, Heavens Afternoon ft. Meek Mill, Vanity, Gullible ft. Ceelo Green and of course Bad ft. Tiara Thomas. I liked the mood set by The Curse of The Gifted and Sunshine because they made me reminisce on the first few times I listened to Mr Folarin and how amazed I was at the punchlines and ease of flow that came from this dreadlocked Nigermerican. The club banger Clappers ft. Nicki Minaj also had me in applause.
I didn’t really care for the remix of Bad with Rihanna, simply because I felt it was unnecessary though I guess the change up on the track was nice. I kind of liked the bedroom tune Tired of Dreaming with Ne-yo though I thought it didn’t have quite the appeal of White Line, Lotus Flower Bomb or even That Way from Ambition. There are a few hidden surprises in this album ranging from both Wale’s spitting and the various things producers did on the tracks from sampling (my favourite sample is on Vanity) to a couple of adlibs.
Overall I give the album a 7.5 because truthfully it was a return from an old Wale, but with clear growth in his rhymes and the production.
Give it a listen and tell me what you thought.
Now I did mention there were two great albums that got me through winter, but I feel like this gift is enough for now. Look out for my review on Born Sinner coming soon. Until then, enjoy listening to my wake-up song Vanity below.
The Tiny Televisioner 