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editors note
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the difference House of asthetics: THE SCENE
5 to 9 imagery:
bringing
the sauce
the standard of beauty mozkidd: what were doing at nineteen vans: off the chains Blurred lines
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Editor’s note 3
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ell well well, spring just sprung upon us and its about that time we get our livers ready for them drinking games, that time we get the tang tops and shorts out and the ladies get them summer dresses out mmmhm. I love spring because everything just looks so bright and everybody looks hella happ. its like anything is possible you know what i mean?? Anyway in this month’s issue we got music from different fields, on the cover we got the young spitta MozKidd, we handle a review of his mixtape WWYDA 19 (What were you doing at 19?). Then we tell the story of House of Aesthetic
A house event hosted by house DJ Ronald Adlai. The scrpiter drops these Tech news as always, Fuego Drops the kicks ,Oliver drops the threads and much more. This issue is very colourful...BEWARE Till Next Issue Totem
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the Difference So i don’t know about you but after facebook bought whatsapp things started changing on my whatsapp. I started seeing my facebook people on my whatsapp, Then facebook messenger came and i thought well WHY have the same people on my whatsapp on facebook messenger, they should just combine it. Well according to FIN24 Instant messaging app WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger
will not combine and will operate independently, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said. The Big Homie was speaking during a visit to Lagos, Nigeria where he told media on Wednesday that Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp were different products with different communities. “
“The strategy is not to combine them over time but to have each played at their own strength,” he said. “WhatsApp is really text messaging replacement, it’s faster, it’s more reliable you can group text better and that’s why I think a lot of people are using it,” said Zuckerberg. The big homie continued to say that, whatsapp is for your close circle. Zuckerberg said that WhatsApp was focused on being a utility that was fast and simple without a lot of frills, while Messenger focused on expression, fun and different kinds of formats. So for us who thought these things were the same things, the BIG Z set the record straight, theres a difference
the scripter
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SIDE NOTE: WhatsApp announced it would begin sharing subscriber data with Facebook to giving advertisers better access to information on WhatsApp’s one billion-strong user base
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On the 9th of August when yal were Magazine
the scene
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celebrating womens day, I was chilling with budding House DJ and producer Ronald Adlai at his debut House of Asthetics event in Auckland Park , JHB.
The story behind House Of Aesthetics is based on the sentiment of platform creation for different music genres and establishing different music scenes for both upcoming and established artists equally. Ronald explained how there is too much light shinned upon international artists and already established artists, and less on upcoming artists with the same quality of music across the board, He also expanded on how he understands the struggle of performing at gigs for fellow upcoming artists, so House of Asthetics plans to level the playing ground and propel these artists and expose them to potential fans through these events. House of Asthetics plans to take the event across the country and later across the continent. “for artist signed to a label, there is pressure to make hits and not focus on growing the craft, House of Asthetics gives you that platform to present your craft with no pressure� said Ronald. As a fellow creative I for one understand the sentiment of House of Asthetics and I think its a great initiative. Peep the vsion to catch details for the next House of Asthetics event.
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y r e g a m I 5to9 by
Omp
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ana
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Brin Sauc ging t e h
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5to9_imagery is a youthful, unique and creative service provider, which aims at providing prominent photography and cinematography, allowing one to. Owned by Wits Student, Sylvester Manganye, who with the assistance of his fellow students is able to run a stable setup. 5to9_imagery is a brand in itself; that strongly believes and understands the concept of brand association and reputation. Having looked through their portfolio, it truly speaks for itself, having worked with various kinds of events in spaces such as Wits University by covering Residences’ parties, academic dinners, cultural events, Annual Wits Beer Garden 2016 and Wits Freshers 2016. The “Blackout� hosted by Ambitiouz Entertainment at the renowned Zone6 Venue in Soweto was one of the big
guest events that they covered and did an amazing job. Part of their attempt to breach out of Wits and cover all types of events, they also had the great opportunity, earlier this year to work and build a good working relationship with Momentum, which, as most would know, is a reputable brand on its own. Employees 5to9_Imagery, consider themselves to be artists and not just conventional photographers. The effort and passion they put into their photography and cinematography can be seen in their artistic productions on their various social media pages. With that being said, 5to9, had been running an incentive based challenge for their photographers, as part of their training, where they were put into teams and come up distinct images from a studio shoot, in order to test, improve and expand their shooting capabilities.
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We, at Vsion, were honoured to be the adjudicators of the top 3 images, which also had the opportunity to be displayed on an issue of the magazine and the overall winning team, would also get a chance to work with us for future Vsion content. The photographers responsible for the winning image are Robyn Mushanganyisi who is Cinematographer and Photographer currently in her second year of studying a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Television at Wits. Described as a creative at heart and passionate about capturing the essence of the moment, she clearly outdid herself in contributing towards the winning image. Rayleigh Motlala is the other photographer responsible this immaculate image, who is also a student in her second year of study at Wits doing a Bachelor of Accounting Science.
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She is known for having an eye for beautiful things, which is clearly evident in her contribution. Both Robyn and Rayleigh are undeniably talented and we look forward to working with in the near future. With the quality 5to9 brings to the table, it would only make sense for the Vsion brand to collaborate with 5to9, because both brands values and views on quality coincide. We at Vsion look forward to more collaboration with the good people at 5to9. So without further a due, here are the top 3 images
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What he is doing at nineteen?9… by Omp Manana
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ith Nelspruit playing the first setting, comes an interesting and rather complex narrative of a South African born- Kidd with origins rooting deep from the stems Mozambique and Nigeria, who is trying to break the barrier of a small town mentality block and their conventions of what is and isn’t “realistically possible” in South Africa by achieving a life eclipsed by his idols which has been largely documented both on TV and on CD, Hogan Antia a.k.a. Moz Kidd is the star character in the sonic picture that is “What Were You Doing At 19?” Moz’s story is one that needs to be told but not for the sake of just getting his name out in the public but for the pure fact that, it is the only way in which one can put into context, in order to digest his craft.
Having come from a financially stable family, that comprised of a Mozam21 Magazine bican mother who is a lawyer and a Nigerian father who is a doctor, Moz is the youngest of three sons, therefore it is only natural for a last born Kidd to gravitate towards what his older brothers were doing and found cool, in order to “fit in”, which happened to be hip hop and more specifically rapping. This is the point where a 9 year old-Hogan’s life would change forever and transform him into Moz Kidd, without him even realizing. Once Moz first started rapping through rhymes he would steal from his older brother, there was an instant attraction to rap beyond listening through an mp3 player. Fast forward 7 years, a 16-year-old Moz had finally decided, that a career as an artist is what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, despite his parents seeing it as a mere hobby that they thought satisfied their son. Having spent the final years of his high school career trying to perfect his craft, Moz was already breaking boundaries in the context of Nelspruit by being able to shoot quality music videos for his songs, which managed to even grab the attention of music networks such as Channel 0, as well as broaden his fan base all across Africa. No, for real, this dude had fans in the likes of Tanzania and Nigeria dm’ing him pouring their souls about how they felt about his music, barring in mind that this is only about 2013-2014 as well as the formative years of his career.
With all the attention he was receiving now as Moz Kidd, it was easier for many who had previously been rapping in Nelspruit to target him, stating that the only reason why Moz was able to do the things he was doing within that context was because he was a “ rich kid”, which completely disregarded the fact that the boy had serious talent. For the most part Moz, due to his somewhat anti-social behaviour had silenced himself, which one can definitely pick as a smart move as he had bigger plans for his life, which leads us to the colossus of a mixtape, “What Were You Doing At 19?” From the first moment you presses play, there’s an air of anticipation created by the slow-ish melodic chimes that also add a sinister element, which almost serve as a metaphor for firstly the eager anticipation of Moz Kidd Fans, who are extremely passionate and have been waiting for a project from him since he dropped his first song, as well as what he was ready to give the public. Moz had established himself as a “jiggy rapper” who only had one intention, which was to get people dancing and in a good vibe. However Moz was breathing a new air, a dirtier and grittier air, in which he wanted to take back command and show the public the rapper that only close people to him knew he was.
. The first thing Moz says on the tape, “I tried to tell ‘em that I work hard, but Oh God, they ain’t listening” serves as a statement to all those who had doubted his work ethic and talent and seemed to have played the function of the table for a grittier Moz to serve those who doubted him, a piece of humble pie. The two opening songs give you an idea of everything that Moz wants you to hear from him as a rapper, with the lyrical complexity and wittiness such as “I’m looking like I might just kill and leave dead or I make you a part of mascots” as well as “I got a thing for this music shit- put my heart up in it, I might just rape it and offer to make some artist children, because when it come to the art, man I fuck in all positions, I’ma take care of these songs- Mozzy the father figure” in the “Intro” and “God’s Work” respectively and if you listen attentively to “God’s Work”, you’ll hear this “You don’t SEE what we SEE but I’m ready, I might just CC you the message I’m sending”. ”. After digesting the lyrical content of this mixtape, I truly believe that Moz raps in algorithm or in this case “algo-rhythm” and with rhymes such as “I want MAMA’s and Grammy’s to feel like I’m hot, tell your Momma and Granny I’m cumming bruh” in “Been Through A Lot” its hard to say otherwise.
Rapping in that manner is a skill that only a few have and only a handful can Magazine 22 understand and digest, therefore its all based on ‘raptecation’ (my own version of rap-education) level. It’s songs such as “She”; “Been Through A Lot” and “Drugs In The Whip” that not only show off Moz’s story telling abilities but the overall, in depth subject matters that cut through the entire mixtape that are paralleled in his life as well as other, all from his perspective of course. These range from a girl engulfed by the lifestyle offered to her by older men (Blessers), to that of a boy who is fighting for nothing more than to become the best artist in Africa, while trying to get his friends and family to believe in him, to the kid finding themselves on the fence of whether or not to be taken in by the peer pressure of drugs just for the sake of it ‘feeling nice’, forgetting about his morals and the consequences.
The Kidd surely keeps us listeners entertained by the variations in rap style 23 Magazine and delivery, which for any educated listener gets one asking- how is this young Kidd rapping at this level at the age of 19? Moz is able to show off a softer and melodic side of his personality and ability, through songs such as “Blame It On You”; “Kardashian” and “Barbie Next Door”, you can clearly hear that the Kidd has had his fair share of unique issues with females in his life, which has without a doubt made for great music. His first ever single, “Playing Games” was about ladies being pimps too after all. In this day and age even rappers are somewhat expected to provide melodies on their songs, in order to qualify themselves as ‘artists’ and Moz had no problem delivering in that department, as he is one who would admit that he always loves writing songs like that. The Afrocentric and dancehall inspired “Ms. Alicha Adams” was able to provide a refreshing sound with Moz digging into his roots and embedding his own rap mystique. Although it only makes the tape under the tag of a “bonus song” you can’t ignore the slept on club banger that is “I Wanna Know” featuring Riky Rick, which was a song that allowed Moz to further his brand as the attention from South Africa started to grow, the song is simply a hit!
The Too Young mini-series in the mixtape takes on a life of its own with the “Word To Dyrgo” interlude playing the starting point where Moz integrates parts of the “Too Young(part2)” hook, as the short verse he spat in the lead up to inspirational words by Dyrgo then directly followed by ironically enough “Too Young (part 2)” which is a more playful vibe, that allowed Moz to touch on the topics that consume a young person in the position of fame and wealth compared to its twin “Too Young(Part 1)” which has more of a grittier unapologetic tone, that is constant throughout the tape. Part 1, displays all the necessary components for Moz to show listeners why he feels that he is the best, with an abundance of references to greatness. From a personal point of view, I feel that Part 1 is one of Moz’s best lyrical performances of the tape but it doesn’t necessarily take the top spot, it displays lyrical superiority and complexity. It’s a statement song, summed up in the first bar, “Homies, they talking that you cannot drop all these songs and then make it a single, so ima make this my new single and drop a few bars just to mess with the mental” to an extent the ‘algo-rhythm’ element of Moz’s rapping ability is sacrificed in order to make way for bars that some can digest on the spot.
However with references to his belief in what is his slept on greatness with lines such as “I’m Stephen Curry on the bench homie, I’m like having Messi in defence homie, you see that sentence don’t make any sense homie, ” and “You always just about yourself though, ‘cause to me, I’m the ONLY example” display the subliminal rhymes that separate good lyricist from great ones, however they have to be supplemented by lines such as “man I’m two beasts, I’m a mixed breed, of the Jiggy-Jigga and the Kiernan Forbes” and “take a picture of me cumming on her face B, that’s one hell of an image she can’t see” in order to grab the attention of the listener from the get go, which should trigger them to start the song over and listen more attentively. “Be Easy” plays the final piece in the story of the mixtape, where Moz raps alongside his cousin $lick, who was one the people who taught him how to rap, in what seems to be a stage that Moz is a stage of comfort where people are starting to know the name that is Moz Kidd and seeing it as a true threat. Moz and $lick bounce off each other, showing the seamless synergy between them in the same way JayZ and Kanye West did on ‘Watch The Throne’.
The ending of the song, which serves as an outro almost sees Moz talking Magazine 24 about how it might look like everything is coming together, with potential deals looming. Could we see Moz coming out with new music, be under a label next time? The industry today is breeding more young rappers than ever before, due to the recent popularity of hip-hop. With the likes of Nasty C, A-Reece, Shane Eagle and Priddy Ugly, Moz Kidd is without a doubt proving that he should be amongst the conversation, it’s up to the people to start listening.
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off the chains by lord fuego
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overview If you’re a fellow visionary, there’s no doubt in my mind that the term timeless is part of who you are. Skateboard lifestyle has always been low key some dope sh** to follow. Vans have been part of the lifestyle from the start. They set the standards for skateboarding shoes; they give that classical steez you need to tie off the chill out, rebellious, kick ass outfit of the day. There’s no doubt in my mind that anyone that hates on these kicks is a hater! But let’s not drift, I’m going to be checking out some of the coolest collabo’s by vans that you can get fresh in and find in the nearest stores. You’re welcome
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VANS MEN’S CONTROLLER NINTENDO CONSOLE SK8-HI SLIM: For all my day gamers out there, this one is the one you need to cop to be exclusive and one up on them dudes (see what I did there). For us passionate gamers there’s no doubt that we can all just appreciate this beauty. Vans presents exclusive graphic prints using 8-bit inspired artwork and characters from Super Mario Bros.,Duck Hunt, Donkey Kong and Legend of Zelda, as well as an assortment inspired by Nintendo’s first console, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). These are hard to find when you sleeping hard on them, major Sportscene stores, Mall of The South Vans and Sandton City
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VANS x MURAKAMI Vans and the contemporary Japanese artist kink up to add his cool eclectic art on one of his favourite silhouettes the classic slip on in six adult unisex colourways alongside a trio of toddler-sized offerings. This shoe, if you’re a huge Takeshi Murakami fan you should just order these on the official vans site.
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VANS ISO 1.5. Ladies and gents. This is the new wave. Vans are the new plug, this just makes sense in a cool unique way, they drifted away from their regular silhouette, I was really impressed with them creating runners. Presenting their ISO 1.5, the kicks entire design sits on top of an UltraCushĂ” Lite midsole/outsole unit to promote all-day comfort and a lightweight feel. The upper of the ISO 1.5 is built around their ActionFitĂ” last for improved fit and utilizes materials with minimal structure to create an extremely lightweight and flexible upper that allows maximum comfort. They also come in some fresh colours and textiles you name it, red, black white, burger print. LOL. Fresh huh? Well you can also cop these on the Vans official site, major Sportscene stores and vans official store
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by Oliver Zondo
As the world becomes more connected we start to see an interesting phenomenon happening in the convergence of previous far-flung industries and the not so far-flung. Clothes if you must know are a statement of identity or identification (the in-group you fall part of), the decision on what to wear, whether it’s a conscious one or that of mere functionality, says something about you. I must admit what I have said so far should come as no news to you, but I am particularly fascinated with how musicians have been able to use fashion to make statements on other people’s bodies. From the Beliebers to the Bey Hive, fans have been vouching there support using no more than the merch artists like Kanye West and BeyoncÊ have been coming out with and are blurring the lines between merchandise and fashion. Whether in an effort to promoting their upcoming Tour or to increase the hype of their albums, merchandise has gained renewed importance in the Music game and this has some serious implications for the fashion industry.
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Beyoncé
The Lemonade merchandising collection includes graphic T-shirts, long-sleeves and hoodies, along with a series of simple caps, iPhone cases, tank tops and tote bags. She then came back with a second round of merchandise now focusing on the tracks “Hold Up” and “Sorry”. Using various catch phrases from the lyrics of the two songs that may have broken the internet at some point on the merch.
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Travis scott Travis Scott launched a range of merch for his Rodeo tour featuring T-shirts, socks and this passed season’s loved bomber jackets amongst other accessories such as cell-phone covers, lighters and ashtrays. The inspiration behind the gear come from Kanye Wests own Yeezus tour.
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Travis Scott went on to reveal a subsequent collection of merchandise now for the release of a video for the track 90210 coming of his Rodeo album. There is a selection of monochrome T-shirts, along with either a black or purple hoody. The pieces feature the song name “90210� branded across the front, and a floral-themed graphic snakes around onto the back
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Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber is not a stranger to the merchandise game, he is one of those artists who can’t resist putting their names on everything. The Biebs released a fresh batch of merchandise which once again plays with the styles and motifs of fashion label of the moment, Vetements. The assortment consists of oversized hoodies and long-sleeve t-shirts with bold graphics along the sides. There is also a black t-shirt and a coach jacket with the word “Staff” on the front and back which mimics the Vetements’ trope on the “Security” t-shirt and the notorious “Polizei” raincoat.
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The Biebs announced a Forever 21 exclusive collection partnering with music merchandise label Bravado and Forever 21 for his “Purpose” world tour. He didn’t stretch himself too far keeping the assortment limited to graphic oversized tees hoodies and sweatpants.
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Drake
The advent of the pop-up store concept has shaken up the game fueling the merchandising scene. Drake hit up New York as the location for his “Summer Sixteen” merch. Drake’s very own OVO brand has seen collaboration with industry gaints Jordan brand and then earlier this year with Ralph Lauren.
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Kanye West We saw Kanye West’s masterful execution of the pop-up store in 21 cities across the globe with his very popular “Pablo” merch. Cape Town was one of the 21 locations where the Pablo merch was made available. Though the man behind the designs is 43 year old artist Cali Thornhill Dewitt who has work with a number of prominent musicians not to mention Kurt Cobain’s former lover. Kanye first launched The Life of Pablo popup in New York City to much fan-fare which has since led to the concept’s overwhelming success. Pieces range from tees and hoodies to denim jackets, caps, beanies and various other outerwear styles.
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VARSITY NIGHTS FRIDAY NIGHTS TUNE IN WWW.VSIONMAGAZINE. CO.ZA
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