Order The Sharpaganda Theory: Lesson 1 at cd1d
Limited Edition 12″ Vinyl!!
An inescapable figure in South African Hip-hop, you will have heard about Ben Sharpa if you followed the South African connection started by Jarring Effects with music by Sibot, Playdoe and Fuck’ N’ Rad. Already featuring in the box set Cape Town Beats released in 2007, the track Into The Black quickly made a name for Ben around the world, receiving critical acclaim on independent radio in France, Canada, UK, Germany, Holland, Belgium.
Ben Sharpa was discovered by the famous BBC Radio 1 presenter, Mary Anne Hobbs, where he received a lot of airplay. Shortly afterwards Ben broke on to the European festival circuit, performing at Dour and Glastonbury together with the beatmaker Milanese.
On this brilliant first EP, consisted of 4 titles, 1 instrumental and 1 acappella version, Ben surrounded himself with famous producers such as English Milanese (Warp / Planet Mu) and South African Sibot (Playdoe, Real Estate Agents / Jarring Effects) and Dplanet (Pioneer Unit). Those productions make a bumpy playground which sticks marvelously to the over-gifted rapper personal universe and unique flow. This is the missing link between US Hip Hop and UK Grime.
Hegemony_
The real manifesto of Ben Sharpa lyricism, Hegemony is a smash hit that many DJ’s will play in their sets. An electro glitch hop production created by Sibot in which Ben questions the role of authority in South African society.
Check the Evidence ‘o8_
Even more tinged with demands, Check The Evidence creates a link between Def Jux’s fucked-up Hip Hop and the South African groove. Heavy rhythmic and deep minor sheets come to wrap the Ben Sharpa flow in perpetual motion, diving into Johanesburg’s ghetto.
Off The Rails_
At the same time Hip Hop, Ragga and Grime, this hypnotic track mixes the genres and the codes, proving how much Ben Sharpa constitutes a fundamental link in Hip Hop history between the US East Coast flow and the irresistible groove of UK Grime. To be played in emergencies with Virus Syndicate and Aesop Rock!
Callin‘ It Quits (We’re Here)_
A report on the state of Hip Hop and how many parasites try to be a part of it, Ben Sharpa reminds us the heart of the genre: Anyone got some beats?. Made of small murdering sentences on a heavy and abstract beat that would have perfectly suited to Roots Manuva, this track is the template for abstract Hip Hop.
Track List
Side A:
01. Hegemony (4’10)
02. Check The Evidence ’08 (3’47)
03. Hegemony (Acappella) (4’10)
Side B:
04. Off the Rails (4’04)
05. Off the Rails (Instrumental) (4’04)
06. Callin’ It Quits (We’re Here) (3’34)
