| Formula Yokuqala Yi Beat |
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1998 – Kwaito music is at its peak, everyone is from Zola in Soweto because it is hip to be from that township even if it’s just a publicity lie because that is where Mzolisto’’Zola 7”, Mandoza, Mshoza, Mzambiya, Chiskop and the Godfather Mdu come from, so Soweto it is for us all. Now down in Durban there is a kwaito group called MLF with its routing member: Formula Won doing their thing and putting a hip hop element in the kwaito music. They are not commercially big but they do manage to be an opening act for Chiskop, a kwaito group with 4 members including the well known Mandoza at eMpangeni in that same year. Fast forward to the year 2000 when Formula Won decides to ditch the kwaito scene and focus on hip hop, consequently the group breaks up. Formula Won, then 17 years disappears to craft his own style – abstract street flow mixed with township funk. Fortune Siphesihle Thusi aka Formula Won is now 24 and is a member of the round table of NBOTU (Nymphonic Bastards Of The Universe) – a Durban based hip hop group which is an umbrella for other hip hop projects from its members including Birthmax, the Uninvited Guests and Weapons of Mass Construction to mention just a few. He has been tearing mic’s, battling and free styling from back in the days of Inqaba sessions in Durban. Inqaba is where we watched cats like Optical Illusion, Skwatta Camp, H2O, Zuluboy and His Majesty – Blaq Hitilah grow and perfect their skills. An aspiring professional body builder and an MC who freestyles even to my guitar practicing same tunes, he believes that iFormula Yokuqala yibeat then azishe hence most people call him Formula One instead of the Won. “The Won in my name emphasizes the fact that my formula to move from kwaito to hip hop won, so therefore I’m grand with my style”. I ask him about hosting a show with Linda Sibiya from Ukhozi FM, back in 2003, “Things were hot then yeah, I remember Linda callin’ me up to host the show every Friday alongside Ruma & Ichwane LoMsuthu, we would just go in there and make the best of our airtime” he recalls. From the radio show to being yet another opening act for Skwatta Camp when they released their first album and were down in Durban doing a show. “I believe that if you want to be a hip hop artist, you gotta craft your style, you gotta be your music. I want people out there to stop and listen”. And true to his words, at the moment people do stop but they stare, it’s hard not to, with his peculiar style of raping, free styling and dressing, he is sure to catch your attention. The lyrics to his songs are rather angry and ‘in your face’. His greatest influence comes from living elokshini. “I’m not gonna front and say I come from Zola in Soweto so I can look hip coz I’ve never even been there – I come from Inanda, Newtown – the life I rap about is the life I see, have lived and experience everyday.” Where to from now? “Well, the Uninvited Guests Project - which is a 3 man show with featuring Robenka and Bibiliza B - is here, recorded and needing nothing but a distribution deal”. **I have had the privilege of listening to Formula Won, and lets just say, look out for him and you can email him on formula_formulawon@yahoo.com for information on his music/performances. Copyright Fezisa Mdibi 2007. fez_prototype@yahoo.co.uk |
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