Ladies and gents, boys and girls, my people of the South. This is the 3rd edition of "Under Pressure" and I must admit that I am running out of content. Reality is starting to hit home. It seems like the underground still needs strengthening. It has been a slow ascent for SA Hip-Hop since P.O.C first came out about 10 years ago, and we've still got a ways to go. Up to now I have exposed a couple of people that are putting their skills down and pushing this culture. So to them, and those that I did not mention because I don't know about them, I would like to say: LOVE, PEACE and RESPECT. To the rest, pull your socks up. It's survival of the illest out here.

Before I get down to the nitty gritty and drop what info that I could scrape together, let me start by clearing up the mistakes that I made in the last edition.

Remember BMP (Basemental Platform)? Well, they are actually a 10-man crew, not 8: 7 MC's, a poet and 2 producers. Their album, "Urban knoise", was actually released in December 1999. It is available on tape for R30 but if you want that crispy-clean sound, you can make special CD orders from dice@catchinwreck.com or sothemba@realsystems.co.za or call 0836822422 or 0833665460. If you live in the J-Section then you can get it @ Yeoville's "Seal of Umjamaa", and the backpack of the members' at any true Hip-Hop function or at the YFM Rap Activity Jam every Wednesday. Expect them to drop a new album before the end of the year. Abafo bethu are really working hard. Don't you just feel proud? As for my people form G-Town (Raymun, TNG, Def Boys and them), their CD is titled "G-Town Hip-Hop: Tha Festival Edition". Y'all can order the disc by e-mailing GWANZA_Recordings@hotmail.com. It's priced at R40. So hook it up and feel the notorious Grahamstown 'Free Love'!

Now for the fresh stuff, check it.

I got together with Swad da Kamp the other day and we talked about their upcoming project. The word is that it will be called "Skwadda KamPAIN" and should be out in November as promised…Spex's album, "It's a Hijak" (UTHOHT? Muzik/Eargasm), has been held back indefinitely, again. It might still come out sometime this year… I hope. So just hold on...On a lighter note, the BVK (Brasse Vannie Kaap) album, "Yskoud" (Ghetto Ruff), should be out in stores by the time they return from their tour to Belgium at the end of August.

From now on we will be accepting demos submitted via this column. We are gonna flip shit to serve as an "unsigned hype"-type column where we'll talk about the dopest artist and hopefully play you snippets of the best demos in Real Audio and/or MP3. So anybody with a demo, send it through to the address at the bottom along with a picture and brief description of yourself and your music. Let's keep this shit moving. Alright? And I promise more flava next time round.

Moja.

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