Tuks is on the brink of releasing his 5th studio album, “FOOTPRINTS” that is due in March 2012. An album aptly titled as a reflection of the work that he has done not only as a lyricist, but also as poet, graphic designer and a fine artist. This will be his second independent release under his label, ‘June/July Productions’ following the multi- award nominated “Tshwanelo” that was released in 2010. Not many artists can boast having all their albums being applauded by their peers in the form of nominations, wins and just mutual respect and adoration for the work that was put into seeing their successes like Tuks can. While many believe (through choice or ignorance) that Tuks had disappered from the industry for a while, he had released a multi-award winning; thought-provoking; debate-challenging album titled “Monopoly” in 2008 which saw him go on an international tour and clinch an endorsement deal. He then dropped Tshwanelo which people labelled as his come-back to mainstream Hip Hop, whereas he had never left.
In the 6 years that he has been in the mainstream entertainment industry, he has cemented his place as a respectable Hip Hop artist not only within the Motswako fraternity (a movement of rappers from the North West Province of South Africa), but in the South African hip Hop community as a whole.
He plans to take this feat to the rest of the world, having already started with a successful UK tour in December 2011 that had what was meant to be a media show-piece, turn into a movement of mass euphoria from fans that had been too eager to wait for the event that was planned for them the following day. Tuks has since signed with South Africa’s leading independent distribution company, NEXT MUSIC, for music; media and digital distribution. The company handles the global distribution for the likes of the late Mirriam Makeba and the immensely popular BOOM series; it’s safe to say that with NEXT’s global distribution net Tuks will capture a wider audience.
In addition to having BONA FELA as the soundtrack to a South African drama series (Skeem Saam) on the public broadcaster (SABC1), Tuks has followed on with a monster single titled “LOVE ANGEL” which features the sultry soul singer from Queens, New York, Lydia Caesar as well as Australian producer extraordinaire, M-Phazes . With four albums under his belt, that have an array of sounds giving off the impressions that they were recorded by four different personalities, Tuks’ fifth album (that metaphorically marks the fifth digit of his foot that’s seen him through his musical journey) will undoubtedly unearth a lot more of the talented artist’s personality as he rhymes to his heart’s beat. “Everytime I start writing for an album, it’s always after having studied human interactions…I always tell the next man’s tale through my own interpretation of events” he says.
Footprints boasts 16 tracks that have features from , in addition to Lydia Caesar, South Africa’s biggest Hip Hop export: Hip Hop Pantsula (HHP); as well as Blaklez; N’veigh and Tu-Klaps. The production is that to be envied as he has assembled the cream of the crop in: M-Phazes (who has produced songs for the likes of Talib Kweli; Amerie; Jean Grae and Pharoahe Monch); Nyambz (who produces most of the album); Sean Pages (who produced Bona fela); Archbishop; Dome and fellow Motswako artist, Towdee Mac.
“Like a Queen Bee buzzing, I’m building my honey colony/year after year/by any means necessary/things are easily accessible in life except, my soul/you don’t understand me I keep rapping in codes/ way ahead of my time/I keep lapping up my foes–running laps around my foes”
2012 promises to see Tuks breaking both musical and land borders through his music, as he builds his brand into that of an international Hip Hop artist; one step at a time…through his album, FOOTPRINTS.
For more information or interviews regarding this press release please contact Tlale Kwatlhai on mazothient@gmail.com or call +27792617551 or contact Melanie van der Walt on mel@melsstars.co.za or call +27760325989. For NEXT Music: Rob O’Brien rob@nextmusic.co.za or call +27114503643.
Issued by Mazothi A Motswako Entertainment and Mel’s Stars Productions on Behalf of June/July Productions; in partnership with NEXT MUSIC GROUP (www.nextmusiocgroup.co.za).
Recent Comments