EASTERN Cape Christian hip-hop radio DJ pioneer Walter Mdangayi, recently released his first rap album.
Mdangayi, also known as Incense, started his Hip-Hop Youthology show on Link FM in 2007.
The show was the first of its kind in the province and saw many artists sharing their talent and spreading the gospel through rap.
Though the genre sometimes has negative associations, a large number of young Christian artists have used it to spread the gospel of Christ.
“When I started the show I had to educate listeners to the culture of hip-hop and how it is relevant for Christians , so it was a bit tough at first but eventually people warmed to the show,” he said.
Link FM station manager Titch Wild said by introducing the hip-hop show to their line-up, Christian radio listeners had been introduced to a genre of music which had been twisted by the secular music world.
“The whole secular hip-hop scene is riddled with gangsterism. Listeners are certainly more open to a mix of hip-hop thrown into the music mix but like anything, in moderation,” he said.
It has been almost six years since the introduction of the show.
“The entire entertainment industry platform is something I happened to stumble into. I grew up passionate about good music and singing at church but never imagined myself as a recording artist,” Mdangayi said. The King William’s Town-born artist started recording his music in 2011 when he released his Slam on Pages album which consisted of poetry with a beat accompaniment.
On his latest album, Classified, Mdangayi has shifted from slam poetry to rapping.
He said he has shared information about his life and journey with God on the album.
“The idea was to keep it as real as possible given the fact that it’s my first rap offering and I wanted my fans to grasp where I am as a person,” he said.
Mdangayi shares his life – from losing his father at the age of seven to God’s unconditional love – on this album.
He worked with Tshepo Shabangu of the Last Days Fam to produce the album. Last Days Fam is a Christian group and has been nominated in the rap category at the South African Music Awards.
Mdangayi is also the mastermind behind the Take Take Movement through which he takes Christian hip-hop to the streets of East London. —
Mdangayi raps gospel to world on album
Mdangayi, also known as Incense, started his Hip-Hop Youthology show on Link FM in 2007.
The show was the first of its kind in the province and saw many artists sharing their talent and spreading the gospel through rap.
Though the genre sometimes has negative associations, a large number of young Christian artists have used it to spread the gospel of Christ.
“When I started the show I had to educate listeners to the culture of hip-hop and how it is relevant for Christians , so it was a bit tough at first but eventually people warmed to the show,” he said.
Link FM station manager Titch Wild said by introducing the hip-hop show to their line-up, Christian radio listeners had been introduced to a genre of music which had been twisted by the secular music world.
“The whole secular hip-hop scene is riddled with gangsterism. Listeners are certainly more open to a mix of hip-hop thrown into the music mix but like anything, in moderation,” he said.
It has been almost six years since the introduction of the show.
“The entire entertainment industry platform is something I happened to stumble into. I grew up passionate about good music and singing at church but never imagined myself as a recording artist,” Mdangayi said. The King William’s Town-born artist started recording his music in 2011 when he released his Slam on Pages album which consisted of poetry with a beat accompaniment.
On his latest album, Classified, Mdangayi has shifted from slam poetry to rapping.
He said he has shared information about his life and journey with God on the album.
“The idea was to keep it as real as possible given the fact that it’s my first rap offering and I wanted my fans to grasp where I am as a person,” he said.
Mdangayi shares his life – from losing his father at the age of seven to God’s unconditional love – on this album.
He worked with Tshepo Shabangu of the Last Days Fam to produce the album. Last Days Fam is a Christian group and has been nominated in the rap category at the South African Music Awards.
Mdangayi is also the mastermind behind the Take Take Movement through which he takes Christian hip-hop to the streets of East London. —
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