Channel O Sprite Emcee Africa tour
The Channel 0 Emcee Africa tour is a tour that is sponsored by Sprite. It was associated with Emcee Africa - The Battle Chronicles, a talent show televising the competition. It was a continent-wide search for the premier freestyle MC/Rapper. The tour started in Accra, Ghana, and then went through Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Nairobi, Kenya, Luanda, Angola, Lagos, Nigeria and Johannesburg, South Africa. Gaborone, Botswana was included in the second season, while Luanda, Angola and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania were cut from the tour.
The motive of the tour was not only to find the best freestyle MC, but to initiate international awareness of the 'street life' surrounding social and cultural context of the localized music. In other words, the tour was attempting to better contextualize the application and reception of hip hop culture in each visited country.
The winner received $10,000, a video and a song deal.
Format and rules
The first season of Emcee Africa followed the host Leslie 'Lee' Kasumba to the various host cities, where the local MC/Rapper's were invited to an audition. The final eight MC's were selected to face off in a knockout competition to determine the winner. During the auditions, each performer had two minutes to prove their candidacy for the final eight to a panel of judges. A topic was given to each contender to Freestyle about in order to ensure each contestant was truly improvising and not using any written material. After eight contestants were selected from each country, a separate contest was held, where the eight members would face off to battle each other in two 30 second parts, divided into 2 rounds, followed by the Final. The winner from each country was then flown into Johannesburg to compete for the "Emcee Africa" title, as well as the grand prize. A judge from each country's panel was then flown in to ensure neutrality in the final competition.The second season followed a similar format with similar rules, except that ten contenders were selected from the auditions, rather than eight. In the second season, contestants who made it through to the second round did not Battle each other but were rather judged based on a performance. From the performance, the judges panel selected two finalists to face off in a final battle.
Wildcard
For the Final Battle in the first season, audiences could log into www.channelo.co.za, and vote for their favorite MC/Rapper from the previous competitions, to reappear in the final stages.Host
is the host. She also corresponds for Africanhiphop.com.On the tour called 'the Battle Chronicles', she was chosen to narrate her daily experiences of traveling.
Quotes
"Never before has a continental Hip Hop reality based competition such as this existed."Emcee Africa 1
Ghana
Date: Saturday, 22 December 2007Location: Usher Forte, Accra, Ghana
Co-Host: Eddy Blay
Judges: DJ Black, Kwame Swift, Reggie Rockstone
Final 8: Grafik, ID, J Town, Melodrama, Padlock, Rhyme Miller, Robin Hood, Trigger
Tanzania
Date: Saturday, 12 January 2008Location: TCC Social Club, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Co-Host: Reuben
Judges: Lindu, Lufunyo, Professor Jay
Final 8: Abbas, Adili, God Emcee, Neville, Phoenix, Rage, Randal, X-Wray
Nigeria
Date: Saturday, 19 January 2008Location: Nimbus Art Centre, Lagos, Nigeria
Co-Host: Tito
Judges: Blaise, Ikechukwu, Modenine
Final 8: Del, Delta P, E-Law, Jizzy, Maximum, Teeto, Torpedo, Vector
Kenya
Date: Saturday, 26 January 2008Location: WAPI, Nairobi, Kenya
Co-Host: Eve D'Souza
Judges: Doobiz, Mwafrika, Nazizi
Final 8: Big Mic, Faya, Kimya, Lethal Dynamic, Mohammed, Point Blank, SNM, Tua
Angola
Date: Saturday, 1 February 2008Location: Elinga Teatro, Luanda
Co-Host:
Judges: DJ Samurai, Kool Kleva, MC K
Final 8: Agape, Jorge, MG, Nigga Chi, One See, Ray D, Sunny Boy, Yung D
South Africa
Date: Saturday, 9 February 2008Location: Roka Bar, Johannesburg, South Africa
Co-Host: AK
Judges: Mizi, Proverb, Ready D
Final 8: Adamiz, Ben Sharpa, Heavy G, Projectah, Quaz, Slege, Snazz D, Steezy Stylish
Final Battle
Date: Friday, 28 March 2008Location: The Pyramid, Johannesburg
Co-Host: Proverb
Judges: DJ Black, Mizi, Modenine, Nazizi, Professor Jay, Wordsworth
Finalists: Big Mic, J Town, Rage, Snazz D, Teeto, Yung D
Wildcard winner: Adamiz
- Snazz D wins the first season of Emcee Africa, earning him $10,000, and a single and video deal featuring Wordsworth.
Emcee Africa 2
Botswana
Date: Saturday, 18 April 2009Location: Fashion Lounge, Gaborone, Botswana
Co-Host:
Judges: Apollo Diablo, Zeus,
Final 10: Aztech 1, Blain, Cibil Nyte, Dizzo, EQ, Kid, King Ming, Nitro, Oracle, Simba
Round 1
Blain vs. Aztech 1
Cibil Nyte vs. Nitro
Kid vs. Dizzo
EQ vs. King Ming
Simba vs. Oracle
Round 2
Aztech 1
Cibil Nyte
Dizzo
Simba
Oracle
Final: Oracle vs. Cibil Nyte
Winner: Cibil Nyte
South Africa
Date: Saturday, 25 May 2009Location: Roka Bar, Johannesburg, South Africa
Co-Host: Reason
Judges: HHP, Nthabi, Zubz
Final 10: Adamiz, G.C., Maraza, Mr. Calibre, Otis, Phoenix, Rhyming Type, S!ck, Soniq, Ulysses
Round 1
Otis vs. Adamiz
Rhyming Type vs. Phoenix
G.C. vs. S!ck
Ulysses vs. Mr. Calibre
Maraza vs. Soniq
Round 2
Adamiz
Phoenix
S!ck
Mr. Calibre
Maraza
Final: Maraza vs. Adamiz
Winner: Maraza
Ghana
Date: Thursday, 7 May 2009Location: Tantra, Accra, Ghana
Co-Host: Eddie Blay
Judges: Kwaku T, Scientifik
Final 10: Augustt, Boy Gemini, C-Real, Chymney, Krime, Melodrama, Padlock, Props, Robin Hood, Rocky
Round 1
Padlock vs. Chymney
Props vs. Augustt
Melodrama vs. Robin Hood
C-Real vs. Boy Gemini
Rocky vs. Krime
Round 2
Chymney
Padlock
Props
C-Real
Rocky
Final: Props vs. C-Real
Winner: C-Real
Nigeria
Date: Sunday, 10 May 2009Location: Insomnia Nightclub, Lagos, Nigeria
Co-Host:
Judges: B.O.U.Q.U.I., Modenine, Naeto C
Final 10: Black Jesus, Collyde, Cwitch, Dirty-A, Emperor Trench, E.Y.M.E., Jizzy, Sergio, Taikoff, Torpedo Mascaw
Round 1
Dirty-A vs. Torpedo Mascaw
Collyde vs. Taikoff
Cwitch vs. Sergio
E.Y.M.E. vs. Jizzy
Black Jesus vs. Emperor Trench
Round 2
E.Y.M.E.
Dirty-A
Emperor Trench
Torpedo Mascaw
Black Jesus
Final: Black Jesus vs. Dirty-A
Winner: Black Jesus
Kenya
Date: Sunday, 28 June 2009Location: Club Clique, Nairobi, Kenya
Co-Host: G-Money
Judges: Doobiz, Mwafrika, Nazizi
Final 10: Bizzill, Kaligraf, Kimya, Kips, Lethal Dynamic, Lon' Jon, OD, Olu, Point Blank Evumbi, X-tatic
Round 1
Point Blank vs. X-tatic
Kimya vs. OD
Lethal Dynamic vs. Bizzill
Lon' Jon vs. Olu
Kaligraf vs. Kips
Round 2
Kaligraf
Kimya
Lethal Dynamic
Lon' Jon
Point Blank
Final: Point Blank vs. Kaligraf
Final Battle
Date: 28 June 2009Location: Club Clique, Johannesburg, South Africa
Co-Host: Proverb
Judges: HHP, Naeto C, Nazizi, Proverb, Zeus
Finalists: Black Jeez, Cibil Nyte, C-Real, Maraza, Point Blank
Round 1
Black Jeez
Cibil Nyte
C-Real
Maraza
Point Blank
Final: Zeus vs. C-Real
Final 2: Cibil Nyte vs. Zeus
Winner: Cibil Nyte
- Cibil Nyte wins the second season of Emcee Africa, earning him $10,000, and a single and video deal.
Winners
- Emcee Africa winner : Snazz D
- Emcee Africa 2 winner : Cibil Nyte
Other media
Singles
2008: "Battle Chronicles " -Produced by Don Juan as featured on Hype Sessions Vol. 21: Jazzworx FM The Album.
CD published by HYPE Magazine in their 25th Issue, June/July 2008.
2009: "All Around The A" -
Produced by Don Juan.