The other day, Ugandan rapper The Mith read my blog “Conversations with rappers 1: I am the best, according to me,” and he hit me up to arrange a meeting. Something I’d written about collaborations had hit a cord, and he wanted to meet to discuss further. I was happy to delve more into this issue, because I find that collaboration can be a fraught but valuable process, and I wanted to see how it plays out in the Hip Hop industry.
To “do communications,” I collaborate with artists, managers, producers, writers, designers, dancers, painters, marketers, promoters, all kinds of people. We hook up a network of talent and distill it into a form that could only be created together.
To “do communications,” I collaborate with artists, managers, producers, writers, designers, dancers, painters, marketers, promoters, all kinds of people. We hook up a network of talent and distill it into a form that could only be created together.
In the music industry, it’s called a collabo. Mind you, the names you see listed on a track are not nearly all the people who make it happen (thank you managers, producers, techies, cooks, fam, etc.).
So, I went to meet The Mith at Talent Africa’s studio (thanks Aly), and sat down with him and Tucker HD.
Note: our conversation was also recorded by Salim from Urban Hype (where you can find an audio recording) and Felix from The Tribe UG.
So, I went to meet The Mith at Talent Africa’s studio (thanks Aly), and sat down with him and Tucker HD.
Note: our conversation was also recorded by Salim from Urban Hype (where you can find an audio recording) and Felix from The Tribe UG.
I started by asking The Mith: who is great to collaborate with and why?
The Mith: Ruyonga for instance, I sent him the beat with the idea, and 30 minutes later he sent me his verse on it and a version of the chorus. The more eager guys are to work, then it makes the collaboration easier.
Enygma will pick you up. This one time I was shopping with my mom in Kisamenti and he called. I’m like “I’m shopping with my mother” and he’s like “cool, I am coming now.” So those are the easy ones to work with.
The Mith: Ruyonga for instance, I sent him the beat with the idea, and 30 minutes later he sent me his verse on it and a version of the chorus. The more eager guys are to work, then it makes the collaboration easier.
Enygma will pick you up. This one time I was shopping with my mom in Kisamenti and he called. I’m like “I’m shopping with my mother” and he’s like “cool, I am coming now.” So those are the easy ones to work with.
Anne: What are you hoping from the artistes you collaborate with?
The Mith: I don’t want you to sound like me. I am already there. I want you to go in and absolutely smash it. If you’re better than me at flow, be better than me at flow.
When you collaborate, you’re trying to go further. It is bigger than a Mith song. I am tapping into Tucker’s fans also.
Anne: Ok, now I want to talk about the collabos that fall apart in studio. What are the causes for a collabo not to work out?
The Mith: So many things. Some guys, you get on a song, and I’ve had a terrible verse, but I’ve never said take it out. Now people are worried about how the fans are going to take it. Are the fans going to say I got murdered?
I know some rappers who like to have a little sippy sip before they record. If that’s your style, it’s cool. But if you get smashed and start cursing people out in studio, that’s not cool.
I don’t like people directing me, because I don’t direct you. I deliver my 16, and then they say no you can change it like this. I know what exactly I am trying to get across.
The Mith: I don’t want you to sound like me. I am already there. I want you to go in and absolutely smash it. If you’re better than me at flow, be better than me at flow.
When you collaborate, you’re trying to go further. It is bigger than a Mith song. I am tapping into Tucker’s fans also.
Anne: Ok, now I want to talk about the collabos that fall apart in studio. What are the causes for a collabo not to work out?
The Mith: So many things. Some guys, you get on a song, and I’ve had a terrible verse, but I’ve never said take it out. Now people are worried about how the fans are going to take it. Are the fans going to say I got murdered?
I know some rappers who like to have a little sippy sip before they record. If that’s your style, it’s cool. But if you get smashed and start cursing people out in studio, that’s not cool.
I don’t like people directing me, because I don’t direct you. I deliver my 16, and then they say no you can change it like this. I know what exactly I am trying to get across.
And there have been situations where maybe you have a sticky relationship with someone. It's Hip Hop, so guys have a lot of beef. There could be a point where Tucker and I are not getting along. A person asks you to come on the track, you think it’s just you two, then comes a verse from Tucker.
The main problem is, people don’t see collaborations for what they are, which is to expand your brand. They see it to kill what’s hot. You see a dope rapper and say you’re better than them, like doing it to murder them.
Tucker HD: There’s this divide that is taking people away from the bigger picture. The use of collabos is to expand your market base, your reach.
The main problem is, people don’t see collaborations for what they are, which is to expand your brand. They see it to kill what’s hot. You see a dope rapper and say you’re better than them, like doing it to murder them.
Tucker HD: There’s this divide that is taking people away from the bigger picture. The use of collabos is to expand your market base, your reach.
Anne: Let’s get into that. Tell me about the fault lines in the Ugandan Hip Hop industry. Who doesn’t want to work with each other? Why?
The Mith: There is a division of Ugaflow / Lugafow, but I think more people are working at making sure that line gets completely wiped away and it becomes one movement which is Ugandan Hip hop. It started with St Nelly Sade working with Enygma, me, Ruyonga. And there was the female cypher.
You can actually give a call to a guy who’s not supposed to be cool with you and say: look, would you like to collaborate?
The Mith: There is a division of Ugaflow / Lugafow, but I think more people are working at making sure that line gets completely wiped away and it becomes one movement which is Ugandan Hip hop. It started with St Nelly Sade working with Enygma, me, Ruyonga. And there was the female cypher.
You can actually give a call to a guy who’s not supposed to be cool with you and say: look, would you like to collaborate?
Anne: It’s good to hear that more artistes are willing to cross the lines that have been drawn in the past, making projects possible through wider collaboration.
Which ‘camps’/’crews’ are most active in the industry now? Who has your respect?
The Mith: Whether you like it or not, you have to respect certain movements. You kind of have to respect Sylvster & Abramz. Breakdance Project Uganda is the face of UG hip hop in a way. When I watched them for 30 min on CNN, I believed! You have Ziva Muntuuyo, which is a great movement, capturing the hustle mentality Ugandans have. You have St Nelly Sade, his whole vibe, Lyrical Accents, DEG with Atlas, GMC (Lyrical G), and more. I mean we used to have so many camps like Baboon Forest, but when the young people started becoming their own, they became separate.
Now u find camps are rapper-producer duos: Timothy Code - Josh SB; Tucker HD - Sam Lamara; Flex d paper & Navio – Aethan; Benezeri – Izaya; St. Nellysade - Urban Aksent; The Mith - Koz n Effekt; Big Tril – DeWeezy; Rugonga – Baru… It’s more of a guy moving with a person who understands his sound best.
Which ‘camps’/’crews’ are most active in the industry now? Who has your respect?
The Mith: Whether you like it or not, you have to respect certain movements. You kind of have to respect Sylvster & Abramz. Breakdance Project Uganda is the face of UG hip hop in a way. When I watched them for 30 min on CNN, I believed! You have Ziva Muntuuyo, which is a great movement, capturing the hustle mentality Ugandans have. You have St Nelly Sade, his whole vibe, Lyrical Accents, DEG with Atlas, GMC (Lyrical G), and more. I mean we used to have so many camps like Baboon Forest, but when the young people started becoming their own, they became separate.
Now u find camps are rapper-producer duos: Timothy Code - Josh SB; Tucker HD - Sam Lamara; Flex d paper & Navio – Aethan; Benezeri – Izaya; St. Nellysade - Urban Aksent; The Mith - Koz n Effekt; Big Tril – DeWeezy; Rugonga – Baru… It’s more of a guy moving with a person who understands his sound best.
Which artistes/crews are friendly, and how are those alliances made and maintained?
The Mith: It’s still sticky out there. There’s still tension. You see it at events. You see guys like *giving eyes*. One of the things everyone is mad about: at some point, people chose sides. Bavubuka All Stars, which is run by Babaluku, had issues against us guys that died out real fast. You find that now myself and Cyno MC [Bavubuka alumni], with guys who we’re not supposed to be cool with.
What it is: guys have understood that it’s bigger than riding with your crew. We have all understood that there’s strength in numbers. People support one another, need that support.
Tucker HD: I agree, the tension is still a bit there. People might still feel it’s not ok to contact someone from another camp.
The Mith: That beef. Even if you’re cool with someone in that camp, you send each other SMS’s or whatever, but don’t talk when your crews are together. It’s safer. But guys are more mature now. The younger guys don’t really care. They’re just happy to be here, want to record music.
The Mith: It’s still sticky out there. There’s still tension. You see it at events. You see guys like *giving eyes*. One of the things everyone is mad about: at some point, people chose sides. Bavubuka All Stars, which is run by Babaluku, had issues against us guys that died out real fast. You find that now myself and Cyno MC [Bavubuka alumni], with guys who we’re not supposed to be cool with.
What it is: guys have understood that it’s bigger than riding with your crew. We have all understood that there’s strength in numbers. People support one another, need that support.
Tucker HD: I agree, the tension is still a bit there. People might still feel it’s not ok to contact someone from another camp.
The Mith: That beef. Even if you’re cool with someone in that camp, you send each other SMS’s or whatever, but don’t talk when your crews are together. It’s safer. But guys are more mature now. The younger guys don’t really care. They’re just happy to be here, want to record music.
As I go to ask my last question, I can see The Mith is worried that I am going to keep pushing him on the specifics of Ugandan Hip Hop’s ongoing cold war (which seems to be heating up lately), but I assure him that is not my intention. I am just trying to find a road map to effective collaboration.
Anne: What is the formula for a great collabo?
The Mith: It’s something we apply in recording sessions as Klear Kut: leave your ego in the car. We don’t care about your status, how hot you are at that moment, who called who. The whole vibe in studio has to be comfortable. You can’t just play beat, record, and goodbye. You have to have a nice back and forth. Talk about girls instead of rap music. Don’t talk about how “yo, Mith they dissed you on twitter, what u doing to do?” Keep the conversations in studio light and record.
Tucker HD: The word he was looking for is chemistry. You have to be in the same bubble with the person you’re working with.
Anne: What is the formula for a great collabo?
The Mith: It’s something we apply in recording sessions as Klear Kut: leave your ego in the car. We don’t care about your status, how hot you are at that moment, who called who. The whole vibe in studio has to be comfortable. You can’t just play beat, record, and goodbye. You have to have a nice back and forth. Talk about girls instead of rap music. Don’t talk about how “yo, Mith they dissed you on twitter, what u doing to do?” Keep the conversations in studio light and record.
Tucker HD: The word he was looking for is chemistry. You have to be in the same bubble with the person you’re working with.
Photo from Daily Monitor Anne: Final thoughts?
The Mith: I would like to get in studio with most of the rappers in Uganda, but people think we charge for collaborations. I need to start charging! Be like a million per verse, haha. People have this whole thing like they can’t approach The Mith. Contact me! If it works, it works. Timing has to be right.
There was this one kid. He wanted to do a song with me and he met me in a bar. Ok. He introduces himself, says he wants to do a collabo. I am just wrapping up my album last year, so I said yeah, ok, when I am done with this stuff, then we do Navio’s concert, then Lira, then my concert, so any time after that is cool. He was like “no, I need the song now!” And I was like, “Guy, I have told you my stuff, but let’s get together Oct 18 onwards”. He was like, “Oh so you’re not going to do a song with me?!” No. I am not going to. Not now.
The Mith concluded by reemphasized the value of bringing your own unique talent and style to a collaboration.
The Mith: There’s a reason I contacted you. I did a collabo with a guy who tried to rap like me, I have kind of mastered that slow flow, so I killed him. I want it to be like: you introduce him to different fans, he introduces you to different fans. I want each artiste to sound different, different styles coming together. I never want to get into studio with a Luganda guy and he feels he has to rap in English. Hell no. don’t even say yo. I want you to rap in Luganda and dismantle!
The Mith: I would like to get in studio with most of the rappers in Uganda, but people think we charge for collaborations. I need to start charging! Be like a million per verse, haha. People have this whole thing like they can’t approach The Mith. Contact me! If it works, it works. Timing has to be right.
There was this one kid. He wanted to do a song with me and he met me in a bar. Ok. He introduces himself, says he wants to do a collabo. I am just wrapping up my album last year, so I said yeah, ok, when I am done with this stuff, then we do Navio’s concert, then Lira, then my concert, so any time after that is cool. He was like “no, I need the song now!” And I was like, “Guy, I have told you my stuff, but let’s get together Oct 18 onwards”. He was like, “Oh so you’re not going to do a song with me?!” No. I am not going to. Not now.
The Mith concluded by reemphasized the value of bringing your own unique talent and style to a collaboration.
The Mith: There’s a reason I contacted you. I did a collabo with a guy who tried to rap like me, I have kind of mastered that slow flow, so I killed him. I want it to be like: you introduce him to different fans, he introduces you to different fans. I want each artiste to sound different, different styles coming together. I never want to get into studio with a Luganda guy and he feels he has to rap in English. Hell no. don’t even say yo. I want you to rap in Luganda and dismantle!
In short, to successfully collaborate, according to The Mith and Tucker HD:
I, like The Mith, am very open to collabos, as long as the other person is bringing a talent that can complement my own, and they are eager to work professionally (and somewhat casually – let’s enjoy ourselves) to create something great. We can achieve more when we work together than when we try to tear each other down.
- Be eager to work;
- Don’t fight or cause drama;
- Be yourself - bring your own unique talent;
- Don’t push collaborators to do everything your way – respect their needs;
- Create a relaxed, friendly and fun environment;
- There is strength in numbers.
I, like The Mith, am very open to collabos, as long as the other person is bringing a talent that can complement my own, and they are eager to work professionally (and somewhat casually – let’s enjoy ourselves) to create something great. We can achieve more when we work together than when we try to tear each other down.
