US-based Motswana Hip Hop star plans Bots tour

NELSON DIRENG
Correspondent | Tuesday November 15, 2011 00:00

Dubbed, Let's Move It, the music tour is named after Da-G's debut mixtape, which was recently released in the US.The tour is expected to start in Francistown where Da-G grew up on December 23 at the Lizard Club.  Da-G and his crew would proceed to Thato's Club in Palapye on Christmas Eve.  Those spending their Christmas Day in Maun would get the chance to see him perform live.  Kasane follows on December 30 and lastly Gaborone on dates and venues yet to be confirmed.

Da-G said he expects to arrive in Botswana on December 15 and immediately begin to promote the tour.He said he decided to tour Botswana as a way of giving back to the country of his birth.During his tour, Da-G said he would work with locals by promoting talent in any field.  He said his crew would be video-documenting the events as they happen.  Talented youth in Botswana would get an opportunity to market themselves outside the country,' he said.

Da-G added that he would also promote the spirit of selflessness among the youth.  'I plan on visiting various orphanages in the towns in which I would be performing,' he said.  Da-G said that part of the proceeds from his shows would be donated to charity.

However, Da-G said he was not impressed by Batswana's lack of patriotism.  He said most of them would rather promote a foreign artist or product than their own brother or sister.  Da-G said that he has been struggling to secure venues for his shows in Gaborone.  He said most venue owners prefer hosting international artists rather than local artists, which he described as hypocrisy.

'Even what local artists are paid is peanuts compared to what international artists are paid for the same job,' he said.Da-G said that for Botswana to progress, Batswana would need to recognise talent possessed by their fellow countrymen.

Da-G is currently based in Dallas, Texas, where he is affectionately known as 'Dallas' Most Wanted' because of his unique deejaying skills.His passion for Hip Hop, he said, began in the '90s where he and his three friends formed a group called Steady Niggers.Some of the group's songs were played on RBII, but its music days were short-lived as they broke up before releasing an album due to academic commitments.

However, Da-G said his passion for music never died out as he continued writing lyrics. He moved to South Africa in 2001 to study Interior Design and befriended some of  today's renowned SA musicians like Zola, Tuks, Proverb, and Mischief.  Despite having a circle of friends in SA's booming music industry Da-G said he never pursued music because of school.  He moved to the US in 2008 after pursuing his Interior Design honours and that is where he got to meet top DJs and Hip Hop stars.  'By then I had been able to master my deejaying skills and my close friends advised me to take it seriously,' he said.

Da-G recently released his debut mixtape named Let's Move It in which he features various rap artists from Africa, the US and Canada.During his tour in Botswana he hopes to work closely with DJ Bunz, Jam-N-I and other local artists.