If your guests don’t get tired of dancing the night away, it simply means your party is lit. Hennessy Back to The City’s comeback event after a two-year hiatus was the perfect example as we were in our dancing shoes until the wee hours of last Sunday.
The star-studded and packed hip-hop festival returned to the Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown, Joburg, on Saturday. This year’s event was themed Freedom of Movement, and what else does hip-hop stand for? Nothing but freedom.
The highlight of the night was Cassper Nyovest’s surprise performance, just after knocking out Priddy Ugly at the Celebrity Boxing Match on the very same night.
With shock and excitement, it was clear from the crowd’s reaction that Cassper’s boxing match victory must have been the easiest for Mufasa.
Probably easier than the training and sparring session he undertook because the man was hyper energetic, looking nothing like a man from a boxing ring.
His industry rival, AKA, put on a showstopper performance called the Hennessy Moment.
Super Mega, or rather King Forbes as he is known in some circles, performed under fireworks and bright lights, triggering reverberating screams from the crowd of about 15 000 patrons.
It must have been exciting for him to share the stage with his lover, Nadia Nakai. It seems things are getting serious between the two. Love and luck guys, you both need some positive vibes.
American rapper Talib Kweli, who was brought in as one of the international acts, deserves a loud round of applause for pulling off a flawless performance. He put the spotlight on amapiano fans who were all over, crowding the space. Guys, rap and hip-hop puts lyrics to all songs, not just whistles and beats.
If you don’t know the lyrics, then you’re not a fan. Period.
Mixed emotions stormed the space when Simphiwe “Picat” Sibeko hit the stage for what felt like a solo performance. This was his emotional first-time experience and performance as the last surviving member of the iconic kwaito group, Alaska. He nailed the performance anyway, also making it a tribute to remember – hopefully, he will groom aspirant kwaito artists to join the group. Picat must keep the movement going and alive for the sake of preserving a proudly South African genre, kwaito, I mean.
Back to The City is widely known for preserving the hip-hop culture and making it “normal”.
This includes having creative artists showcasing their work from music, art and dance.
Speaking of which, Les Twins showed off their first fashion capsule collection under the cognac brand. The duo also designed the 11th edition of the Very Special limited-edition of the cognac bottle.
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