Mohalenyane Phakela
ENTERTAINMENT outfit, Grown Folk Music, in collaboration with 4fordy and Castle Lite beer, will play host to long-time South African Disc Spinner, Ready D, on Saturday at the Khubetsoana-based club 4Fordy.
With a career spanning over two decades, DJ Ready D is best known as the deejay for old school Hip Hop group, Prophets of the City, which toured Europe for a period of six alongside him.
DJ Ready D is a four-time SADMC champion, DJ of the Decade award-winner and has been rated among the top 30 Hip Hop deejays in the world. He performed at the inauguration of former South African president Nelson Mandela in 1994, Quincy Jones’ Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and also appeared in an American movie Dangerous Grounds.
Besides performing in clubs, the spin master is also involved in a number of community building activities such as campaigns against drug abuse in schools, gang violence, drugs and AIDS in prisons, clubs and community centres.
He further took the art of hip hop mixing into many areas where it was unknown, including big music events around South Africa such as the Ice Festival, Synergy, Camel Experience, Oppikoppi and the KKNK Festival – a week-long tour into rural and underprivileged areas where most of the community do not have electricity, Woodstock Festival, Alex Groll International Inline Skating Championships, Redbull Downhill Extreme Champs, Grahamstown Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival and various trade and expo shows.
Added to his already impressive, DJ Ready is also a producer, MC for different occasions, is a presenter on Cape Town radio station, Good Hope FM and Channel O’s Mzansi Rides, as well as writing DJ advice for a number of music magazines.
According Grown Folk Music founder, Tlali “Mr Maps” Mapetla, the outfit consists of a trio namely himself, Untitled DJ and The Hitman,.
“It was established in 2012 as an outlet for music enthusiasts who enjoy soulful Hip Hop, Neo Soul and Lounge music,” said Mr Maps.
“The team continues to share exclusive tunes freely through the radio and internet links, also hosting regular sets at 4Fordy.”
Ready D’s performance, Mr Maps added, is part of a strategy to reinforce the brand.
“Unlike the rest of the shows that the country has seen, this show is intended to showcase the art of ‘turntablism’ which Ready D has mastered and for which he has won a number of awards,” he said.
The South African “turntablist” will be sharing the stage with the Grown Folk Music trio as well as DJ Ebonix, A Supreme and Da Star. There will also be freebies up for grabs at the event, courtesy of Castle Lite.
