#nemesisinc

[blue-note-lp]

bluenoterecords: RT nemesisinc: #UNTTLD is an on-going photoseries comprising images made at various shows at the Untitled Basement over the course of 2019. First up, nduduzo_m. https://t.co/L4OtarSiLd http://twitter.com/BlueNoteVinyl/status/1222158143951724544 BlueNoteVinyl

bluenoterecords: RT nemesisinc: #UNTTLD is an on-going photoseries comprising images made at various shows at the Untitled Basement over the course of 2019. First up, nduduzo_m.https://t.co/L4OtarSiLd

— Blue Note Collector (@BlueNoteVinyl) January 28, 2020

from Twitter https://twitter.com/BlueNoteVinyl January 28, 2020 at 09:03AM via IFTTT

[naroflossesfilthy]

Deep Dish Boiiz 🌚 . Photo by: @becausecamber_ . . #wheelwhore #hardparked #averydennison #paintisdead #chasebays #workwheelsjapan #workwheelsusa #workvskf #stance #bagged #camber #sfs #sovereignfitmentsociety #crevmfam #stayslammed #carlife #carporn #clubrsx #rsx #dc5 #nemesisinc #ourworld_ #repkillas #builtnotbought (at ABQ Uptown)

[hashtagghana]

@nemesisinc: RT @sabolairadio: Dade Krama : 70s #Ghanaian improvisational breakdown and psychedelia band who influenced the culture back then. Love those gowns. https://t.co/gJnI7Xnz69

[album-of-the--year-blog]

Johnny Cradle - ‘Johnny Cradle’

By Tseliso Monaheng

The day began with either a text or a call.

Saki of Johnny Cradle wanted to know whether I’d be available later for a recording session -- to hang, and to possibly snap images of the process.

I obliged.

It was during the first weekend of December 2016, on the Saturday Salut was being laid down. Chris (Lombard, former guitarist) was leaving for Cape Town soon; a permanent arrangement. All of his parts had to be recorded before the new week as a result.

I arrived at the studio, which is located somewhere past Jozi’s more interesting CBD and heads towards its languid Northern suburbs, ready to bang my head to the music.

And bang I did, somewhat.

                                                             *

The story goes that Saki needed a name to perform with during an event in the Eastern Cape (he’s from Mdantsane originally). His real name Sakumzi Qumana wasn’t enticing, so Johnny Cradle became the moniker he chose; the one that stuck.

It’s come to mean the everyday man: The hustler; the blue collar worker; the suit-and- tie corporate, white-collar homie. All of these manifestations of men, black and beautiful, have lives outside of what they are known for.

For Saki, it’s about being present for his daughter, above all else; but it’s also to do with being a loving partner; a true school, self-taught illustrator; and the vocalist and composer of what is now a trio completed by Soshanguve-born drummer and web designer Tebogo Mosane, and Lazola Ndamase -- father, deejay, producer.

Salut, the song recorded during that December weekend in 2016, is a personal document of the intersections in their lives, and a fist-tight, chest-out moment paying homage to the folks before them -- Saki’s struggle hero father, who besides being an active member in Poqo, later imprisoned on Robben Island, was involved in criss-crossing the country, transporting goods essential to the daily survival of South African households; DJ Laz’s grandparents, who raised him a church boy while his mother lived and worked elsewhere as a teacher; and Tebogo’s mother, who had to leave her family behind to seek out better opportunities for her offspring.

“We talk about people who are under-paid. People who are carrying the nation: Cleaners, gold miners, people who transport us every day,” says Tebogo. “There’s a line where we say keep your 20 bucks handy. Ask anyone who works a 9-to- 5 job how many times they’ve asked their colleagues for 20 Rands to go home, or to come back to work [the next day],” he goes on, reflecting on the precarious existence of people all over the continent and across the black Diaspora.

                                                                 *

The band’s evolved over many years, in different cities, to become the three-man outfit it is today. Their self-titled debut album has also just been released and in 10 songs, realises many of the themes Sakumzi’s been visiting through the years on EPs, remix project and unreleased songs.

But where previous projects sought more outward-leaning approaches to the music, fusing multiple instrumentation to create layer upon layer of sonic motifs, suggesting different directions to advance the message, the music on Johnny Cradle is straightforward and stripped to the bare essence -- the drum, and the bass.

It’s a motif, inspired by roots reggae music, which Saki’s been exploring since end-2013. He wasn’t convinced that he still wanted to pursue the dream, so a friend talked him into locking that entire December down to produce and record. A couple of songs emerged from that session, most notably uLate.

The autobiographical joint is the last on the 10-track project. It ties everything on the album together, and serves as the perfect accompaniment to album opener Mahambelala, which starts off with a vocal sample, courtesy of DJ Laz, proclaiming that they are ready to progress to some steps which are a bit more difficult, before Saki's fingers hit the keys and Stebu's drums set the groove off.

Mahambelala is about how the youngin from the Eastern Cape on uLate wound up in the city of bright lights, confused and somewhat bruised, lonely and searching for self in temporary relief. It’s the antithesis of the Men Like Us instance, which sees the all-encompassing character Johnny Cradle finally settle down and own up for prior fuckups.

Elsewhere on the album are Asidlali and the aforementioned Salut, which complement one another because of the work-oriented we-do- what-we- gotta, ballsy and unassuming attitude.

Saki’s straightforward style of writing lends a directness to the songs’ messages that might otherwise go unnoticed, had the approach been different. His pop culture references are dripping in Ebonics and kasi slang.

Find him giving a tongue-in- cheek shoutout to Heavy D; or fire off a sonic dap to Thembi Seete’s cryptic verse on It’s About Time; or a head-nod to his and our kwaito heroes M’du and TKZee as he sing-raps lines like phakamis’ izandla zakho, lapho sik’ bone from the latter group’s Magesh which appears on their Halloween album.

But there’s the other side which demonstrates that though Johnny Cradle is a principled disciple of life, he’s also not afraid to boogie-woogie in the club; to get crunk and enjoy life.

Songs like Sadakwa and Bangphethe best illustrate this complexity. The former song also gives a head-nod to Oda Meesta.

There’s kwaito here, mixed with roots, and hip hop, and the polyphonic vocal tones of boys who go up the mountain and return, a few weeks or months later, as men.

This project is every bit the 90s hip hop baby’s dream, completed by a self-awareness that illustrates what happens when boys grow up and decide to introspect.

Tseliso Monaheng is the corewreckah. Follow him @nemesisinc and support his work HERE.

[illskillionaire]

Cozy overload broski. 📷: @nemesisinc

[naroflossesfilthy]

Damn, Son; where'd you find this? . Photo by: @becausecamber_ . . #wheelwhore #hardparked #averydennison #paintisdead #chasebays #workwheelsjapan #workwheelsusa #workvskf #stance #bagged #camber #sfs #sovereignfitmentsociety #crevmfam #stayslammed #carlife #carporn #clubrsx #rsx #dc5 #nemesisinc #ourworld_ #repkillas (at Nambe, New Mexico)

[naroflossesfilthy]

This girl... She got them hips tho 🔥 . Photo by: @becausecamber_ . . #wheelwhore #hardparked #averydennison #paintisdead #chasebays #workwheelsjapan #workwheelsusa #workvskf #stance #bagged #camber #sfs #sovereignfitmentsociety #crevmfam #stayslammed #carlife #carporn #clubrsx #rsx #dc5 #nemesisinc #ourworld_ #repkillas (at Nambe, New Mexico)

[naroflossesfilthy]

Gaaaaaaaah summer; Im gonna miss you baby girl ✌️ . Photo by: @becausecamber_ . . #wheelwhore #hardparked #averydimensions #paintisdead #chasebays #workwheelsjapan #workwheelsusa #workvskf #stance #bagged #camber #sfs #sovereignfitmentsociety #crevmfam #stayslammed #carlife #carporn #clubrsx #rsx #dc5 #nemesisinc #ourworld_ #repkillas (at Nambe, New Mexico)

[naroflossesfilthy]

Even baby girl Ariela is above that weak ass Rep wheel game.. We #repkillas . Photo by: @becausecamber_ . . #wheelwhore #hardparked #averydimensions #paintisdead #chasebays #workwheelsjapan #workwheelsusa #workvskf #stance #bagged #camber #sfs #sovereignfitmentsociety #crevmfam #stayslammed #carlife #carporn #clubrsx #rsx #dc5 #nemesisinc #ourworld_ (at ABQ Uptown)

[naroflossesfilthy]

Dirty yard pics. Smh I got a neglected yard but a clean whip 🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️ . . . #wheelwhore #hardparked #averydimensions #paintisdead #chasebays #workwheelsjapan #workwheelsusa #workvskf #stance #bagged #camber #sfs #sovereignfitmentsociety #crevmfam #stayammed #carlife #carporn #clubrsx #rsx #dc5 #nemesisinc #ourworld_ (at Nambe, New Mexico)

[naroflossesfilthy]

Walk in the trap like a BOSS . . . #wheelwhore #hardparked #averydimensions #paintisdead #chasebays #workwheelsjapan #workwheelsusa #workvskf #stance #bagged #camber #sfs #sovereignfitmentsociety #crevmfam #stayammed #carlife #carporn #clubrsx #rsx #dc5 #nemesisinc #ourworld_ (at ABQ Uptown)

[naroflossesfilthy]

Thinking bout it now, y'all aren't ready for what's to come 🌚💦 . . Photo by @ben_cooper_photography . #wheelwhore #hardparked #averydimensions #paintisdead #chasebays #crevmfam #workwheelsjapan #workwheelsusa #workryver #stance #bagged #camber #ourworld_ #sfs #sovereignfitmentsociety #stayammed #carlife #carporn #clubrsx #rsx #dc5 #nemesisinc #wrapitabq #stancewarshouston #iamtop100 #top100 #stancewars (at Minute Maid Park)

[naroflossesfilthy]

Since the homies @becausecamber_ @dcruzdc5 @chony.z nominated me for #frontendfriday. If you tagged you're Nominated! Let's see them Front Ends!! . . Photo by @ben_cooper_photography @frawdulent . #wheelwhore #hardparked #averydimensions #paintisdead #chasebays #workwheelsjapan #workwheelsusa #workryver #stance #bagged #camber #sfs #sovereignfitmentsociety #stayammed #carlife #carporn #clubrsx #rsx #dc5 #ourworld_ #nemesisinc #wrapitabq #crevmfam #stancewarshouston #stancewars (at Downtown Houston)

[naroflossesfilthy]

Gotta few things up my sleeve... stay tuned . . . #wheelwhore #hardparked #averydimensions #paintisdead #chasebays #workwheelsjapan #workwheelsusa #workryver #stance #bagged #camber #sfs #sovereignfitmentsociety #crevmfam #stayammed #carlife #carporn #clubrsx #rsx #dc5 #nemesisinc #ourworld_ #stancewarshouston #stancewars (at The Galleria)

[naroflossesfilthy]

Front End Friday #postem . Photo by @becausecamberedshots @becausecamber_ . . #wheelwhore #thuggin #rollinshot #averydimensions #paintisdead #vinylwrap #workwheelsjapan #workwheelsusa #workryver #stance #static #camber #sfs #sovereignfitmentsociety #stayammed #crevmfam #carlife #carporn #clubrsx #rsx #dc5 #nemesisinc #slammedenuff #slammedenuffdallas #ourworld_ (at Dallas, Texas)

[naroflossesfilthy]

Work Wheel Wednesday . Photo by @becausecamberedshots . . #wheelwhore #thuggin #hardparked #averydimensions #paintisdead #vinylwrap #chasebays #workwheelsjapan #workwheelsusa #workryver #stance #static #camber #sfs #sovereignfitmentsociety #stayammed #carlife #carporn #clubrsx #rsx #dc5 #prelude #bb6 #nemesisinc #icy