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Hopeful moment: HHP performing at Back To The City in 2016. ‘What we saw on stage was a man seemingly winning the war; making progress in pulling himself out of the depressive abyss,’ writes Sabelo Mkhabela. (Sabelo Mkhabela)

The Portfolio: HHP’s silver lining at Back To The City

Jabba’s Back To The City performance in 2016 was a late-career triumph for the visionary MC, but its promise would prove elusive

‘Generosity and genius’: For Jabba, aka Hip Hop Pantsula and HHP, music was a gateway to the world. (David Harrison)

Revisiting Planet Jabba

For a man to whom music was a mission, the local industry ultimately proved too narrow

The 10 best HHP songs ranked (+1 for luck)

Monster hits and expressive deep cuts from HHP’s extensive catalog, ranked from best to very good by Sabeo Mkhabela

Jabba performing at Back To The City festival in 2016. (Photo: Tseliso Monaheng)

Jabba: In pursuit of hip-hop greatness

Jabba was an an innovator who paved a lane and nurtured a genre, but he only ever wanted to be a Maftown hero

Out of Bop’s ashes: Morafe’s ‘The Anticipation’ helped to define the hip-hop subgenre motswako.

Motswakolistas left their mark beyond Mahikeng

Motswako was born from the hunger of Mahikeng’s young people to express themselves and solidify their hip-hop identity.

Motswako legend: Jabulani ‘HHP’ Tsambo died last week

On our Lists this week: Zero 7, KS Bongela, and Harambe

In between working on Friday copy, this is what the team reads, listens to and watches

HHP’s approach to motswako propelled him to the top of the movement. (David Harrison)

HHP – the motswako legend who was one of a kind

Jabba drew inspiration from everything. His approach was collective and prolific.

Larger than life: HHP on stage earlier this year. The hip-hop star died on Wednesday. Photo: Lucky Nxumalo/Gallo Images/Sunday Sun

Jabba, a man of the people whom we failed to protect

We failed to protect him when we heard his cries. This reveals to us the precarity of our own lives under racial capitalism

Sexual harassment on the domestic front (Photo Archive)

HHP, motswako maestro, has died at the age of 38

Although he didn’t start the style, Jabba is considered a motswako pioneer, raising the bar for the style and influencing a generation of rappers

Nigeria’s Seyi Shay.

SA, Nigeria top nominees at MTV Mamas

South Africa and Nigeria have the most nominees for this years’s MTV Africa Music awards, which are taking place in Durban on July 18.

Thandiswa Mazwai

Lifaqane music festival: Harmony out of chaos

Lesotho police may have shut it down, but the Lifaqane festival still offers the hope of uniting African voices in the face of discord and opprobrium.

With a career that stretches over 15 years

HHP on wanting a Nobel prize, xenophobia and performing in Lesotho

Ahead of his performance at the Lifaqane-Mfecane festival in Lesotho, we chat to the rapper about his bucket list, the Samas and xenophobic attacks.

Xhosa rapper iFani.

Maftown Heights hits Jo’burg

Maftown Heights has returned to Newtown, Johannesburg, and will be featuring some of the hottest SA hip-hop acts around.

As far as being an entertainer in South Africa goes
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HHP: To infinity and beyond

After 13 years at the top of his game, HHP – one of South Africa’s biggest hip-hop artists – tells the M&G why it’s time to try something different.