‘TheTribeExclusive’ featuring Black Vulcanite
They are undoubtedly Namibia’s leading hip hop act. Their lyricism packed with Afrofuturist themes has garnered them throngs of devoted fans and over the years the group has managed to take their sound beyond Namibia’s borders.
Consisting of Mark Mushiva, AliThatDude and Okin, Black Vulcanite has been away from the music scene for some time now with members of the group all focusing on various individual projects.
AliThatDude and Okin recently joined ‘TheTribeExclusive’ to keep their fans in tune with what has been happening with the group and shed light on what the trio has been working on..
TT: How does a group get it right to consistently make the quality of work that Black Vulcanite has been known for?
A: There are so many variables that go into creating projects like ‘Black Colonialist’ and ‘Remember The Future’. I think maybe it’s because we have this relatable connection to the youth of Namibia.
What has the music journey been like for the three of you since ‘Black Colonialists’ dropped?
A: Well personally, I think it’s been quite a journey to be honest because it led me into producing my own solo mixtapes which took me on a journey to Europe as well. I did a tour of Europe going to Germany, Finland and Amsterdam so it’s been quite hectic.
TT: You’ve also worked with a lot of Namibian artists in this period …
A: I’ve worked with a lot of Namibians, yeah. A lot of people reach out to me for features because apparently I’m that guy.
TT: Okin, you haven’t been quiet yourself …
O: Oh yeah. I’ve been busy. I wasn’t at the last interview with you because I was in China doing my MBA and we started up the ‘Slam Poetry’ movement in Beijing which then moved to other parts of China.
And as a group, what happened after ‘Black Colonialists’ was that we kind of blossomed into our own lanes. We went back to some of the stuff we were doing when we were individual artists before we formed Black Vulcanite and then also kept pushing that flag as much as we could.
Have you released anything as a group since that project?
A: We dropped a song last year. We worked with some of the people who worked with us on our first project so it was like almost coming back full circle – we always love to work with the people that we respect.
What is the group currently working on and when can we expect new work?
A: We are working on some stuff but we don’t want to put a date on anything yet. We’d like to keep you guys just a little bit in suspense for a bit longer, at least until Mark comes back.
O: We know that Namibia has been wanting something from Black Vulcanite for some time now. Right now we have our seven year anniversary ‘Remember The Future’ T-shirts for sale.
Watch ‘The Tribe’ on One Africa TV (GOtv 90, DStv 284, DStv Now, TV2Africa.com) every Friday at 21h30 and repeat shows on Wednesdays at 07h00, and Saturdays at 17h30. Alternatively, listen to The Tribe on 99FM every Friday at 19h00, and follow The Tribe on Instagram @thetribenamibia and on Facebook @TheTribeNamibia.
https://soundcloud.com/99fm/the-tribe-ft-black-vulcanite-1