An Ottery couple who recently released a hip-hop album want to prove that rap music doesn’t need to resort to the negative imagery and lyrics people have become accustomed to.
The album, called The Takeover, was released on Thursday September 16 and contains no profanity, no reference to violence or guns and no derogatory language.
Candice Permall, 40, and rapper Garth “Hef the Chef” Permall, 41, produced the album which has been six years in the making.
“It was always a goal of mine to bring out a hip hop album showcasing the best of Cape Town’s artists but it was never the right time. I was working a full-time job but since being retrenched in 2020, I found myself in a position to finally put the time and work in to get this album done,” said Garth.
The name of the album The Takeover is intentional. “There is this idea that only one sound of a rapper comes from Cape Town. We have international quality rappers that exist in this City and I wanted to bring all the diverse styles of rap together on one album. We are taking it back to what rap music was all about, storytelling and lekker beats,” he said.
In addition to having founded the record label Island Roc Music, the Permalls also host their own podcast called Lounging with the Permalls. They’ve just wrapped up seaon 1 in which they speak to those in the entertainment industry about their experiences; and are currently doing another podcast called #Couplegoals.
Garth, a former resident of Portland, said he was a hip-hop dancer, had a singing group, and still does production work.
“It is important that artists protect their intellectual property and register their art so that no one can steal or copy it. Only later in my music career did I learn the importance of protecting my art. The podcasts and record label aims to guide local artists and any one in the entertainment industry to register their art,” he said.
Ms Permall said they will be having an album launch and will release more information about the launch soon.
