SA Hip Hop Reacts To @MTVBaseSouth #HottestMcs

Last night, MTV Base's Top 10 Hottest MCs list aired on the channel with a panel of DJ Capital, DJ Zai Maya, Kyeezi, Ms Cosmo, myself, Scoop Makhathini, as well as Sandile GQ guiding the conversation. As can be expected, the streets are on fire with the turn out of the deliberation and there are calls for a re-do, a complete scrap, as well as a panel recycle - nothing that is new to the many reactions to the list. 

For a back drop, let's look at what the show itself as well as what the criteria is based on. The show is modelled after the American counterpart, MTV's Hottest MCs in the game which is a list of hip hop artists who are deemed the "hottest" in the year, considering their cultural relevance and interest. While fans may argue about their preferences, the list is not about the greatest of rappers since it has a 5 part criteria that accounts for Bars/Lyrics, Impact, Buzz, Sales, and Intangibles. A combination of all these elements will naturally fast track the more (usually) commercially successful artists versus many that both fans and industry peers will put forward to represent the game. Based on this criteria of guidance, the Top 10 Hottest MCs of South Africa this year look like this:

1. Kwesta

2. Nasty C

3. AKA

4. Cassper Nyovest

5. Rouge

6. Shane Eagle

7. Anatii

8. Ricky Rick

9. Moozlie

10. Nadia Nakai

Questions of how people like A-Reece, Stogie T, Kid X, and YoungstaCpt - to name a few - were left off the list were a trending factor, while Riky Rick, Moozlie, and vaguely Anatii's placements on the list were also questioned. The biggest battle, I feel, lies in the Top 4 as those acts have all held the fort respectively this year. If anything, from the deliberation up till this point of going to air, the Top 4 itself could be reshuffled in my opinion. Alas, we are here and these are some of the reactions from SA hip hop below:

@akaworldwide being number 3 on your #HottestMCs list is just disrespectful... Truth be told he was my only competition this year & number 1 on my list, without a doubt. I swore I would never tweet about that list again but I’m shocked at how they played the Supa Mega shem!???????????? pic.twitter.com/dZounL2tLM

— ???????? #K1Ggg #VurVai (@KwestaDaKAR) December 6, 2018

Fela In Versace is the only song bigger than @KidXSA’s Aunty & Mtano Muntu but I guess you know it’s no really about good music when the man with the BEST Album of the Year in any genre doesn’t make #HottestMCs Top 10... Luckily the fans know the real!https://t.co/tPYzwX9UxL

— ???????? #K1Ggg #VurVai (@KwestaDaKAR) December 6, 2018

Champ. You’re number 1 on my list everyday of the week. ???? https://t.co/g6AfYDcOCt

— AKA (@akaworldwide) December 6, 2018

There’s a lot being said about “the list” .... here’s what I have to say .... pic.twitter.com/pCmVZgLIyN

— AKA (@akaworldwide) December 6, 2018

Every year that list drops and we all just start fighting each other & shit. I’m not saying it’s not cool to debate who should be number 1 or not but I think we should do it in a manner that’s a bit more respectful and present facts instead of insult each other and be bitter. ❤️

— R.M Phoolo (@CassperNyovest) December 6, 2018

Sounds like y’all pulling these facts out your asses

— “CATCH IT” OUT NOW (@Nasty_CSA) December 6, 2018

Facts

— YoungChosen1 (@Shane_Eagle) December 6, 2018

Top 5...hmmm not bad at all☺️☺️

But yall know me..
The work continues.

Thanks guys ????????

Back to the music and building.
❤️❤️❤️

— Rouge (@Rouge_Rapper) December 6, 2018

No.9 #BIGMOOD pic.twitter.com/eUAOGBoyXx

— #MoozlieVictory???? (@NoMoozlie) December 7, 2018

Just means I gotta work harder next year!!!!! At least I made the list! ❤️❤️ #AllLove

— BRAGGA (@Nadia_nakai) December 6, 2018

Retweet if you believe we'll be on the #hottestmcs list next year pic.twitter.com/Lrh6buAJPk #18Flow

— #18Flow (@TouchlineTruth) December 6, 2018

Can we please respect Cassper? PLEASE!!! .. #hottestmcs

— #TEvOR???? (@Rowlene_SA) December 6, 2018

Change the name of #HottestMCs, unless you are doing it for the controversy. Should be Hottest SA Act or something like that.

We are disrespecting the word MC

— Ofentse Mwase????️????️???????????? (@unclescrooch) December 7, 2018

How y'all gon put that other guy above Cass?? ???????? yall played yo'selves#hottestmcs

— #LATELY (@astryd_brown) December 6, 2018

I wanna blame the panelists, but maybe I should check the criteria first. #BaseHottestMCs

— Papi Gonzalez (@Akio_Kawahito) December 6, 2018

Got more wrong than they got right. #BaseHottestMCs

1. Kwesta
2. Nasty C
3. AKA
4. Cassper
5. Rouge
6. Shane Eagle
7. Anatii
8. Ricky Rick
9. Moozlie
10. Nadia

— Papi Gonzalez (@Akio_Kawahito) December 6, 2018

Most deserved to be on there, but the order was off. Tshego probably should have made it. Frank Casino had a bigger year than at least one of the artists that made it too. #BaseHottestMCs

— Papi Gonzalez (@Akio_Kawahito) December 6, 2018

Kid X, YoungstaCPT, Tshego, Frank Casino, A-Reece. All of them have strong cases to feel snubbed. #BaseHottestMCs

— Papi Gonzalez (@Akio_Kawahito) December 6, 2018

People’s thoughts on #hottestmcs list are really interesting.

— The Pristine Queen???????????? (@QueenAzizzar) December 6, 2018

You’re not validated by nobody. Keep going.

— #Bozza #VI (@Gigi_Lamayne) December 7, 2018

Smh.....Mara this list

— MAJOR LEAGUE (@MAJORLEAGUEDJZ) December 6, 2018

Just saw that list... SMH????????

— Tebello Tibz Motsoane (@SHOWtibzLOVE) December 6, 2018

Is the hottest MCs list based on who raps the best? Earns the most? Star power?

— Tebello Tibz Motsoane (@SHOWtibzLOVE) December 6, 2018

Hawu... no A-Reece? No Stogie after he buried every Sway hyena? What’s the criteria? Also I could be wrong, but Anatii didn’t really drop a hip-hop project in my opinion. Despite how amazing it is

— Tebello Tibz Motsoane (@SHOWtibzLOVE) December 6, 2018

Then again, it’s like debates about culture... everybody wants ownership. I guess these lists are the same

— Tebello Tibz Motsoane (@SHOWtibzLOVE) December 6, 2018

Damn. No A-reece? https://t.co/o9HZhGR3PQ

— #Azania ???????? (@ReasonHD) December 6, 2018