BOOING people to get off the stage may be a bit harsh, but it also makes for great entertainment and an interesting show.
This can be witnessed at the seventh annual Moment of Truth (MOT) showcase happening on Saturday at the Pinetown Civic Centre. Basically, the public has the say as hip hop crews and MCs will perform live in an attempt to show the crowd what they’ve got. And if the audience don’t feel they’re up to par, the crews will be booed off the stage.
Sponsored by the eThekwini Municipality Arts and Culture Department and DC Clothing, this year will see an estimated 4 000 people attend the event. The performers registered at the BAT Centre and on Saturday the public will decide their destiny.
Tonight caught up with one of the co-founders of MOT, Ayanda Makukule, who shared the concept behind the showcase: “Mdu Duma and myself are the co-founders of Moment of Truth. We wanted to merge all the different styles of hip hop that the province has to offer. We wanted to create something different for Durban that would also add value to the great work that various people have done for KZN’s hip hop community. So the event focuses on up-and-coming artists in hip hop, from poetry to MCs, rappers, dancers and hip hop fashion.
“Previously, we had another show called Hip Hop from the Heart. It was a huge success and then people said it was a fluke so my team and I answered them by doing Moment of Truth, which is different in that the crowd is not only hip hop. So people can do house, Maskandi and so on. It’s the moment of truth where you perform and if you win the crowd, you win everybody.”
With MOT in its seventh year, Makukule says the response in the past has been great: “It’s been in top gear. People show us love and respect and show up there in their numbers. We started with 50 people performing and now its up to 120. And it’s not just people from Durban. People from Newcastle, Kokstad and Stanger (KwaDukuza) also come through. Even some people from Joburg come because they fell in love with it when it first started.”
Without giving too much away, Makukule says there are amazing opportunities for the winners. In the past, MC winners received a cheque sponsored by the municipality and the dance crews won R5 000 in prizes.
So what can be expected on Saturday? Lots of fun, says Makukule.
• Moment of Truth, Saturday, Pinetown Civic Centre, noon. Tickets available at the door and cost R10.