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LOCAL rapper Jerome Rex hopes to bring Cape Town flavour to his first live stream concert.
The artist fuses classical Motown with neo-soul and rap to create a sound that reflects the Mother City in his online concert Locally Produced next Friday.
Rex, who won the 2019 Ghoema award for Best Hip Hop Album, had two previous Ghoema award nominations for Beste Afrikaanse Hip Hop Liedjie Van Die Jaar 2017 and in 2019.
The 40-year-old had multiple singles on the charts including Good Hope FM’s Hip Hop Top 30, with two of the songs reaching number one.
“Since Covid-19 hit the globe, particularly for all musicians and entertainers, it is important for us to keep the music industry alive by putting on events such as this,” he said.
He added that last year taught him to revolutionise his creativity and offer something unique to music fans across the board.
The show is supported by DJ Ready D as well as a five-piece live band which includes DJ Eazy on decks, Bradrock on drums, Eddy Strings on guitar, Robin Thompson on bass guitar and Micabyte on the keyboard.
Rex’s interest in music started while growing up on the Cape Flats and northern suburbs; this, later on, led him to pursue a musical journey in 2012.
“My friends and I would form acapella groups and sing in church and at school gatherings. My introduction to hip hop as a genre and a culture came much later when I was already in high school,” he added.
His sound generated from the fusion of hip hop and soul, mostly in Afrikaans.
“By drawing from those personal experiences, I'm able to add an authentically Capetonian element to the song writing,” he said.
The show will include a variety of music ranging from the earliest songs he has written and performed, to brand new music that has not yet been commercially released.
“Viewers can expect a range of different genres. My band and I are bringing some funk, jazz, RnB, soul and hip hop, in English and Afrikaans,” he added.
Rex has several new projects in the pipeline as well as working on a new album, this year.
“I'll also be focused on growing my Patreon community, which is my tribe of VIPs. The Patreon platform allows my supporters to join a closed community by paying a monthly subscription fee,” he said.
The virtual live show will take place on Friday at 7pm, with tickets at Quicket for R80.
https://www.quicket.co.za/events/123290-jerome-rex-presents-locally-produced/#/