From the moment Drip Too Hard and pushin P rang out, the Nasrec Expo Centre became a mass sing-along as American rapper Gunna captivated Johannesburg fans during the city’s eagerly awaited Milk & Cookies Festival on Saturday night.
The chart-topping rapper co-headlined the festival alongside Canadian-Bahraini R&B duo Majid Jordan— made up of vocalist Majid Al Maskati and producer Jordan Ullman from Toronto — as well as British singer Elmiene.
The line-up also shone the spotlight on some of SA’s top talent, including Blxckie, Fif_Laaa, DJ Kent, A-Reece, Jinji, Uncle Party Time, Asvante, Omagoqa and Pona x Nkuley, who all added their local flavour to the global showcase.
“It was my first performance here at this festival. I did the after-party last year. For me, my global footprint starts with making sure people at home love and appreciate me.”
Speaking to Sowetan at the festival, Lindokuhle Mabuda, known in the streets and music scene as Uncle Partytime, said: “The crowd was really there to engage with me, and that was very special for me. I haven’t felt like that in a while. I’ve been killing it everywhere I go, but today was more special. My birthday is also just 10 days away, so it was a nice way to start celebrating.
Earlier in the week, the festival kicked off with the Dot Connectors Music Panel at ALX, where a panel discussion and networking forum brought together leaders from music, media, tech, fashion and culture to unpack career pathways for young creatives.
“For me, my global footprint starts with making sure people at home love and appreciate me.”
— Uncle Partytime
This was followed by the Wunna Run Club 5K, hosted by Gunna at the expo centre on Friday.
Durban-born trio Omagoqa, made up of Chase (Njabulo Sibiya), Ma A (Andile Mazibuko) and KB (Franco Makhathini), set the stage ablaze with their gqom performance, which they hope will win them even more fans.
“We’ve been in the industry for a couple of years now, and most of that time has been spent touring and breaking boundaries. We’ve played London, Berlin, and Amsterdam, and now our focus is broadening our sound in SA,” said Chase.
“We started as friends about a decade ago, and although we have different tastes in music, our raw energy helps us bring authenticity to what we create. We feel like we’ve been dominating Europe, and now we’re focusing on the African market, especially Durban. We want to grow our fan base there, expand our sound, and bring other producers and DJs from Durban into the mix.”
The week will wrap up with a private two-day writing camp on January 12 and 13, which will bring together South African and diaspora creatives for songwriting and production sessions.
“I started with music as a kid in church — a typical story,” said DJ and producer Asvnte. “Then I stopped for about five years because my family didn’t believe in it. One day, I decided to go back because I was going through depression. Music was my calling, and now things are getting better and better every day.
“Crazy collaborations are coming this year,” said Asvnte. ”The dream is to do a one-man show one day, but it has to start at home in SA, because I wouldn’t be here without the people who supported me from the jump. Of course, I love my international fans too, but it starts at home.”
