Having been hosted by the likes of DJ Ready D, Big Dre, Shameen, and Wanda, just to mention a few, Headwarmaz is now in the hands of the new generation of Cape Town hip hop in the form of Andiswa Mkosi and myself (Sabelo Mkhabela). I am a rapper in my own right but more than a rapper, I am a student of hip hop. I am a hip hop journalist, and I had my first shot at hip hop activism when I joined the University of Cape Town Hip Hop Club which I went on to be chairperson of in 2012. Andiswa Mkosi is an emcee and a photographer from Langa Township in Cape Town. She is also a co-founder of Jam That Session, an arts movement that holds themed events every month.

The show airs every Friday night (10pm–1am) on the oldest community radio station in Africa, Bush Radio and has been a platform for South African (mostly Cape Town) hip hop artists for over 10 years. Headwarmaz has changed hands a lot, and these periods of transition have caused friction due to each set of presenters bring their own direction to the show. Hip hop heads are some of the most outspoken groups of people around. When we joined, comments ranged from “We need (insert name of previous host here) back” to “we want the old Headwarmaz back.” There was the odd “give the new presenters a chance to execute their own ideas” thrown in for balance.

Our Facebook group boasts 3, 700 members and counting. It was created for the artists and listeners of the show to interact with the presenters and with each other. Unfortunately, it has become a hub of controversy; topics such as who the best rapper is in Cape Town to its cousin “who’s the wackest rapper in Cape Town?”oftentimes take precedence.  A few individuals have attempted to broach pertinent topics but to no avail. Such posts receive little to no attention. Today, May 2nd, 2014, is different.