The Channel 0 Emcee Africa tour is a tour that is sponsored by Sprite. It was associated with Emcee Africa - The Battle Chronicles, a talent show televising the competition. It was a

continent A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...

-wide search for the premier freestyle MC/ Rapper. The tour started in

Accra, Ghana Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...

, and then went through

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...

Nairobi, Kenya Nairobi ( ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows throug ...

, Luanda, Angola,

Lagos, Nigeria Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...

and Johannesburg, South Africa.Africanhiphop.com :: African Rap :: 10 years online
/ref>

Gaborone Gaborone ( , , ) is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of the total population of Botswana. Its agglomeration is home to 421,907 inhabitants at the 2011 census. Gaboron ...

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

was included in the second season, while Luanda, Angola and

were cut from the tour. The motive of the tour was not only to find the best freestyle MC, but to initiate international awareness of the 'street life' surrounding social and cultural context of the localized music. In other words, the tour was attempting to better contextualize the application and reception of hip hop culture in each visited country. The winner received $10,000, a video and a song deal.

Format and rules

The first season of ''Emcee Africa'' followed the host Leslie 'Lee' Kasumba to the various host cities, where the local MC/ Rapper's were invited to an audition. The final eight MC's were selected to face off in a knockout competition to determine the winner. During the auditions, each performer had two minutes to prove their candidacy for the final eight to a panel of judges. A topic was given to each contender to Freestyle about in order to ensure each contestant was truly improvising and not using any written material. After eight contestants were selected from each country, a separate contest was held, where the eight members would face off to battle each other in two 30 second parts, divided into 2 rounds, followed by the Final. The winner from each country was then flown into Johannesburg to compete for the "Emcee Africa" title, as well as the grand prize. A judge from each country's panel was then flown in to ensure neutrality in the final competition. The second season followed a similar format with similar rules, except that ten contenders were selected from the auditions, rather than eight. In the second season, contestants who made it through to the second round did not Battle each other but were rather judged based on a performance. From the performance, the judges panel selected two finalists to face off in a final battle.

Wildcard

For the Final Battle in the first season, audiences could log into www.channelo.co.za, and vote for their favorite MC/ Rapper from the previous competitions, to reappear in the final stages.

Host

Leslie 'Lee' Kasumba (a top hip hop radio DJ from South Africa's YFM station) is the host. She also corresponds for Africanhiphop.com. On the tour called 'the Battle Chronicles', she was chosen to narrate her daily experiences of traveling.

Quotes

"Never before has a continental Hip Hop reality based competition such as this existed."mkonowangu: CHANNEL O SPRITE EMCEE BATTLE
/ref>

Emcee Africa 1

Ghana

Date: Saturday, 22 December 2007
Location: Usher Forte, Accra, Ghana
Co-Host: Eddy Blay (XFM)
Judges:

Dj Black (Ghanaian DJ) Kwadwo Ampofo also known as Dj Black or the ''Toontoom'' is a Ghanaian disc jockey and media personality. He is also a radio host at Joy FM of the Multimedia Group Limited and has been the official DJ for Vodafone Ghana Music Awards. Early lif ...

, Kwame Swift, Reggie Rockstone

Final 8: Grafik, ID, J Town, Melodrama, Padlock, Rhyme Miller, Robin Hood, Trigger

Tanzania

Date: Saturday, 12 January 2008
Location: TCC Social Club, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Co-Host: Reuben (Clouds FM)
Judges: Lindu, Lufunyo, Professor Jay

Final 8: Abbas, Adili, God Emcee, Neville, Phoenix, Rage, Randal, X-Wray

Nigeria

Date: Saturday, 19 January 2008
Location: Nimbus Art Centre, Lagos, Nigeria
Co-Host: Tito (RayPower 100.5 FM)
Judges: Blaise, Ikechukwu, Modenine

Final 8: Del, Delta P, E-Law, Jizzy, Maximum, Teeto, Torpedo, Vector

Kenya

Date: Saturday, 26 January 2008
Location: WAPI, Nairobi, Kenya
Co-Host: Eve D'Souza (Capital FM)
Judges: Doobiz, Mwafrika, Nazizi

Final 8: Big Mic, Faya, Kimya, Lethal Dynamic, Mohammed, Point Blank, SNM, Tua

Angola

Date: Saturday, 1 February 2008
Location: Elinga Teatro, Luanda
Co-Host:
Judges: DJ Samurai, Kool Kleva, MC K

Final 8: Agape, Jorge, MG, Nigga Chi, One See, Ray D, Sunny Boy, Yung D

South Africa

Date: Saturday, 9 February 2008
Location: Roka Bar, Johannesburg, South Africa
Co-Host: AK (YFM)
Judges: Mizi, Proverb, Ready D

Final 8: Adamiz,

Ben Sharpa Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett or Benson, and is also a given name in its own right. Ben (in he, בֶּן, ''son of'') forms part of Hebrew surnames, e.g. Abraham ben Abraham ( he, � ...

, Heavy G, Projectah, Quaz, Slege, Snazz D, Steezy Stylish

Final Battle

Date: Friday, 28 March 2008
Location: The Pyramid, Johannesburg
Co-Host: Proverb (Metro FM)
Judges:

, Mizi (South Africa), Modenine (Nigeria), Nazizi (Kenya), Professor Jay (Tanzania), Wordsworth (United States)

Finalists: Big Mic (Kenya), J Town (Ghana), Rage (Tanzania), Snazz D (South Africa), Teeto (Nigeria), Yung D (Angola)
Wildcard winner: Adamiz (South Africa)
*

Snazz D Julian Du Plessis (born 13 March 1977 in Cape Town), known by his stage names Snazz D or Snazz the Dictator, is a South African underground rapper and music producer. Early life Julian Du Plessis was born in Cape Town, South Africa. He grew up i ...

wins the first season of Emcee Africa, earning him $10,000 (USD), and a single and video deal featuring

Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication ''Lyrical Ballads'' (1798). Wordsworth's ' ...

Emcee Africa 2

Botswana

Date: Saturday, 18 April 2009
Location: Fashion Lounge, Gaborone, Botswana
Co-Host:
Judges: Apollo Diablo, Zeus,

Final 10: Aztech 1, Blain, Cibil Nyte, Dizzo, EQ, Kid, King Ming, Nitro, Oracle, Simba

Round 1
Blain vs. Aztech 1
Cibil Nyte vs. Nitro
Kid vs. Dizzo
EQ vs. King Ming (''both disqualified'')
Simba vs. Oracle (''both advanced due to disqualification'')

Round 2 (''Individual Performance'')
Aztech 1
Cibil Nyte
Dizzo
Simba
Oracle

Final: Oracle vs. Cibil Nyte

Winner: Cibil Nyte

South Africa

Date: Saturday, 25 May 2009
Location: Roka Bar, Johannesburg, South Africa
Co-Host: Reason
Judges: HHP, Nthabi, Zubz

Final 10: Adamiz, G.C., Maraza, Mr. Calibre, Otis, Phoenix, Rhyming Type, S!ck, Soniq, Ulysses

Round 1
Otis vs. Adamiz
Rhyming Type vs. Phoenix
G.C. vs. S!ck
Ulysses vs. Mr. Calibre
Maraza vs. Soniq

Round 2 (''Individual Performance'')
Adamiz
Phoenix
S!ck
Mr. Calibre
Maraza

Final: Maraza vs. Adamiz

Winner: Maraza

Ghana

Date: Thursday, 7 May 2009
Location: Tantra, Accra, Ghana
Co-Host: Eddie Blay
Judges: Kwaku T, Scientifik

Final 10: Augustt, Boy Gemini, C-Real, Chymney, Krime, Melodrama, Padlock, Props, Robin Hood, Rocky

Round 1

Padlock vs. Chymney (''both advanced due to disqualification'')
Props vs. Augustt
Melodrama vs. Robin Hood (''both disqualified'')
C-Real vs. Boy Gemini
Rocky vs. Krime

Round 2 (''Individual Performance'')
Chymney
Padlock
Props
C-Real
Rocky

Final: Props vs. C-Real

Winner:

C-Real C-REAL () was a five-member South Korean girl group formed by NAP Entertainment in 2011. They debuted with their song ''No No No No No'' on October 12, 2011. Their group name was taken from the first letter of each member's name. They are dubbed ...

Nigeria

Date: Sunday, 10 May 2009
Location: Insomnia Nightclub, Lagos, Nigeria
Co-Host:
Judges: B.O.U.Q.U.I., Modenine, Naeto C

Final 10: Black Jesus, Collyde, Cwitch, Dirty-A, Emperor Trench, E.Y.M.E., Jizzy, Sergio, Taikoff, Torpedo Mascaw

Round 1

Dirty-A vs. Torpedo Mascaw (''both advanced due to disqualification'')
Collyde vs. Taikoff (''both disqualified'')
Cwitch vs. Sergio (''both disqualified'')
E.Y.M.E. vs. Jizzy
Black Jesus vs. Emperor Trench (''both advanced due to disqualification'')

Round 2 (''Individual Performance'')

E.Y.M.E.
Dirty-A
Emperor Trench
Torpedo Mascaw
Black Jesus

Final: Black Jesus vs. Dirty-A

Winner: Black Jesus

Kenya

Date: Sunday, 28 June 2009
Location: Club Clique, Nairobi, Kenya
Co-Host: G-Money
Judges: Doobiz, Mwafrika, Nazizi

Final 10: Bizzill, Kaligraf, Kimya, Kips, Lethal Dynamic, Lon' Jon, OD, Olu, Point Blank Evumbi, X-tatic

Round 1

Point Blank vs. X-tatic
Kimya vs. OD
Lethal Dynamic vs. Bizzill
Lon' Jon vs. Olu
Kaligraf vs. Kips

Round 2 (''Individual Performance'')

Kaligraf
Kimya
Lethal Dynamic
Lon' Jon
Point Blank

Final: Point Blank vs. Kaligraf

Final Battle

Date: 28 June 2009
Location: Club Clique, Johannesburg, South Africa
Co-Host: Proverb (Metro FM)
Judges: HHP (South Africa), Naeto C (Nigeria), Nazizi (Kenya), Proverb (South Africa), Zeus (Botswana)

Finalists: Black Jeez (Nigeria), Cibil Nyte (Botswana), C-Real (Ghana), Maraza (South Africa), Point Blank (Kenya)

Round 1 (''Individual Performance'')

Black Jeez
Cibil Nyte
C-Real
Maraza
Point Blank

Final: Zeus vs. C-Real
Final 2: Cibil Nyte vs. Zeus

Winner: Cibil Nyte * Cibil Nyte wins the second season of Emcee Africa, earning him $10,000 (USD), and a single and video deal.

Winners

* Emcee Africa winner (season one):

* Emcee Africa 2 winner (season two): Cibil Nyte

Other media

Singles

2008: "Battle Chronicles (Emcee Africa)" - (''by'' DJ Black, Rage, Yung D, J Town, Mode9, Snazz, Professor J & Nazizi) (3:49)
Produced by Don Juan (Octave Couplet) ''as featured on'' Hype Sessions Vol. 21: Jazzworx FM The Album.
CD published by HYPE Magazine in their 25th Issue, June/July 2008.

2009: "All Around The A" - (''by'' Proverb, Naeto C, HHP, Nazizi, Zeus, Tamarsha & Cibil Nyte) (5:15)
Produced by Don Juan (Octave Couplet).

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://web.archive.org/web/20010515220940/http://www.africanhiphop.com/ Music competitions South African Broadcasting Corporation television shows