016 could have been on the map by 2006 already
so...It's 2(016)...
Major shout out and respect to my Vaalies who are actually trying to put 016 on the map...
Let's see... 016 on the map....016 on the map...
Don't you think 016 would have been on the map a long time ago already? Think about it...
Maybe if some of our rappers and DJs weren't filled with egos or pride, by now we would have been on the map.
Vaal is actually an amazing place. Small but amazing, it is weakened by egos, pride, greed and selfishness. yes, I said it. If I were to put it in the form of a case study, I would say, Vaal is a house in between House Johannesburg and House Mafikeng.
House Johannesburg doesn't look out its window to see what other houses are doing. It is focused solely on its business, hence it progresses.
House Mafikeng doesn't kick others down as soon as someone makes it, it picks the others up and helps them reach their potential.
what I'm saying is if we are really serious about building the Vaal up, we need to focus on ONLY the Vaal. We need not worry about what Johannesburg is doing. Our biggest problem is that we are checking to see how far ahead Johannesburg is and we are trying to imitate that. NO. That is not the way to go. Let's look at us, make our own trends without throwing shade to other area codes.
Some of our rappers or those who are upcoming and making it ; before they make it,you are their friend. Once they are up there, they don't know you. You are "broke and irrelevant" to them. They become choosy, they prefer a certain calibre of people, yet they forget what their friendships started out as back in their time. They basically lack that humility for their hometown, and we are expecting to put us on the map? oh.
Then again if we want to be put on the map we need guidance from the "head honchos". You know...The now famous Johannesburg people who come from the Vaal...
Then again, how many of them unashamedly will stand up in a crowd and say "Vaal, my hometown stand up!!!" ???
Soweto artists go back to Soweto to give back a show. Mafikeng artist humble themselves and go back home to give a show. Vaal artists currently based in Johannesburg,where are you?
I don't want to focus primarily on the artists. I want to also talk to the actors, the broadcasters, DJs, anyone from Vaal who is now based in Johannesburg under the title "celebrity". Has it ever hurt to come back home and run a show?
Look I can't say I know the challenges in media when it comes to organising events and so forth but a small "Vaal picnic" ; it doesn't have to be fancy. The newspaper heading can just be " So and So pulls off an amazing motivational talk in his or her hometown, Vaal".
and there it is, a bit of recognition. With that bit of recognition, the future generation of Vaal can easily pick up and carry on building it. We all need each other on this one.
Vaal 2(016) will be a difficult optimum to reach if our attitudes towards each other don't change. As long as our rappers believe they breathe flavoured air, as long as our artists aren't uniting or collaborating, this 2(016) may just be a dream.
Imagine an event hosted by our favourite restaurant where ALL Vaal artists come together at least twice a year, and by ALL Vaal artists, I mean EVERYONE, Sebokeng, Evaton,Vanderbijlpark, EVERYWHERE. Not just the "ex model C" rappers one side and bo m'repa ba kasi another side. I am talking about a serious Vaal collaboration. If and when we do it,let's not try and imitate too much of outside trends. Let's be true to ourselves as an area, let's invite our Johannesburg based-Vaal bred celebrities and watch the space.
2(016) does not have to be just a dream. It can happen.
xx
Miss Prudy Blue
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