SA Hip Hop star Khuli Chana has opened up about the inception of Maftown Heights and its legacy.
Khuli Chana has recently opened up about the impact of the new four-part documentary Maftown Heights Untold Stories. According to a report by Briefly, the documentary shows the history, importance and never-seen-before moments of the largest hip-hop festival in Mzansi.
Maftown Heights was first started as a small show in Newtown in 2010 and has since grown to be one of the most iconic music events on the continent. He opened up about it in an exclusive chat with Briefly, saying,
“It has scaled dramatically since its inception in 2010. The first edition was inside Bassline in Newtown and had a capacity of 1000 pax. By 2012, we had doubled the capacity to 2000 and gotten the first big brand in Miller to invest in a hip-hop festival”
“By 2020, we had also started the Maftown Heights Creative Community Workshops with the aim of building out an ecosystem of new-generation events and music entrepreneurs. The Creative Community Workshops were close to our hearts and in line with nurturing new talent. Throughout the lifespan of the festival, we have had a New Kids on the Block showcase that has seen us give a platform to emerging artists over the years. Some now household names that were featured on our stage include AKA, Cassper, A Reece, Gigi LaMayne, Nadia Nakai, Ginger Trill, Priddy Ugly, Franc Casino, Emtee, Nasty C and many others.”
“The festival was conceptualised as a platform that would build the bridge between the Motswako fraternity and all those in hip-hop and other genres that they collaborate with. It was a festival designed to not only celebrate Motswako but also celebrate the friends of Motswako loudly and proudly. As such, unity was built into the DNA of the festival from inception.”
