Interview: Young Nations

US-born, South African rapper Zosukuma isziwe Kunene aka Young Nations, has had his fingers on the pulse of international hip hop for the past 20 years. He has shared studios with hip hop legends like 2Pac, Outlawz and Megahertz, and also opened for a host of international rappers, including Ice Cube, Coolio, Rappin4Tay and Lynch Mob.

The first son of renowned political activist, Proffessor Mazisi Kunene, Young Nations grew up in Los Angels where his father lived in exile during the apartheid era. Nations initially performed under the name K.A.S.H, (Kept Under Africa’s Sublime Hold) and made his professional music industry debut with a mixtape in 1994.

His first studio album Nations Uprising followed in 1995, loaded with poetically radical rhymes that immediately gained prominence on the West Coast of California. After Nations Uprising, however, Nations surprisingly stopped releasing albums, although he continued to record tracks with top artists in the US and South Africa.

Now based in Johannesburg, Nations has broken his hiatus with a mature album titled United States of Africa. We caught up with him to hear more about the album, his break from releasing albums, industry matters and his message to youths across the African continent.

Why did it take you so long to release your sophomore album?

Young Nations: A whole bunch of reasons, but all of them good.

OK, tell us. What have you been doing since your last album?

Young Nations: I've done a lot of things, including collaborations with international artists like Sean Price and doing the only global hip hop commercial for CNN International. I also co-run my label, Unreleased Records with my business partner Draztik and we've released three successful albums for Imbube, F-eezy and 985.

So what’s behind the name Young Nations?

Young Nations: Young Nations comes from my original Zulu name 'Zosukuma isziwe' which means 'Nations shall rise'. The Young is for all the nations around the world I represent when I flow, all the way from Soweto to South Central, London, Lagos, Cape Town to Cambodia and Botswana to Beijing.

And how old are you?

Young Nations: Forever young.

OK I'll come back to that. Tell us more about the album

Young Nations: This album is a culmination of so many lives, so many stories, and so many experiences. The lyrical wordplay takes classic elements from 80s hip hop to that '94 bravado you just don't hear in hip hop anymore.  I threw in a new type of flow that no one’s ever heard before.

I understand the album has also been released internationally?

Young Nations: Yes. The album is now available anywhere in the world through our deal with iTunes US, UK, New Zealand and Japan, as well as Reverbnation and Amazon.

And how has been the response so far?

Young Nations: It’s been absolutely phenomenal.

What was your goal when you recorded this album?

Young Nations: The goal with the album was honestly to change the world.  For the first time ever, this is an authentic hip hop album spoken from the perspective of today's African youth, in the context of popular culture and things we all go through on a daily basis.

Can you explain why you titled it United State Of Africa ?

Young Nations: The album is a direct reflection of pop culture's influence on the new Africa. The new Africa is a reality of new young Africans who understand the world, who drive Hummers, shop in London and cruise the Internet on Blackberry's. At the same time we also understand the intense responsibility to Africa's continued development, the issues faced on the continent, but we're no longer apologetic about our global ambitions.

OK...

Young Nations: That's a very important dynamic in the growth of Africa into the future- now artists like Ludacris, Mary J Blige, Mos Def and even Jay-Z come to us! Even now 50 Cent is coming down again this year to promote Vitamin Water. This year's FIFA 2010 World Cup is major example again if you're still not convinced that the 'new' Africa has arrived. Hence the title, the "United States of Africa".

When you think about the future, what do you perceive to be the greatest challenge of the local music industry?

Young Nations: In one word, distribution and in another word, piracy.

As an artist and record label owner what are you doing about this?

Young Nations: Unreleased Records has extended its distribution beyond the normal channels to make it available to fans.  We use everything from retail partners in various countries, to street teams that take the music to where people are. In terms of piracy, I deal with it by making music that fans fall in love with.

I like the idea...

Young Nations: I make sure that the music is good and the album is packaged in a specialised 'super-jewel' plastic casing .  I go even further and tour retail stores signing copies in stock, making each purchased CD a 'one-of-one', like no other in the world. All this makes buying or making a bootleg CD a waste of time.

As someone who’s been exposed to the US music industry before, what would you say are the coolest things in the local music industry?

Young Nations: The coolest thing has to be our creativity and drive to compete with whoever.  I also think the new African sound of today is unlike any other in the world.  On the U.S.A. album, you can feel the dusty haze from our winding African roads in the rolling baseline of songs like, "My Dowgz", and at the same time you see our wealth and royalty sparkle in the chorus of many US songs. You just can't find this kind of sound anywhere else in the world.

Are you in SA for good now?

Young Nations: I'm a serious traveller, I love new people and new places.  So far, I’ve been to France, Germany, Spain, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland, Los Angeles, Miami and New York.  I'm based in Johannesburg for now, but don't be surprised to see me at an airport terminal on the way to somewhere...

What are you currently working on?

Young Nations: Touring and shows, a television series on DSTV, various different mix tapes and features, videos and of course more and more music!

Where can fans get more of you music, photos etc?

Young Nations: That's easy, www.unreleasedrecords.com.Search ‘Young Nations’ under the 'artist' tab, or the various websites I mentioned, the usual Myspace and I'm also on Facebook, I'm always on it to answer all fan mail. Please be patient.