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I am very happy about that and excited that more of us get to carry the flag. It never used to be like that before! Four acts from South Africa on a lineup. Last weekend I was at Amsterdam for ADE and the lineup featured DBN Gogo, Culoe De Song, and Major League DJs. It is also great that for the first time I get to play alongside South African artists on shows. This is the most important thing to keep pushing for our music to be heard everywhere. What are your thoughts on the current surge of interest in amapiano worldwide?ĭJ Lag: I feel so happy and proud seeing African music reaching the world. You’ll hear that sound on most of the tracks on the album. It also has some sounds inspired by amapiano like the log drum.
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The previous generation was more minimal and stripped-down beats. I have slowed down the tempo and also many of my tracks have vocal features. It's been described as ‘gqom 2.0’, can you explain what this means? How does this compare sonically to amapiano?ĭJ Lag: This style is an evolved version of gqom. Into the gqom sound I have fused Afro tech, Afro house, and even a hint of amapiano. What would you like people to take away from it?ĭJ Lag: That I have featured some amazing talent from South Africa and that the sound is moving to a new direction. I suppose the anticipation around it is also part of the excitement and things are going really well so far. I have done many releases before but this feels very different. I have been working towards this for a long time. You’re on the cusp of releasing your debut album – how are you feeling about this milestone?ĭJ Lag: Very excited. Below, Dazed asked the gqom king about the forthcoming LP, the current boom of amapiano around the world, and why he’s not jaded about beat thievery.
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Now with his debut album Meeting With The King on the brink of release, that promises a thrilling fusion with South Africa’s biggest sound of now, amapiano, Lag is looking to expand his sonics even further. Although he’s squashed the beef with his friends and is now rightfully credited, two legal battles show that Lag’s sonic mastery is something worth possessing. He hadn’t been asked for permission to use it (luckily, the SA music scene came to his rescue and outrage ensued, earning him his credit). Last year, a beat of his inexplicably featured as the beat of a new track by radio host Megan Ryte featuring will.i.am and ASAP Ferg. That track blew up in South Africa under a whole different name while DJ Lag was busy touring. A track he’d made, “Trip To New York”, was released with minor edits by Distruction Boyz, friends of his, without his knowledge. But for someone who’s paved the way for an entire genre to flourish worldwide, Lwazi Asanda Gwala hasn’t had it easy.