TEARGAS

BACKGROUND

TEARGAS is made up of three like-minded talents namely; Ntokozo “K.O.” Mdluli from Piet Retief in Mpumalanga and two brothers Ezee “Ma-E” Hanabe and Bantu “Ntukza” Hanabe from Soweto. They all met at Vaal Tri-angle Technikon in Vanderbijlpark, where their common musical interest in hip hop led their friendship to flourish. Although the group officially came into being in 2004, prior to that the guys were mostly making moves in the underground hip hop circuit. Inspired by the country’s political past where police used TEARGAS to disperse protesting crowds in South Africa’s townships, the threesome opted to call themselves TEARGAS, where they see their music as a tool to disperse socio-economic ills like crime, HIV/Aids, poverty, etc.

Debut Album – K’shubile K’bovu

After working day jobs and doing self-promotion in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Ekurhuleni, the Vaal area, Pietermaritzburg, Mpumalanga, and Durban, TEARGAS eventually got signed to Electromode Music in 2005, becoming the label’s first hip hop act. In July 2006, they released the critically-acclaimed debut, K’shubile K’bovu, a 14 track album filled with positive messages of hope and social awareness; party songs, etc. all strung together into one classic offering. With the help of talented producers, the charismatic group successfully put together an educative, motivational and an overall entertaining album that boasts with hits like Teargas Anthem; We Came to Party and the Award-winning “Chance”.

 Wafa Wafa

After taking a much needed 8 month break, TEARGAS returned to the scene with their sophomore album entitled Wafa Wafa (meaning Do or Die).The album features artists like Bongo Riot of urban pop group Gang of Instrumentals, up and coming rock band Inersha, Cat’Walk, Veja, 2lip and more.

The first track, “Champions” features Bongo Riot of Gang Of Instrumentals fame, is a motivational track about being proud of who you are regardless of your financial status. It is also a track to celebrate with those who have accomplished their goals, but also for those who are ambitious enough to aspire to reach the top.

This has helped to cement their position as a pillar of the local Hip Hop community while securing them a reputation as artists who, never failing to surprise, still manage to transcend the boundaries of genre.

Dark or Blue

Not ones to rest on their laurels, TEARGAS released their third offering, Dark or Blue, on 11^th September 2009, which features the talents of veterans of the music industry i.e. HHP, Prokid, DJ Tira and Danny K and more. The third instalment in the TEARGAS record series set a new standard for the trio and for local hip hop at large.

Proving TEARGAS’ experience and growth in quality of the music, the group was nominated 3 times at the biggest Award institution in the country, the South African Music Awards (SAMA) 2010. They are the first hip hop outfit to be nominated for Album of the Year for Dark or Blue alongside seasoned veterans Selaelo Selota and Busi Mhlongo.

The album went gold in 2010, and the demand for the group on the live circuit has grown exponentially. Such was the demand, that their first Live DVD – Teargas 101 – was released in November 2010, in association with Channel O.

In 2011, Teargas journeyed to Los Angeles to represent South Africa at the BET (Black Entertainment Television) Awards where they were nominated for Best International Act: African. While they didn’t walk away with the prize the nomination solidified the act as a band to be reckoned with.

Num8er Num8er

3 successful albums later and TEARGAS have become the benchmark of success in the hip hop industry. Building on this solid foundation the band has created their new album ‘Num8er Num8er’ with the aim to expand their reach and broaden their sound.
‘Num8er Num8er’ is township slang for “mission”, and they are on a mission to motivate the nation with their message of hope and perseverance. From their first album K’shubile K’bovu to their most recent the goal has always been to address social issues in a positive light. Their lives have changed for the better since starting out and for this reason they live by example as an inspiration to all who love their music.

Consistency is key with Teargas and their first single ‘Wake Up’ reinforces the mission. The song is a call to action to everyone to get up and do something affirmative with their lives. The sound stays true to hip hop but has more African soul incorporated in the melody, as is with the entire album. The thrilling new album ‘Num8er Num8er’ promises to deliver what fans have been waiting for. They can look forward to collaborative hits with Ziyon form Liquideep, Toya Delazy and newcomer Lilly Million. Look out for legends in your town as they embark on their nationwide tour.

The Hansa Pilsener Num8er Num8er Tour

 Questions and answers

Please give us a short introduction to TEARGAS?

We are a hip-hop trio based in JHB, namely two biological brothers from Soweto Ma-E and Ntukza, and third member K.O from Mpumalanga.

How did the name TEARGAS come about?

We met at varsity where we were studying all studied. Brought together by common love of hip-hop culture.

What are some of the most memorable performance the band/group had experience till thus far?

Funny enough one of them was when wen got booed off stage when we were still coming u, it built our character and we vouched to do better ever since. Second one was when we performed in Blantyre, Malawi. There was about 10000 people in the stadium and they were singing along to our every tune. Was humbling to know our music resonates with other African countries

What type of music can the public expect to listen to when attending a live performance of TEARGAS?

African hip-hop music.

Please share with us some of TEARGAS success stories till current?

I think the biggest highlight thus far is us getting nominated for the BET Awards in 2011 and going to LA for the first time of that event. We got a chance to Brubeck shoulders with some of the biggest names in the US and created some important relationships. Also, our 3rd album, Dark o Blue, went gold. The first hiphop release to do so in years.

What can the public expect from TEARGAS in the near future?

More great music!!! We are also in thevprocess of establishing ourselves as formidable busnessmen, outside the entertainment business. Which is also another method we are planning to use to motivate fellow South Africans because music can’t feed us for the rest of our lives.

What makes TEARGAS unique and different from any other South African musical group?

We are content with our culture and heritage therefore we see no need to try and replicate what foreign or international artist are doing, hence the reason our music sounds the way it does, proudly SA! We tell South African.

AWARDS 2006 – Now

Nominations

• Metro FM Awards 2006 – Best Album, Best Group, Best Hip Hop, and Best Song for “Chance”.
• South African Music Awards (SAMA) 2007 – Song of the Year for “Chance”
• Metro FM Awards 2008 – Best Group and Best hip hop
• Channel O Awards 2007 – Best Video by a group or duo for “chance”
• South African Music Awards (SAMA) 2009 – Best Rap for Wafa Wafa
• Channel O Awards 2009 – Best Video Southern Africa for “take you out”
• South African Music Awards (SAMA) 2010 – Best Rap for Dark or Blue, Album of the Year for Dark or Blue, Best Group or Duo
• Hype Awards 2009 – Best group and Best Video for Go Away
• Sound City Music Awards 2010 – Best Cinematography for Mhlobo Wami
• MTV Africa Base Awards 2010 – Best Group
• BET Awards 2010 – Best International Act: African

Wins

• Metro FM Awards 2006 – Best Album Award (K’shubile K’bovu), Best Hip-Hop Award, and Best Song of the Year Award (Chance)
• Metro FM Awards 2008 – Best Group for Wafa Wafa
• South African Music Awards (SAMA) 2009 – Best Rap for Wafa Wafa
• Channel O 2010 – Most Gifted Video for Party 101
• South African Music Awards (SAMA) 2010 – Best Rap for Dark or Blue.
• Photos and information supplied by TEARGAS and representative of TEARGAS 

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