Rattex, or Thabo Thetwa as he was christened by his mother, is a Cape Town hip-hop artist who is signed to Pioneer Unit, a cutting-edge independent music label founded in 2007 by producer Damian Stephens (alias Dplanet). His debut album, 'Bread and butter' (2008), was the culmination of close to fifteen years' worth of rapping experience; his first rap group, Maniac Squad, was formed in the mid-nineties. That debut attempted to strike a balance between his roots as an unrelenting, sure-fire-spitting hardcore rapper while bringing an edge of accessibility into his music. For the most part that approach worked, but some songs certainly did feel out of place, and were thus less of a pleasure to listen to. Production duties were split between Dplanet, Hipe, and Nyambz.

My first encounter with Rattex (or Rah as he is affectionately known) was in 2008 at the launch of a compilation called 'Battle of Gugs'. Hosted at the much-loved Mzoli's butchery-cum-hangout spot in Gugulethu, Cape Town, the launch was a well-received affair which featured performances from other Cape Town-based luminaries such as Driemanskap and Ill Skillz. Rah went onto the makeshift stage (the back of a bakkie) as the first performer, and proceeded to set a very high bar throughout all the tunes he presented to the audience. That initial encounter sparked in me a respect for Rah which remains to this day.

Fast forward to 2010. After appearances on various media, several performances, some collaborative work, and a European tour, Rah's hunger for fact-driven, unadulterated lyricism has found its place on an eleven-track EP (seven tracks, two remixes, and two acapellas) entitled 'Streets, raps, and us'. A sense of urgency is almost palpable throughout the EP, serving as the bedrock onto which Rah demonstrates several par-excellence
displays of lyrical fitness. The music does not betray the mood either; Dplanet and Hipe step up to the challenge by dishing out couture musical delicacies, while Filewile - a Swiss-based electronic music duo which toured South Africa in December 2009 - marinates the entire blend with a remix of 'Let's move'.

Mikko Kapanen, a Finnish-based music enthusiast and blogger, managed to witness first-hand the process of the EP's creation. Up until June this year, he had been living in Cape Town, lecturing at UCT while also reading
towards his masters in Media Theory and Practice. I got the chance to chat to him about the experience, along with the article he published which detailed the events. About Rattex, Mikko said: "He was very hospitable, very open and honest with me. I respected that". Being that I have had encounters with Rah on a personal level, I could relate to what he was saying. The article - an essay to be precise - is entitled 'Labour of love and hard entertainment', a title which was inspired by his [Mikko's] experience as an observer of hip-hop/rap culture globally, particularly with relation to how a lot of artists do their art mainly because of love and the sense of gratification they derive from it, and not necessarily because it pays the bills. Mikko says that he had been meaning to do a write-up on Rah, adding that "the EPs recording just happened to fall round about the time when I began writing it".

Back to my initial conjecture: Rattex may be angry, but he is directing that anger - perhaps a feeling of being let down by mainstream media as can be heard on 'Ewe nje', coupled with the sorry state that the entire world is in both socially and economically - towards the fully-formed creative masterpiece that is 'Streets, raps and us'. True to its roots as a progressive label, Pioneer Unit has decided to make this offering a mainly digital release. However if, like me, you prefer the [nowadays] lesser-travelled path to the record store, a few copies are available at the African Music Store on Long Street. A mail order option is also available for those outside of the Cape Town metropole and its immediate surroundings.