Mixed Reactions As MTV Base Hottest MCs 2024 Purportedly Gets Canned
Mixed Reactions As MTV Base Hottest MCs 2024 Purportedly Gets Canned. The South African hip-hop community is in turmoil following news that the highly anticipated MTV Base Hottest MC’s 2024 roundtable discussion may have been cancelled, leaving fans and artists alike grappling with a wave of mixed reactions.
For nearly a decade, this annual event has served as one of the most anticipated showcases of South African hip-hop, spotlighting the country’s top artists based on their influence, impact, and the music they’ve released throughout the year. However, this year, speculation is rife that the show will not go on.
Launched in 2014, MTV Base Hottest MCs has quickly become an essential part of South Africa’s hip-hop landscape. The roundtable discussion brings together the country’s foremost music commentators—journalists, DJs, producers and artists themselves—who deliberate over the year’s most influential rappers and their contributions to the culture.
The rankings, based on sales, streaming numbers, cultural influence, and overall impact, have long been a barometer for an artist’s success in the competitive world of South African hip-hop. In recent years, the show has sparked intense debates among fans and industry insiders, often provoking passionate conversations around the definition of “impact” and “relevance.” With a rotating panel of experts, MTV Base Hottest MCs has evolved into a conversation starter—one that is looked forward to by anyone with an interest in the genre.
However, this year, the conversation has shifted from debates on who should cut speculation about the very future of the platform itself. For many fans, the show represented the ultimate annual celebration of South African hip-hop, offering a chance to celebrate the highs and lows of the year while positioning artists in the cultural hierarchy. Hottest MCs was not just about rankings—it was about the state of the industry itself, a reflection of its triumphs, struggles, and its ever-evolving nature.
“I do feel as though because of the year that we had in 2024, we did deserve a list or some conversation. Just like a recap of the kind of year that the SA Hip Hop guys had. But instead this time it was then replaced by a conversation that was related to the Piano okes,” said The Boy Posty an SA Hip hop content creator and commentator.
He added; “looking at it from the perspective of this would’ve been a 10-year anniversary of that platform happening because the first time it happened was in 2014 and now judging by the year we had, I do feel as though we deserve to have a list. I dont think it deserved to get canned because that conversation was necessary for the game. What it then does was to improve or enhance the competitive nature of SA Hip hop.”
However, not all reactions have been negative. Some SA hip-hop fans have welcomed the news, citing that the Hottest MC list often lacks representation of a broader spectrum of the South African music scene.
“See, in a way, I’m glad they didn’t. Their main priority isn’t SA Hip-Hop growth, but the spaces they find themselves talking about and discussing when the genre is doing ever so well, like this year. Also, some never added any significant value to these conversations, so touché,” reads one of the comments on social media.
MTV Base’s Hottest MC list has undoubtedly played a pivotal role in shaping the South African Hip Hop landscape, serving as both a celebration of artists’ hard work and a reflection of societal changes through the lens of music. The 10th edition was poised to not only celebrate a decade of impactful rankings but also reflect on the genre’s transformative journey. The past decade has seen the rise of South African Hip Hop into the mainstream, as well as the diversification of its sounds and styles.
In 2024, South African Hip Hop experienced a creative renaissance, with a slew of artists—both new and established—dropping highly anticipated projects. Nasty C’s continued international success, the resurgence of Kwesta and K.O, the rise of new artists like Usimamane and Tony Dayimane, and the ground-breaking work of 25K, A-Reece and Emtee had given fans a year full of standout releases. This made the absence of the annual Hottest MC discussion all the more perplexing to Hip Hop lovers.
With the future of MTV Base Hottest MC hanging in the balance, there is concern over what the show’s cancellation means for the overall state of Hip Hop on television
