Rashid Kay Claps Back At Criticism Towards Back To The City Line Up
Rashid Kay Claps Back At Criticism Towards Back To The City Line Up. Back To The City’s lineup reveal sparked the kind of comment-section crossfire that only hip hop can deliver.
Moments after sharing the festival bill with Lupe Fiasco announced as headliner, a fan fired a blunt shot: “STOP ADDING WASHED UP RAPPERS ITS NOT THE EARLY 00S.”
Rashid Kay did not duck. The festival co-founder came back with a one-liner built for the timeline: “Cry harder cos next year we’re bringing Wu Tang.” The clapback did more than defend the booking. It doubled as a teaser that flipped the mood from complaint to curiosity. If the statement holds, Joburg could be looking at a once-in-a-generation hip hop pilgrimage.
The exchange lands inside a familiar debate in SA hip hop. Some want legacy acts with pristine catalogues. Others want new-school stars who drive today’s streams. Lupe Fiasco sits in the first camp, a lyricist’s lyricist whose classics still pull crowds and whose recent shows remind fans why he became a festival staple. For purists, a headliner like Lupe is a masterclass. For some younger fans, it is a nostalgia trip that risks sidelining the present.
Rashid’s reply reframes the conversation. Name-dropping Wu-Tang signals an unapologetic curatorial stance that prizes culture, craftsmanship, and historic resonance. It also suggests a wider playbook for BTTC: pair a towering legacy with a livewire local roster so the main stage reads like a timeline of hip hop itself.
