Nota Reflects On SA Hip Hop’s Journey: “The New Kids Took It Backwards”

Nota Reflects On SA Hip Hop’s Journey: “The New Kids Took It Backwards.” In a recent, no-holds-barred interview on the popular 24 Hour Podcast, hip-hop pioneer Nota delivered a searing assessment of the genre’s current state—a state he believes has been diluted by a new wave of artists.

With characteristic bravado, Nota recounted his journey from underground innovator to industry icon, while expressing disappointment over what he sees as a regression in the art form he helped build.

“We took hip hop from an underground movement to the number 1 genre. So where I found hip hop and where I left hip hop, having achieved everything,” Nota declared.

“The disappointing thing is that the new artists who came in after, where they found hip hop, they just took it backwards.”

Nota’s remarks not only revisited his storied past but also challenged contemporary critics. He responded to recent debates surrounding the pace of career-building for emerging stars like Nasty C and A-Reece. “The criticisms are valid, when they say, ‘Why are they criticizing Nasty C and A-Reece when it took them 10 years to make careers for themselves?’ That is not the truth of the matter,” he asserted. “It took 10 years for us to make hip hop number 1—not for one artist, not for a group. We created an entire ecosystem: gig opportunities, tour circuits, music festivals, and even clothing brands.”

In a metaphor that underscored his point, Nota compared the evolution of a career to the acquisition of one’s first car. “The kids of today are not doing anything because everything has been done for them,” he explained. “It’s like your first car is a flipping Benz—you can’t go from that to a Toyota. Your first car was a Benz; it doesn’t matter that, but you walked for 10 years before you got that first car as a Benz. That means young artists are driving around in Toyotas.”

As the conversation concluded, it was clear that Nota’s frustration wasn’t about the talent of today’s artists—it was about their lack of vision, hard work, and the missed opportunity to take hip-hop even further.