by Phil Chard

Not since the the Wayans brothers did spoof movie on classic black movies of the 90s have we seen such an incredibly long and descriptive project title. I guess Durban's Myndphlo (pronounced Mind Flow) clearly has a sense f irony and humour to go with his talent as a beat maker. His 16 track beat titled (deep breath) Beats With Uncompressed Snares Sounding Like Frying Pans Dropping On A Marble Floor Tape is an ode to the boom bap and looped soul sample that the puriss will love.

Myndphlo has been in the Hip Hop and entertainment industry since early 2000 where he released his project Redemption while studying at The University of KwaZulu-Natal. Since then Myndphlo has released a number of collaborative and solo projects as a rapper and producer. Myndphlo has also collaborated with artists like Jay-Tip ( who we featured here) in the Myndphlo tape, as well as having his show on campus radio at UKZN.

You can read Myndphlo's full bio below

Standout beat: Last One

South African Durban-based Hip Hop Producer drops a BeatTape with an unusual long title-Beats with uncompressed snares sounding like frying pans dropping on a marble floor TAPE.He describes it as an offering for the "Heads" He refers to himself as the quintessentially prolific purist, a modern-day philosopher, writer, producer and MC.

Raised in the rusty dusty streets of Botshabelo (50km outside Bloemfontein) Tshepo ‘’Myndphlo’’ Nthebe fell in love with Hip Hop at the tender age of 12. The now 31-year old MC, turned producer recalls how he saw two of his friends back in primary school do what is known as freestlying(the ability to instantaneously rhyme words from the top of your head), and from that moment on he knew that he wanted to be an MC. In 1998 he began his quest to stardom by entering many talent shows in High school and performed at various school functions. Although reciting other famous rapper s’ lyrics at that time (2pac and Notorious BIG) he recollects how he got kicked off stage at a local soccer tournament and talent show held in his hometown sponsored by MTN, (ironically, a company that he works for today) due to controversial lyrics caused by his inexperience .

In early 2000 he started writing his own lyrics and spent most of his time perfecting his craft. After completing High school he moved to Durban and enrolled at UKZN (University Of KwaZulu-Natal) The campus life exposed him to a more definitive pinnacle of artistry as he met many like-minded individuals. He released his first EP called “Redemption” which he recorded in his friend’s room using a guitar and low-cost microphone. The EP was well received and saw him joining Keen Artist-a campus art and poetry organisation.

In 2005 he released his first mixtape collaborating with a campus friend M-kiss, now referred to as DJ MZU of Panache Boys fame, using beats provided by various producers on campus. The mixtape was a success and saw the two opening for the likes of Malaika, L-vovo Derrango, DJ Tira and Mahoota at campus bashes. The duo teamed up and promoted the mixtape outside Campus, performing at various schools in Umlazi, the biggest township in Durban. Myndphlo’s determination and resilience saw him excel in a freestyle battle contest which won him JAYZ and Rihanna concert tickets. He was also invited by NOKIA to perform at various Hot spots around Durban. Given the impact of his skill, he was easily known around campus and this saw him having his own Hip Hop radio show on campus called “The Myndphlo Show” which aired every Friday afternoon. In 2007, he worked with one of Durban’s most gifted producer Nkululeko Sibisi of Lakeyz Production, the two recorded “Shape of Sound”, a title track used for a mixtape (Shape of sound Mixtape) which circulated around Durban.

In 2009 Myndphlo took an interest in beat making, he realised that music was constantly progressing and he wanted to explore other avenues within music. This saw the release of his first beat tape called “Laureate’s era” which was released online and introduced Myndphlo to an online audience which in turn took notice of him. In 2011 he came 3rd in an annual “All Elements Battle of the Year” contest, hosted by legendary producer Hiperdelic from Cape Town. The contest exposed him to the market of beat production as many MC’s started purchasing his beats.

In 2013, he competed at BACK TO THE CITY Festival, an annual Hip Hop event held in Johannesburg. The beat battle allowed him to network with other artists and producers from Gauteng and all over the country. He collaborated with Jay-tip, a Pretoria based producer and the two released a beat tape titled JAYPHLO, the tape saw over 1000 downloads and received positive reviews on social media. He has produced for upcoming artists like Subverse, Raheem, Kullax and Psychonic and many more. 2014 saw Myndphlo release his single-The Essence feat.Raheem Kemet and Canis major,a soulful jam encapsulated with articulated lyricism.The track received maxim attention online and became Number 1 on Eldos876FM’s Hip Hop show called #Cypher629 On Sep.16th He dropped his long-wait anticipated beat tape called BeatSmith Avenue,a 4-beat EP which is currently circulating online as well.

He once again collaborated with JayTip and released Underground Astronauts Vol.2 which was also well received.In September 2015 he won the Durex BE THE ONE KZN finals battling with Lwansta and taking the crown.He represented KZN in Johannesburg and came out 3rd. 2016 June 13 sees the release of his boombap inspired BeatTape titled Beats with uncompressed snares sounding like frying pan dropping on a marble floor Tape.The beat tape is sampled based rugged street and soulful sound. His inspiration for music is derived from what he believes is an astral-ancestral spiritual force that only he can pass on as none from his family were musicians. Myndphlo s’ journey seems to have just begun, as he plans to explore all available avenues to put his music out there and touch the nation. This year sees him selling his beats to a growing clientele of new artists all over the country. “Despite our cultural and ethnic diversity, we all relate and speak the same language through music”-Tshepo “Myndphlo” Nthebe