Be True: Lee Kasumba

Label-less Lee: "Born Leslie Nabunya Theresa Kasumba in Uganda, and proudly moulded in South Africa, Lee has been labelled many things: DJ, TV presenter, magazine editor and songwriter to name but a few. Although the labels ‘The Mother of Hip Hop’ and ‘The Queen of Joburg’ fit quite uncomfortably with her unpretentious nature, they are indeed the most appropriate, as Lee has fought for the inclusion, and education, of real hip hop in commercial radio, staying true to the spirit of Hip Hop."

While the bio is brief, I do not know what else to say about Lee. She almost seemed embarrassed when she saw it, but that is in keeping with "unpretentious nature"... to be honest, there is a LOT that I can say about here; I first met her in Soweto, during the early days of a Red Bull Music Academy get-together, which later saw us travelling together to Melbourne... where we both discovered that the whole of Australia drinks shit coffee.

Since then, we have collaborated and partied together on a number of occasions, and her grace and energy have never failed to impress. Her knowledge of Hip Hop, local and otherwise is vast... I have taken to calling her Lee-kipedia. I was warned in the early days that she is the only woman around who talks as much as I do, which is true... but I have never not been compelled to listen. Including her in this project was by no means a stretch, but it did feel like a way to thank a friend for all she has done for me: here's to the woman that warned Keith Murray on-air that she "makes rappers cry".

Later.