NWO Cyphers grows as a place for raw hip-hop talent
For rappers who live for bars, not trends, NWO Cyphers offers a stage to prove themselves, with their next show coming up in Melville.
Bars come first at NWO Cyphers. Always have.
No choreography, no viral formulas, just rappers stepping forward to prove they got bars for the ages. That idea sits at the heart of NWO Cyphers, a growing movement dedicated to underground rap and the preservation of hip hop’s rawest tradition: The cypher.
It was founded by Ta Longz, who is an artist himself, in 2025. “We realised lyricism actually has very few spaces to thrive. There are a number of music platforms, but very few of them cater for rappers who love rapping, bars, flows, cadence, and all that. There just aren’t too many. So, instead of complaining, I decided to create the kind of platform I’d like to see, and it worked.”
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The cypher emerged from that frustration, not as a reaction, but as a solution. “The line ups are always curated by me. There’s close guidance from the team, but 99.5% of the line up is my ideation. I really just book guys I’m a fan of. Guys I wanna see rap, retired rappers who are really nice, new cats who submit. NWO really is the only place where profile and status don’t matter. We measure your worth through the bars coming out your mouth.”
Over the past year, the cyphers have quietly developed into a proving ground. Established lyricists return to sharpen their edge, while newcomers arrive determined to earn recognition through performance. “NWO has grown to a staple in the culture, after only one-year in existence. Everyday my inbox is flooded with submissions from rappers, producers who want their beats heard, venues wanting to work with us, and so much more. It really has been a blessing.”
That momentum continues on March 28 in Melville, where NWO Cyphers hosts: Get Your Weight Up, featuring Tshegofatso ‘Ginger Trill’ Seroalo, alongside Tembisa rapper Sboniso ‘Raptyl’ Cebekulu and a lineup rooted in lyrical performance. “The title means to me, exactly what it says: that it’s time to step up. This is our first event of the year. The first one that has a major name like Ginger Trill. It’s definitely time to step it all up.”
The title also carries competitive energy, a reminder directed as much inward as outward. “The title is also a shot at some poorly performing rappers who keep thinking I need to work harder to battle them. They need to read the title to themselves and #GetYourWeightUp, instead of telling me I need to.”
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Beyond the performances, the cypher has quietly restored a standard within underground rap culture. “The underground in SA is, and always has been, alive and well. Perhaps not thriving, but there’s always dope cats trying to rap very good raps. I don’t think that’ll ever end. There are kids who are 19 that hit me up now, and they know all they have to do is rap well. No TikTok challenges, no dance moves, no marketing budget.”
Ta Longz said moments from past sessions continue to live beyond the events themselves. “I got a few gees with me. Ready or not.”
He said building the platform has also reshaped the music created around it, demanding balance between technical lyricism and songwriting. “NWO forces me to write room shakers and punchlines. Any good rapper will tell you, as cool as that stuff is, it’s not always needed on a song. So, I’ve been practicing the delicate balance of quality songwriting and very good raps.”
Tickets via Quicket.
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