Okmalumkoolkat

South Africa is undergoing a bit of a musical explosion, if you will. The internet has removed all borders, inspiring our local talent and exposing it to listeners far and wide. Two artists enjoying that renaissance are Okmalumkoolkat and Petite Noir. They've both experienced success across the blogosphere, creating a buzz from the US, to the UK, to their home soil. In light of that, seeing them come together for a powerful remix clearly gets me excited about the future South Africa has in store. The subject matter? Okmalumkoolkat's "Holy Oxygen," produced by Austrians Cid Rim and The Clonious. The original stands out as one of the more-powerful hip-hop tracks I've heard in the last year, with a style that has come to define much of Okmalumkoolkat's work. By contrast, Petite Noir has forged a path for himself by means of, in large part, slow and dark pop ballads (eg, "Chess"). As such, seeing him tackle a vibrant track like this -- and in doing so giving it even more life -- simply drives home how cool both of these artists are.