Did you know that Sal Masekela is in a band? You know, of course, that Sal is the voice of action sports, the man with the honey in his throat, the man who crooned at you throughout the X-Games and countless other action sports broadcasts. He’s everywhere. He’s a Vice guy. He’s sat with Snoop. And damn it, he’s got a voice that just won’t quit. Listening to him speak is like pouring warm molasses in your ears.
Which is why, along with Sunny Levine, he’s making music in a band called Alekesam. That’s Masekela, only backwards. It’s also what a magician says when they do something magical. I went to school with a guy named Simon who is a rapper. His name is Zes Nomis. That’s Simon Sez, only backwards. See the similarities? That’s where they end, though. Unlike Zes, Sal would never include the lyrics, “suckin’ on some titties/so many titties/breakin’ out the cocaine/this is not for the kiddies.”
Back in 2007 or 2006, Alekesam released their first album. Since then, they’ve actually done very well–especially considering that Sal has so many irons in so many fires. They call their music Surf R&B, mostly because that title is vague enough to cover their bases and let them get away with making music with no real genre. In 2015, one of their songs was featured on House of Lies, and shit blew up.
Here’s another fun fact: Sal’s dad, Hugh Masekela, “essentially crafted the anthem for the release of the late Nelson Mandela through his song Bring Him Back Home and had a massive impact on global jazz and the political composition of South Africa.”
Alekesam just released their new single, called Oh Shante, and holy shit, Too $hort’s involved. Too $hort of such lyrics as “I met this girl, her name was Joan/She loved the way I rocked the microphone/When I met Joan, I took her home/She was just like a doggy all on my bone.” That Too $Short!
See more from Alekesam on Facebook and RVCA (who partnered up with them) on Facebook and Instagram
