“BLNC-SC23 is a collaborative hip-hop project between rapper Sc23 (
@sc2_3 ) and producer Blanceus (
@justinblanckensee ), shaped by an ethos of experimentation, relentless collaboration, and a constant exchange of ideas.
Each beat operates as a shapeshifting tribute to the sonic archives of rap music, while the album as a whole draws on ideas of artefact, texture, and reconstruction, approaching sound as something recovered, reworked, and reimagined.
The collaboration developed organically through shared creative spaces. As Sc23 began working closely with members of 12 Dogs and eventually joined the group, he became embedded in the experimental ethos that shaped Blanceus’ production work.
The process was defined by speed, instinct, and mutual intensity. New beats arrived almost daily, with verses meeting them just as quickly, and much of the album came together within a month through this rapid exchange.
From Sc23’s perspective, the project carried a deeper emotional and creative weight, pushing his pen to new heights, while Blanceus’ production opened up directions that felt previously unexplored.
Rooted in an exploration of sound as artefact, the project draws on ideas of history, decay, and reconstruction. Blanceus approached the album as though it were something unearthed, with texture becoming central through deterioration, distortion, and materiality within digital space.
The process often inverted traditional methods, with vocals sometimes recorded over existing beats before those instrumentals were removed, leaving space for reconstruction. In this way, production became a form of excavation, where fragments are given new context and life.
Despite this, the workflow remained fluid, shifting between reverse construction and more traditional exchanges, resulting in an electric back and forth between both artists.
Together, BLNC-SC23 delivers a body of work that reasserts what hip-hop is and who it is for, reflecting a distinct moment within Johannesburg’s creative landscape.”—words by
@cigaretttesandtofu
📸: Mbulelo Hlela
