Jack Parow
Jack Parow
Entry Requirements: 18+ after 7pm
The undisputed King of Afrikaans Rap.
"The mark of an icon is that he can be identified only by his shadow. You see that cap and you know its Jack Parow"
Jack Parow is more than a dangerous rapper and a controversial headline - he's a poet and a South African Pop Culture Icon.
Parow has re-written what it means to be Afrikaans. He is our ambassador of good times filling up the jols; proudly representing South Africa and his mother tongue as far as he goes - even all the way to Russia. He is one of South Africa's most recognisable stars and a notable cross-cultural collaborator. He is a keen social observer, colouring his lyrics with relatability.
Line Up
Zander Tyler was born in Parow, Cape Town in 1982. Today he is known as Jack Parow, the dangerous romantic Afrikaans rapper. Contrary to popular belief, his wild-fire success did not happen overnight. Jack started out rapping with crews from the Cape Flats and was rapping for many years before Cooler as Ekke catapulted him into success.
He studied to be a mechanic, but had to take jobs like packing fish in Cape Town harbour and allocating graves for the Cemetery Division of the Cape Town municipality to support his rap habit. Performing only for a beer and pizza soon changed, when his collaboration with Die Heuwels Fantasties on the track, Die Vraagstuk, put him in the limelight.
Jack Parow released his debut self-titled full length album in 2010. It struck gold within two weeks of its release and went platinum within a year. His music video for the hit Cooler as Ekke reached over 3.5 million views on YouTube.
Since his debut release he has headlined at major festivals in South Africa. Parow has performed in Russia, tours Europe almost annually and has played before packed out shows there. He will have his own festival, aka PAROW FEST, at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht on 4th November 2017. Performance highlights include opening for rap legends Eminem and Snoop Lion.
Jack Parow released his second full length album, Eksie Ou, in November 2011 under his own label, Parowphernalia. This album reached Gold status in sales within four months of its release. A highlight from Eksie Ou is that the first single, Hosh Tokolosh with Gazelle, was the first Afrikaans song in the station’s history to reach Number 1 on 5FM’s Top 40. The title-track, Eksie Ou, went on to become Parow’s second Number 1 on 5FM’s Top 40 and others soon followed.
In the span of Jack Parow’s career, he has released his own Parow Braai Sauce, a memoir, Hier Kom Groot Kak comic books, his iconic caps and Parow Brandy. He has appeared in the movie, Babalas, and starred in his own reality travel TV show, Dis Hoe Ons Rol, on kykNET.
Jack Parow’s fourth full length album, Afrika 4 Beginners is due for release in December 2017.
