Boyzn Bucks: Johannesburg's Street Culture Empire

Photo: Anthony Bila

At the forefront of South Africa's street culture renaissance is a collective of rappers, producers, DJs, designers, sneaker connoisseurs and overall creative gurus who together form Boyzn Bucks. The group was loosely conceived by nine likeminded childhood friends who, though originally hailing from different parts of the country, converged in Johannesburg and joined forces to become the country's reigning street culture empire. Their aim, they say, is to export South African culture abroad and inspire a younger generation back home. With music at their starting point– Okmalumkoolkat and Riky Rick have both topped our year-end lists– the group is fast expanding its dominance into the realms of style, art, and even extreme sports. Okayafrica enlisted Joburg-based photographer Anthony Bila (The Expressionist) to shoot a series of portraits of the friends in and around Johannesburg, Randburg and Tembisa. In the following pages, we get to know the nine prolific creatives who make up Boyzn Bucks.