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Author Archives: Shaine

Tkay Maidza – 24k

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Nowadays, they don’t even write about Tkay Maidza without mentioning “Shook”. Those that do try it only serve floury undone pieces, even they know it. Tkay Maidza is a storm, rising, and very few things on this planet can impede her motion.

Tkay has worked with huge industry names such as Troye Sivan, Charlie XCX, and Rita Ora, and the seasoning on her sound is a testament to that. On the song 24k, she’s in her element like a self-assured lioness in her lair and honestly, trespassers are welcome! The song ranges somewhere amid synth-pop, dance-pop, and hip hop and has a tropical touch to it, a perfect disposition for any kind of ‘feel-good’ music.

24k is bewitching by design, and Tkay Maidza is up there in terms of representing the motherland well.

Without losing the song’s original essence, Denimwoods gives Tayc’s Moi, Je Prouve a pristine facelift

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If your French does not go beyond “Je ne comprend Français” then take it from us; Denimwoods’ heart is shattered and is subject to condemnation simply because there no reassembling the mosaic.

Without losing the song’s original essence, he gives Tayc’s Moi, Je Prouve (I Do Prove) a pristine facelift, and now we’re all taking French lessons. Both the original song and the cover are as calm as a retiree now living the life of Riley. Tayc’s vocals are slightly more vitreous and refined but that’s something we won’t hold against Denimwoods.

Deminwoods emulates every emotion from Tayc’s performance, so convincingly that we believe that he too is hurting, and has a friend called CJ. But of course, we’re well aware this could be a calculated career move to expand on his audience.

If Google Translate is the girl she thinks she is, then this song is about a relationship that was always bound to fail, simply because someone was not playing their part. Sounding familiar?

Kyla Blac’s Obsession

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Attachment is just one of the many things in life that ought to be done in moderation. Always. If learning that your partner has a life outside you begin to feel like a betrayal, then you do not need me to tell you the kind of trouble you’re in.

Kyla Blac’s Obsession comes at you in waves and has an appropriate amount of dramatization coming from that instrumental that samples a bit of Nancy Sinatra’s Bang Bang. The song is set up in such a way that its elements are a backdrop that’s just perfect for the portrait that is her illicit fixation – an obsession that can never grow less obsessive. Parts of this song cohere well together and the outcome is significantly impressive.

Kyla Blac’s vocals aren’t to be played with and she knows it.

The real irony is how much the word “obsession” has been used in this piece.

Rivals is an impenetrable fort of solid anger, but one with a soulful side.

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Rivals is an impenetrable fort of solid anger, but one with a soulful side. The song doesn’t have so much as a single speck of warmth, as one would hope.

“Rivals” is jet-black by design; made up of seriously murky remarks but varnished with an untroubled luster. Most of the song’s content borders on vengeance and vehemence and is almost stereotypical. It’s the kind of song you know is toxic to any form of rich inner living but you don’t even bat an eye while listening, because it’s that good.

Based on this song and some of his old projects, Stunna Gambino can almost be referred to as a prodigy, and that’s something that cant be said about most rappers on the rise. Seriously, one can only imagine the luminosity of his tomorrow, that is if he remains on this trajectory, of course.

Gambino has mad skills and with a little honing of his craft, he can definitely build for himself a substantial career.

Hillzy has become a major household name in the music industry, and this EP shows that he’s well aware of it

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Hillzy has become a major household name in the music industry, and this EP shows that he’s well aware of it. The songs on this record are all of a high calibre, and even those that fall short, they do so in a way that doesn’t threaten the durability of his career. Chisikana generally has a calm and clean energy, a feature that we’ve always associated with Hillzy.

WAY OUT

This opener immediately commands our attention with its searing and affecting trap soul production. It’s as if the Hillzy of old finally came to the phone; self-assured and as spirited as he is soulful. Hillzy has been at it for a considerable amount of time now and it shows. “Way Out” is charged with subtle nuances of a capable man who has cracked the code and is now living in a future that is brighter than Sirius. And above all, this song shows that the picture is never really complete without that one baddie at the center of it all.

HEAVEN

The song is titled Heaven but its production and content are darker than several combined moonless nights. It starts off with a somewhat serene instrumental that immediately morphs into something on the other extreme of the heavenly scale. And on this song, Hillzy’s aggressive side comes to light, but in the most laid back kind of way. In the thick of all, there’s a line that goes like “school these rappers with my single degree”, but from where we stand, it’s more than just a single degree (Celsius); it’s mid-October up in here and Heaven’s heat is unrelenting.

TAKE YOUR TIME (FT.YCEE)

In a room full of beats, you can easily single out a Dakari beat, mainly by its uncomplicated but ever so sophisticated nature. Dakari’ s beats always have the air of having come to him without much strain. He makes it seem too easy. If you’re listening to this EP by tracklist order, then Take It Easy is the first collaboration you hear, and for some of us that immediately peaks our expectations. And although the song doesn’t exactly match up to our hopes, we do not hold that against it, as it is a fairly passable joint. Ycee is calm and refined in this song, and for a lot of us, he has made a very good first impression.

NAKUPENDA (FEAT. GARRY MAPANZURE)

Garry and Hillzy are a combination that has been tried, tested, and approved. Individually, their music surpasses that of most names in the industry, so it’s almost as plain as a pikestaff that they’re a pairing that works. Nakupenda is the kind of song in which you get absorbed and it sets you on a path of positive emotions. Nothing was compromised in the making of this ballad; the pristine vocals, the sensible lyricism, and the vibrant afrobeats instrumental are all of a high rank. Or maybe that’s just what you get when two stars collide.

WITHOUT A DOUBT

Nothing is as conspicuous as the acute pains of heartache carried by Hillzy on this song. His hurting is both captivating and saddening, but his vocals and delivery are top-shelf. Love can be cruel, and Without A Doubt is just a receipt for when Hillzy had to learn it. It’s almost obvious that this song isn’t based on a conjured up imagination of what lost love looks like; one definitely has to experience it firsthand to be as adept in telling the story. Hillzy is at his most vulnerable on this song, and one can only imagine the amount of healing it’ll take to resolve his traumas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLPqg1SOCo8

PREMIERE (FEAT. GEMMA GRIFFITHS)

Prior to the composition of this masterpiece, Daniel Tailos was on the verge of laying down his tools and giving up his music ambitions altogether. Had that happened, the world was going to gain a brilliant engineer but not get this song – or at least this version of Premiere. Premiere describes an elusive kind of love that is only awarded to a selected few. It surpasses the reactionary feelings that we’ve wrongfully dubbed as love, and it never falters. And both Hillzy and Gemma narrate it in a very beautous and convincing way. Premiere is deliberately affecting, and we’re here for all of it.

GOODBYE (FEAT. SHA SHA)

Goodbye is packed with contradictions but still makes perfect sense. The song explores the depths of the dejection and the agony that can arise from within a relationship and from without. Every component of this song has been well thought out; the vocals are crisp, the production is thrilling and has an untroubled finish and Hillzy and Sha Sha are just the pair to write home about. The way Goodbye evokes superior emotions is not fortuitous, but it’s definitely intentional.

“Ride Da Wav” shows just how much thicker blood is when compared to water

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Truth be told, it’s going to take a ridiculous amount of convincing for us to look at this Kachingwe pair the same way we look at Smith’s kids. Of course, our focus is mainly on Quiet Child, as his older sister Tinashe is already an established household name in the music industry.

“Ride Da Wav” shows just how much thicker blood is when compared to water; I mean, why else would such a collaboration even exist?

The song is a tad bit quirky and more agreeable when you approach it with an “acquired taste” mindset. Its segments are inconspicuous and that makes it generally hard to follow. The song, by and large, proves Quiet Child to be a more formidable producer and less of a rapper or a vocalist. Albeit incongruous with the repetition-laden vocals, the song’s production is calm and uncomplicated and probably the money-maker here.

Tinashe’s verse on this song undeniably stands out, but it also seems like she’s not pushing herself clear of that “bare minimum” devotion, but we’re here for it!

Let the record show that this is not us, the general public, dismissing the viability of Quiet Child’s music career. No! We’re merely asking to be bowled over!

Numb is exactly how we feel after listening to this song

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Numb is exactly how we feel after listening to this song, and it makes perfect sense because numb is exactly how you should feel after being smashed by bars – in the physical sense as well as in the lyrical one. This song is sonic-therapy. At this pace, Mitch Uta will never fall off; his route is superstardom-bound, and with every release, he seems to fortify his viability as a rapper.

This song is essentially split into two segments that could honestly stand alone as two passable joints, but it works way better this way. The first part is gentle but its lines can scorch you; it is as dark as it is soulful. I’d say “things get pretty interesting on the second segment”, but that ship has already left bay. The switch-up onto the second segment will probably catch many unaware; the tempo is taken up a notch, and the delivery up several notches.

The production as well as his demeanor are completely different in this segment; both have become significantly more aggressive – as they should. True to form, Mitch’s lines are intuitive and his singing vocals are crisp.

“Numb” is one of the few songs where I can say with my chest “you don’t have to take my word for it”.

“Sondela” answers a question that is as old as time itself

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“Sondela” answers a question that is as old as time itself; that if most relationships end in desolation and heartache, what’s the point of it all?
Get this: “Because everybody needs somebody!”

Valee Music and Charlie Kay are crusaders on a mission of love. and as corny and sickly as that sounds, it’s true. The song is all about higher feelings and tearing down your walls and entrusting your heart in someone else’s keep. Its a love song, but not in that nauseating and insufferable manner – and since when is love nauseating and insufferable?

Charlie Kay’s production is as composed and serene as it is groovy and buoyant, and it takes a special kind of capable producer to nail the blend between the baseline and all the other elements without the whole thing sounding too dense.
In terms of vocals, both Charlie and Valee facilely deliver on this one, and it should be said that Charlie Kay does not get enough recognition for his vocal prowess.

With every release, Valee Music evolves and it’s only a matter of time till her career dreams are realized. And what’s even more gratifying is that she reps the motherland so well while she’s at!

Choko – Manu WorldStar’s best work yet

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One can only hope that maybe one day we, as a people can awaken from our drowse and appreciate all that which we’ve been sleeping on; canned fish, random acts of kindness, Seth Curry, Dark Waters (the movie), and of course, Manu Worldstar’s music.

Manu is no stranger to having his unbelievably good jams being buried under piles and piles of industry hogwash and noise that just happens to have a better promo. Remember “NaLingi”? Well, if you actually do, shout out to you! Manu Worldstar’s music deserves all the attention it’s currently being denied.

“Choko” is undeniably one of his best works yet. Even he knows it. The song has a laid back and reposeful nature and to top it off; its bass pounds in all kinds of right ways. However, the song is kind of self-limiting, in the sense that it is the type that you develop an unhealthy fixation on and cannot remember what life was like before it came along; and before you know it, you’ve overplayed it.

“Choko” surpasses most releases we’ve heard in the last month, and not just that, the song supports the claim that meaningful Afro Pop music can also come from Southern Africa.

Hillzy & Sha Sha are a combination that works

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When it comes to music, we’ve always asked for one thing; to be able to feel something. To be confronted in uncommon ways, to be one with the melody, and to simply be.

When it comes to Hillzy’s music, it’s always a serendipitous encounter, one that evokes superior emotion without fail. His music does not move us fortuitously, no, it’s always intentional. And honestly, how are we expected to remain unmoved, when all the details are deliberate and carefully considered? From the lush vocals to the instrumental to the untroubled finish and general vibe of the song. It’s the consistency for all of us!

“Goodbye” is both melancholic and positive by design. The song explores the depths of dejection and pain that can come from within a relationship, as well as from without – the song is full of contradictions but still makes perfect sense.

And as for Sha Sha? In this song, Sha Sha is a puzzle piece that belongs. Her vocals polish up the song and effectuate the whole motion. Sha Sha and Hillzy are definitely a pairing to be reckoned with.