Narratively Hip Hop | Tech | Fashion
Narratively Hip Hop | Tech | Fashion
Warid MC comes with love on new single “Nkusubwa”. On this he features Honourable as they blend to make a love song. He talks missing his loved one. The hook offers memorable sentiment. It has been a while since the Luganda rapper released a project this year. This is a song that reveals the plight, …
Joyie7star is a popular act at La Paroni for most who frequent the venue. She transitioned from just Karaoke artist to recording artist bringing humour, wit and an outspoken persona. She has been singing for almost all her life: from about six years old she was in church singing at Gangama Catholic Church in Mbale. …
Dallas Plein has dropped his new single “Shake It”, an appreciation for the beautiful ladies. This release proves he is better off making dope music done the infamous diss songs of rappers of the continent. Most thought him a clout chaser with the numerous impassioned diss tracks he was making months ago. “Shake It” which …
Change spares no one, you either change or let change change you, or resist change and suffer the consequences. Evolution is change and to evolve is to change, develop and transform into something or learn to do things in a certain way. For the years I have listened to Flex D’Paper, I honestly have to …
Rapper Drillz has added to his catalogue the new four-tracks EP, Waking Love Blues. On this project he works with Larry and Nsokwa. This project is his second full length released this year and a series of other singles. Drillz on this one is waking love or the whole idea of good love and what …
The start of this year around January 15 my news feed had something to do with happy new year, new music alert and “Play01 drops new song holiday” which is apparently the latest single off his Aura album – which we have waited for, for years I guess. Trust the process fam!
The song is a holiday/weekend song. You want to extend your weekend or holiday or work leave but don’t know how to say it – “Holiday” is the song. If you are your own boss like the sample from MC Kats saying “I can quit anytime…” and you are on holiday this is your tune. It’s our new “Party After Party” of the lazy man and woman who hopes to enjoy time off work.
This was our reality before COVID19, before 20 March, 2020.
Born Kisubi Jacob, Play01 is a Jinja bred man (someone say East Side in Winnie Nwagi’s “Matala” voice), he wished to extend his holiday, he likely did like someone else out there who controls how and when they work – the free time he always wanted was unfortunately granted to him. What should he do?
Through Jan 15 to March 18 we were singing, “don’t call me, don’t call me (am on holiday)” but now the recent video says we are on lockdown.
The “Holiday” music video is likely the only attempt at visualising life right now. It’s a lock down video. The story, is centred on a masked Play01, through out different days of national lock down, in the house.
The first days he can afford to pour down a Johny Walker, till we realise he is on a Bond 7 and now economising the ka toilet paper role he is left with. You see a middle-class man struggling to stay afloat since there is no business, eating capital and savings. This is every person’s story who can’t afford the previous luxuries. He can’t go out!
On the outset, Lockdown challenge and accompanying videos from radio personalities, friends, rappers where featured. The Mith, Cleo The Sphnyx, Daudi Oguti, The Jaluo, comedian Daniel Omara, Andre Otim are some of the notable acts. They add to the vibe, each individual shows or tells how they are keeping it down during this Lockdown.
The story is told with ease, opening with the HE Yoweri Museveni’s address about the 21 days extension to featuring him working out – takes away the frustration. we
We are in it together when we start watching The Sphynx bake cakes, or Wake vibing to the song, and even seeing comedian Tumusime make an appearance.
Economically things are going easy for most average Ugandans. It’s hard to extend your holiday in our economy. We all thought it would not last so long, the Lockdown is still on. Play01 didn’t know we would be on some sort of emergency holiday, but he has embraced the situation and told his story with the assistance of others.
The last frames, show Play01 dress up to go out, reaches the door, a person coughs, a header says “14 more day” of lockdown – that’s our reality. We can’t go out for long. Like how Martha Smallz sung on the same song Play01 is featured: it ain’t safe outside. Stay at home, social distance and sanitize.
It’s beyond holiday. A new normal is upon us and we have to adjust and rethink how we live socially, economically and beyond.
Watch “Holiday” below.
I learnt the hard way. I used to tweet links and tag people thinking they are so passionate about hip hop but most ignored the links less I was writing about them or their friends. I have received texts from budding artists asking about music sharing. Most of them have made the same mistakes I made. We will answer those questions.
Corona Virus aka COVID19 is upon us and it is important to stay safe. Wash your hands regularly and keep a distance. Social distance is important, even though it will seem antisocial as HE president Museveni said. For the rappers it means no hanging out in clubs or bars. If you make daily or weekly …
This should likely be the last one: Here is Lil Rich’s take on “Bomboclat” which declares should be the last one. The budding rapper with no doubt had lots on his chest and spewed them out with a steady cadence and grown man lyrical pen felt throughout. “Am gonna blow this year without Shadrack” It …
If you listened to Kampala you should remember the 1Der Jr on “17:4” – more retrospective and introspective. “Speak up” was the perfect single for Keeper of the Flame, as it introduced us to what to expect from the project. Linking the two notions is what KOFTF is about: self reflecting and letting what you feel known.
The mixtape allows 1Der Jr experiment on different beats which require certain flows. He takes a look at his own life with “I(Save my Soul)” and proves we are all capable of saying our truth and we all have our emotions thus have to “speak up”. Kamanzi is a remarkable feature and to amplifying this idea.
KOFTF is a mixtape that 1Der Jr conceptualised, as a keeper of the flame (gospel) tells us we can. The tape is about standing for your faith and truth instead of living for false hope or mere as he says on “Likes” – living for likes and going over board. Asks “who you impressing?” He even cautions us of fake news (unreliable information).
As much as he offers contemporary gospel he reminds you of the need for spiritual approach to life – in God not focusing on individual endeavors because God is “owembabzi” the tape is important to our time, where we all want to be included in everything, fighting for dominance. What is your purpose? Since we are all on a journey he asks us to be careful on who we go to for compliments. Don’t be in a prison he implicitly says on “Sojourners and Exiles” as he even shares his prison experience.
In the end he tells us I all because of God’s grace on the Kanye sample feature on “Grace”. Materialism and it’s traps on humans is the sentiment that American rapper kanye West adds and this was a wise sample that 1Der Jr adds as he shows us he arranged his mindset for we are on top not beneath.
1Der Jr allows himself to reflect, show his vulnerability even when he talks about things we tend to keep to ourselves. He shares how he was into the life of the Parte and how he was drawn to girls twerking that later brought unprecedented discomfort instead of comfort. Hebwraps up the tape with his stylised version of American rapper Kendrick Lamar’s “Sing About Me” which he calls “Sing About Him” – God.
It is evident on the project that as Jr discovers himself so does he improve on his skills as an artist, from beat selection, topics, arrangement and deliver.
Download Keeper of the Flame Vol. 1 Here
Stream below
Listen to Keeper Of The Flame by 1Der JR
https://soundcloud.com/user-271664121/sets/keeper-of-the-flame