#thiaps

2016 was definitely the year of the underdog, as much as familiar names made appearances it was hard to focus on what they were doing because the new kids on the block were making just as much noise – if not more. It didn’t matter if it was on an international scale in the likes of Yung M.A, 6lack, Boogie, Eli Sostre, Saba and the whole gang of artists who made their impact on the scene. The new kids who came in punching in South Africa were ridiculously consistent and impressive to say the least, the likes of;

Espacio Dios: and his ‘Backseat Galaxy EP’. Something of a genre totally new to what I’ve heard in the past coming from a local talent, Espacio has some of the most amazing vocals and song writing for an 18 year old. I’m in awe of how concentrated his work is, and the lead single ‘Amen’ sort of just gives you only a glimpse into the project and the trip it takes you on.

It’s available on iTunes and Google Play Store for R29, and it’s worth every buck.

Another cat that came through is Yung Swiss. Yes, that ‘Mayo’ nigga. He gave us ‘#BottomBaby’ towards the end of the end of 2016, an 11 track project with features from K.O and Nadia Nakai respectively. The tape shows how Swiss is not only good at producing amazing hooks, but the kid is pretty versatile when it comes to many so aspects of music.

ByLwansta: and his ‘Your Absolutely Right EP’ was definitely one the stand out projects of 2016, it got a perfect rating from Hype Mag and if Rapfornication had the same platform to do the same I’m sure it’d score an identical rating. ByLwansta was lent a helping hand by an array of producers on the project but you can tell he was largely involved in every nook and cranny of the 9 track project. Features from Cape Town rapper Sipho The Gift and Durban singer/rapper Clara-T complement ByLwansta’s protagonist role in the body of work. What you need to understand id that nothing on the tape is farfetched, it’s just a project telling what is. Also Beatmochini’s remix edition of the tape introduces a whole new side to the project and what it sounds like.

Moz Kid: the 19 year old rapper from JHB dropped an album titled ‘What Were You Doing 19’. I really don’t need to tell you what that means because it’s self-explanatory, but what I need to say is that it is absolute fuego. With an assist from Blaze and Boss Zonke ‘Riky Rick’ on ‘Too Young (Part 2)’ and ‘I Wanna Know’ respectively, the young artist brings so much delivery and uniqueness to the table. He’s the complete package and then some. Highly overlooked, while his peers Nasty_C and A-Reece receive acclaim, Moz produces nothing short of an emphatic project - I really hope he hits the ground running in 2017 and keeps the momentum going into the New Year. I’m surely making the first Hype Mag freshman list will do his career wonders too.

Frank Casino: GET THE FUCK OUT!! Okay before I proceed with why Frank from the East thoroughly deserves to be here and how god damn revolutionary he is about to be for South African rap, let me express how much of a stan I am. Alright, back to the topic – Frank Casino a.k.a Mr. Whole Thing a.k.a that nigga on ‘Mayo’ with the perfectly abstract flow. Then he came out of nowhere and gave us a perfectly put together 16 track mixtape that displays the vast and multifaceted artist he is. ‘Something From Me’ is led by ‘Whole Thing’ and followed by the extended version of the hit single (in my opinion, the extended version is just unfuckablewith in every aspect). There’s something Frank has but I just can’t put my finger to it, it’s beyond talent – he’s a gifted. On the project there are two beats that sound exactly the same and in so being he cannot afford to sound the same on any song. He can do literally anything on a song and this body of work lays proof of that and more.

  KLY: First off, an honorary mention to Wichi 1080. The man is a genius, for both KLY and Priddy Ugly’s work and sound. KLY gave us two R&B projects in 2016, two damn projects. I don’t know about you but that is a feat. First off was ‘KLYMAX’, a 10 track mixtape which introduced a lot of people to a very focused and pure vocal approach to trap. I would like to say that this is not trapsoul or anything like that, but instead KLY genuinely gave us an R&B project with a heavy trap influence. The second of the KLY twins was ‘KLYMAX reup’, a 12 track project with completely new songs and a more grown artistic sound (again, Wichi1080 man, what a fucken amazing contribution he made to assuring the project sounds like a sliver of heaven). With features from fellow East Rand artists Priddy Ugly and Frank Casino, and majors like Riky Rick and Nigerian rapper YCee – the project just oozes so much elegance and maturity. KLY really has a mastered sound, it sounds golden in every aspect.

Una Rams: I first heard Una Rams on his ‘PINK MOON’ EP, and at the time that was really the most vibe filled project I’d heard from an artist I’d just come across. That was in 2015, and I really do believe that he has developed as an artist and his sound in 2016 took a leap into something so great to witness. His feature on TRON’s ‘Stay’ was what I think vocal utopia sounds like. It’s going to be a trip seeing how he evolves even further this year.

PALMTREE PARADISE: WOW, PALMTREE FUCKEN PARADISE. I’ll admit that at first all I was going to hear was a basic copy and paste of WTF but with just more characters. Wrong, because what the six members of PTP bring forth is so so so so beautiful. I don’t know what to call it, but honestly these are musicians and not artist – I’m of the notion that the former represents more skill than the latter. Their latest offering ‘Tropical Reign’ is a 17 track composition of nothing but vibes, a summer’s vacation story, it’s party, recess, chill and repeat. The mix of personalities brings a new dimension, and how they experiment with so many genres and merge them with hip-hop/trap is beyond commendable. With features from Reason, Nhlege, Tribal, and Dontay and above mentioned WTF – the tape is a mash of a sound South African millennials will definitely fuck with.

Naye Ayla: Is a neo-soul artist from Johannesburg and her music is remarkable. Towards the end of 2016 she dropped an 8 track project ‘Exi(s)t’ with features from YoungstaCPT and Una Rams, it really is just refreshing to hear such a soulful project from a local artist. He remix of Nasty_C’s ‘Juice Back’ finds a home in the smooth and composed body of work. Naye presents so much presence in her work, her voice is a silky and assuring in a sense. I do hope she gets the recognition she deserves in 2017, and that more artist of the neo-soul genre garner support and come to the surface.

Thiaps: Yo, I 1) had to wrap up this review with this. 2) I could not even fathom leaving out Mr. SUPERFiSHAAL. You know how New Age Kwaito was a thing a year or two ago? Yeah, this is not it but this is an exact Kwaito off-spring in sound. From the delivery to the lingo, to the confidence, and the whole vibe you get from his ‘SUPERFiSHAAL’ mixtape. I’m in awe at how eargasmic this 10 track project sounds, like in 2016 this is what we’re making? Projects that are perfectly reminiscent of the great era of Kwaito, if so I’m totally stanning for it. Thiaps has a lot of great things coming his way because ‘SUPERFiSHAAL’ is a gem.

 A crew of other prolifically talented artists made appearances in 2016. It goes without saying that if this is what this batch of artists consider as warm ups then one can really look forward to a mad lit 2017.