- One of South Africa's star rappers goes amapiano.
- Sandile Fortune Msimango has "mhmm-"ed and "okayyy"-ed his way to the top of South Africa's hearts and charts in the past few months, going from selling sweets and cigarettes on the street, to writing rhymes in the hip-hop scene, to riding amapiano beats under the name Young Stunna. Having started at just 13 years old, he channels kwaito star M'Du as a Gauteng wordsmith with a melodic and innately charming flow. The messages behind his music are thoroughly thought-out and well-spoken, spat or sung. On Notumatu, he makes a fresh start going from rap to amapiano, finding a new home for his unique voice. There's a bravado about his romance and a softness to his pride.
You may have heard the opening track, "Adiwele," produced by DJ Maphorisa and Kabza, behind a dancing DJ Waffles, who went viral a few weeks back, leaving many DJs in the scene burning with envy. Roughly translating to "let it transpire," "Adiwele" carries a multi-layered meaning—on one hand it speaks to manifesting all of Stunna's dreams, with heaps of gratitude for his come-up and the ones who've paved the way for him (at the time of writing, he's held a Top 5 spot on South African Apple Music for several weeks). On the other hand, adiwele can also be the desire for a party to continue from night into the following day. Whichever your preference, Notumato takes this combination of incantation and playfulness and extends it across 15 tracks, with Stunna spitting over productions that are deep and dark or light and lively, as he details stories of township nightlife with moments of unbridled joy and poetic introspection.
While most of the songs are produced by Stunna's frequent collaborator Kabza De Small, Young Stunna also employs the cream of the crop of South Africa's amapiano scene. Soa Matrixx provides the same smooth and sensational foundation as his previous work for Sir Trill and Soulful G on Stunna's "eBUSUKU," while "Bopha" hitmakers Mellow and Sleazy strike up another potential Stunna anthem wit "Bayeke." Stakev, who brought us the beautiful "Mshoza Tribute" last year, teams up with DJ Maphorisa on "Egoli" with a wonderfully gritty bassline, while funky, syncopated percussion from producers Skroef28 and Nkulee501 on other tracks mark them as ones to watch in the world of amapiano.
Notumato showcases amapiano's lyrical staying power as well as its roots in kwaito, hip-hop and house music, reviving phrases once popular to each scene and reinforcing them with entirely new ideas. The last time we heard a rapper go in on a track called "Bula Boot," Priddy Ugly was making his name in the hip-hop world in 2015, but this time Blxckie joins Stunna on another fantastic nod to kwaito star Thebee (who originally set the phrase "Bula Boot" to music in 2008). Big Zulu, author of one of the biggest South African hip hop tracks of 2020, "iMali Eningi," shows face on "Sithi Shwi" with rap mainstay Reason (now going by Sizwe Alakine), making a worthy and welcome appearance on the closing track.
On this a powerful debut, Young Stunna strikes a refreshing balance between hip-hop and amapiano, with tracks that read like prayer. They brim with ideas that champion the collaborative way in which generations past and present uphold South Africa's cultural heritage, reminding us that new beginnings often find us embracing the past while speaking our futures into existence.
Tracklist01. Adiwele feat. Kabza De Small
02. We Mame feat. Madumane & Kabza De Small
03. Sithi Sithi feat. Big Zulu, DJ Maphorisa
04. Shenta feat. Nkulee 501 & Skroef 28
05. Bayeke feat. Daliwonga, Mellow & Sleazy
06. Shaka Zulu feat. Kabza De Small, Bongza
07. S'thini Zulu feat. Visca
08. Camagu feat. Kabza De Small
09. Ethembeni feat. Kabza De Small
10. iRecipe feat. Kabza De Small, Nkulee 501
11. eBUSUKU feat. Soa Matrix & Kabza De Small
12. Bula Boot feat. Blxckie, Felo Le Tee & Daliwonga
13. Egoli feat. DJ Maphorisa & Stakev
14. Ingudu' feat. Felo Le Tee, Mellow & Sleazy
15. Ngi Na Lo feat. Blxckie & DJ Maphorisa
16. Ngozi feat. Sizwe Alakine, Mellow & Sleazy