Cop @FifiCooperFans Sophomore #TakeMeBackAlbum

After a long time coming, Motswako's First Lady finally shared her sophomore album last week. Take Me Back is an album where Fifi simply wants to go back to making music and being her authentic self through and through. 

She opens the album with her title track setting the tone for the 21 track piece which sees Fifi showcase her sharp rap skills throughout. Take Me Back quickly moves into the groovy I.G where she reminds you that she's not one of those Instagram dolls. Well, that's for sure 'cause these raps don't come cheap. A track that many a fan are jamming to is Calling with Moozlie which is a hard track dedicated to the "kidly" homies who can't be straight forward with their intentions and won't come correct. Yo'll are so tiring you got Fifi and Moozlie to write yo'll a whole song, damn! 

Slipping into the crevice of the album you hear about Fifi's work ethic and tireless hustle as she teams up with TruCrack for a track titled Work. I must say, the beat selection on the album is quite strong. While on that thought, The Way You Like It comes on sounding like something of a gangster's love song with a booming bass in the belly of the track. On that smooth note, we get to hear the familiar single Zwagala in its place on the album and it acts as a prelude to the much heavier Bona - possibly the hardest track on the album. This song gives me those 2006 dance battle vibes with crews going in with their routines facing off for the meanest street cred in the city. The Harlem shake, two steps, pop-locks, you name it. Loving it! The album then slopes again into a grungy mood that is reminiscent of Calling. On the next track, Pages, she raps about the saga of her Facebook page being taken over by her former record label, Ambitiouz Entertainment, renaming it to another of their artists Lisa Mbali which raised alarms to her fans. You can clearly hear that the matter is not over between either party... She then swiftly moves into the groovy Boss Lady which she dropped at the beginning of last year. 

Halfway through the album you get a sense of toil from Fifi on Run Away as she raps about tough times experienced. It's so interesting how Fifi shows both vulnerability and toughness on the album - something I'm sure the fans highly welcome. Another favourite of mine on the album, Too Damn Strong, comes on and it sounds like Sebokolodi 2.0 as Fifi enlists the help of motswako vet, Towdee Mac. The track has a classic, and very addictive, kwaito bounce that has me doing the ugly face as I bop my head along to it. If you pay attention to the past 4 tracks leading up to Freedom, you will notice that Fifi has fully taken you through the emotions and experiences she felt in leaving Ambitiouz and having to find new life after that. We then get into a new era with the Thabsie assisted Emoyeni where Fifi features an artist she feels can challenge her own vocal ability. The groovy love song marries both Fifi and Thabsie's energies really well. This one is certainly growing on me as well - I'm quite the sucker for these love songs. At this point the album has slowed down for the interim as Go Home doesn't fall too far from the sonic vibe that Emoyeni was. The only difference this time is that Go Home is quite a reflective track as she, Superproducerrapz, and Eze-Lap rap about how hard the industry can get along with wanting to rep home the hardest. It's a story of hope, fight, and the need to constantly refresh one's energy by never forgetting where home is in all you do. Unity carries on from where the previous track leaves with the mood and the sentiment of wanting peace and harmony at the end of it all is prominent. In comes Put You Down with Fifi beating up her chest and putting on her super "S" to continue marching with bravery and tenacity while the naysayers may throw stones on her hustle. Here you hear Fifi's will to fight as she courageously sings about never letting people get you down. Someone say, "we got the spirit? Yes we do!"

As we rile up into the closing of the album Fifi comes back with mad thick skin on San as she laments on the song questioning the morality of people in the industry, I wouldn't want to stand in her way in this mood. She slows her row in Fashionista and Stay, the most subtle she's been on the album, before she gives us a taste of her Setswana roots in Mpulele. She has always wanted to do a traditional song and she finally fulfils that personal wish with her rendition of the age-old folk song giving it a new age touch as well. Finally coming to the end of the album, we get the softer rendition of her first album single Power Of Gold. Phew, what a ride! If there is one thing I would add to the album it would be to rearrange the tracklist. Although I felt everything on this piece, I also felt like I was taken to opposite sides of Fifi's life from one track to the immediate next as opposed to building up from her lowest point to the victory (or vice versa). One thing to celebrate though is that she's definitely never lost it and is in her element once again. Cop the album below and support the movement: