@Mzukhona_SA - The Mzu EP

A young rapper by the name of Mzukhona, or Mzu for short, released his first ever musical project called The Mzu EP and we'd like to share his brilliant work with you. What makes the project extra special, as Mzu describes, is the "fusion of traditional, afro pop & rap - hip hop delivered mostly in isiXhosa, isiZulu and English." In order of appearance, Zakwe, Benecia, Marley Boo, Assessa, Denise and Reason are featured in the EP and they assist Mzu in bringing his music to life while sharing their own talents and stories.

While only housing just 8 tracks, the EP still holds a lot of weight in terms of production and lyrical content. Another key highlight to note is that most of the songs are cut short, something Mzu intended to help prepare supporters for the finished versions set to appear in his forthcoming self-titled album. The opener, Wamkelekile, has traditional chanting at the beginning; a sort of informal introduction to the EP as Mzu's debut project and possible door opener for his future. With regard to the featured artists on the project, it's quite fascinating how their styles gel well with his own, further complimenting each other and enhancing the tracks even further.

Throughout the project, Mzu continuously switches from vernac to English, spitting his truth and sharing some vivid stories of his coming of age and some of his plans for the future (heard on Bambelela, Up & Down, and Phezulu). It's quite evident that the decision taken by some of our rap pioneers to spit in their native languages paved the way for the next generation of emcees to try it out as well and are currently killing it, similar to someone who upholds this sentiment, ASAP Shembe.

Mzu is without a doubt a special breed, a unique talent that's nothing like what I've heard before. I'll be keeping an eye out for this guy's music. Do lend an ear to his project: