One thing about YoungstaCPT is his projects are always well thought-out and usually have a running theme that unites the songs. The artwork and title of ‘Suffer For Beauty’, his new joint mixtape with producer Shaney Jay, is a metaphor about the music industry.
The project delves into themes of the entertainment industry and what musicians go through to try and deliver their best work even in times of peril, the same way women put effort into looking beautiful for a world that doesn’t always care. “It’s a long process to suffer for beauty but they do it effortlessly,” the rapper says. “It doesn’t matter if she dyed her hair blonde/ I can watch her all day long when she doing her hair,” he raps in the song ‘Doing Her Hair’ which features Nashiefah the duo’s in-house vocalist.
The 12-track body of work is Youngsta CPT’s 32nd mixtape and the rapper takes the listener to the streets of Cape Town with him through his colourful storytelling and honest heartfelt expression.
‘Who Shot Who?’ Is a graphic reflection on the city’s underworld and how the high crime rate affects Cape Town residents. For the song, Shaney Jay crafted a West Coast G-funk beat which YoungstaCPT has a demonstrated liking for. Traces of the West Coast sound can be heard in the song ‘Alhamdulilah’ which YoungstaCPT mentions is his favourite song on the project. “Aside from once again expanding on the Cape Malay culture, I love when I’m able to incorporate my religion in music even though it’s sometimes frowned upon,” the rapper says. “God gave me this ability and if I’m able to praise him through song then there is clear evidence of my devotion and worship for when I’m no longer here to prove it.”
On ‘Stressful’, Young talks about his stresses, that range from realising that your enemy could be closer to you than you can imagine to the game being rigged. But he remains ambitious and devoted to his goals. “What’s the expectancy to survive and live to be 65?/ It hasn’t really felt the same in the game since Riky died,” he raps.
The project comes with a variety of production styles such as the bouncy Bay Area style on ‘Switch Sides’, cloud trap on ‘Doing Her Hair’, R&B-leaning trap on ‘Near’ among other global sounds that Shaney Jay makes his own with his unique take.
The mixtape’s lead single ‘Benni McCarthy’ pays homage to Cape Town-born and bred Manchester United coach and former Bafana Bafana super star. In the first verse, the rapper recalls a moment when he connected with Benni and the late Supa Mega. “Took AKA to Hanover Park FaceTimed Benni,” he raps over a drill beat, switching his flow up accordingly.
The duo close the project off with ‘Catchy’ which features UK drill rapper M1llionz who they connected with while he was on a visit to SA. “He came through to my studio in Wynberg On the Blocc and laced his verse after shooting a crazy music video in CPT,” YoungstaCPT says. “The song speaks about how today's music has to be simple and catchy or else you’ll be another struggling rapper trying to make it, so even if you’re a hardcore street dude if you want to make a success in the mainstream you’re gonna have to compromise your style, in other words, Suffer for Beauty,” YoungstaCPT explains.
It’s easy to overlook that YoungstaCPT is on his 32nd mixtape (alongside countless EPs and several albums), and he is still sounding sharp and delivering potent projects. ‘Suffer For Beauty’ is a display of synergy between the rapper and Shaney Jay. The duo dropped their first project ‘Dreams Don’t Pay Bills’ in 2021, kickstarting yet another run where YoungstaCPT forms a duo with a producer to drop some heat; the list includes the ‘D.N.A’ album with Arsenic (as Duerie Naai Alliance), ‘The Cape and Good Dope’ with Ganja Beatz as well as his three projects with Maloon TheBloom (as YungLoon Taliboom).
“With this project,” says Shaney Jay, “we knew exactly which way we wanted to take it and you’ll hear that in the music. With “Dreams Don’t Pay Bills”, we were still building that working relationship and that’s why every track came effortlessly on this project.” He didn’t lie.
Stream ‘Suffer For Beauty’ by YoungstaCPT and Shaney Jay below:
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