A good deal of hip hop discography speaks and has always spoken openly and in depth about aspects of urban poverty, particularly the grip that street culture has on many young people from indigent communities and that of their counterparts in the affluent suburbs.
The historical outcast-ed genre, Tricia Rose observed, gives a ground-level view (though not the only view, or a comprehensive view) of what it might mean to live under what are nearly forlorn conditions in communities that face a myriad of daunting circumstances.
Sometimes, rap lyrics really do offer gripping tales of loss, sorrow, exploitation, rage, confinement, hopelessness, and despair about conditions that are denied in the larger society.
It is important to admit that these powerful stories far too often uncritically reflect attitudes and beliefs that many would consider destructive in achieving a socially just environment.
But it is also true that society at large only sporadically pays attention to the extraordinarily despair-producing conditions in which young people attempt to survive.
The ability to telescope such tales, however, is an earmark of fewer rappers. Some try it, others try to try it, while only a batch can really do it.
In Zimbabwe, one such rapper who has consistently managed to deliver “astronomical high-powered prolific lyrical miracle molecules through ya stereo” bars about the state of the nation is The Prince of Puns, Prince Butawo, landmarked-ly known as Noble Stylz.
When he’s not online catching you up on the trendiest spiels and dropping massive creative industry wisdom colleges and universities don’t teach, he’s either sipping his favourite Jameson somewhere or kicking it in the studio.
Veiny, earlier this week Noble released his latest single Kanyika Kanaka, where he uses hip hop as a springboard for a larger discussion about the urgent social and political issues affecting Zimbabwe.
A translation of the title could suggest that ‘all is well’ in the country, although some would beg to differ, saying it is a pathetic reference to “this Country”.
Also read Why We Are Convinced That Noble Stylz’ Album Is Actually Better
With Fun F handling production and the chorus, the Masofa panze wordsmith employs caricature to expose the shortcomings of the current administration where he laments over everything, from the high rate of unemployment, the rise in cases of depression, incessant price hikes and the rise of the standard of living.
In between rhymes, Noble cut through the divisiveness nature among politicians and emphasised the need for unity and corporations among citizen in rebuilding the country, reinforcing it with the anecdote, Rome was not built in a day.
With Kanyika Kanaka, Noble delivers dagger-sharp verses that will rank among the best hip-hop verses of this decade. Overall, the song could be a culmination of everything Noble or Fun F had done before.
It gets us excited for what is to come from their collaborations.
It’s bigger than hip hop and dude is a standout in an era when most rappers his age de-emphasize lyrics. It also appears that fans have a zeitgeisty catchphrase from the title.
The song is available on the link below. Listen and reflect:
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