Ctrl | Release Date: 09 June 2017 | Studio Album

26 year old SZA has released an album that speaks to the twenty something who is going about her life and being confronted by heartache along the way. Many of us where convinced SZA had pulled a Frank Ocean on us when the album was not released as previously in February 2017. However the wait was well worth it.
The content resembles conversations you would have with friends while getting ready for a night out and the music production compliments the lyrical content well.

The album starts off with a letter to what seems like an ex flame. Do we still write letters in 2017? Well SZA makes it seem like it's almost necessary to write in 2017 as she does such a good job at explaining how her insecurities are the reasons why she needs to stay in a relationship, something women don't talk about often.

...
Why I can't stay alone just by myself?
Wish I was comfortable just with myself
But I need you, but I need you, but I need you
- Supermodel
Supermodel ends and goes straight into the first few notes of the emotionally filled Love Galore featuring Travis Scott. This is the second single off the album. The song about a breakup between two people who shared a summer fling is a favourite amongst SZA listeners and seems to resonate with many.


...
Why you bother me when you know you don't want me? (yah)
Why you bother me when you know you got a woman? (yah)
Why you hit me when you know you know better? (true)
... - Drew Barrymore
The dialogue between SZA and Scott makes for great listening and the lyrics make it a sing along for women who have been through the same. The song is definitely a favourite for me and so is Drew Barrymore which is the first single off the album.

Drew Barrymore echoes Supermodel as SZA speaks about her low self esteem and how it almost dictates how a toxic relationship plays out.


...
We get so lonely, we pretend that this works
I'm so ashamed of myself think I need therapy-y-y-y
I'm sorry I'm not more attractive
I'm sorry I'm not more ladylike
I'm sorry I don't shave my legs at night
I'm sorry I'm not your baby mama
I'm sorry you got karma comin' to you
Collect your soul, get it right ... - Drew Barrymore
So far I have only spoken about heart ache and it doesn't get better. The Weekend is our modern day Weekend Special where commentary on what it is like to share a man with another woman is shared. You know, your usual 2017 relationship.

...
My man is my man is your man
Heard it's her man too
My man is my man is your man
Heard that's her man
Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
I just keep him satisfied through the weekend
You're like 9 to 5, I'm the weekend
Make him lose his mind every weekend
You take Wednesday, Thursday
Then just send him my way
Think I got it covered for the weekend
...
- The Weekend

Undercover gems in the album are Garden[Say It Like That], Broken Clocks and the one minute interlude Wavy featuring James Fauntleroy.

It is a painful album and the only thing you want to do is tell SZA that pain is temporary but at the same time you also want her to carry on making even more music. She has done a very good job at summarising heartbreak and realisations from heartbreak into a 14 track album.

If you look beyond the pain you will realise that this album is a love letter to all women. A love letter that reminds you to love yourself.

Durban hosted the third Zakifo Music Festival this past weekend and I was on the ground for the Tastemakers Africa takeover. The best thing about Zakifo is that chances are, you only know a few artists who are performing on the night so it is a time to experience new artists. 2017 was no different.

I obviously had favourites who I was ready to see such as Thandiswa Mazwai, Petite Noir and Damien Marley but every performer absolutely blew my mind.

The festival is still young but has shown growth every year. Scroll down for images from the event and check out my Instagram for more GIFs.

All images taken with a Samsung S6

Top made by yours truly

Jojo Abot

The Soil absolutely blew my mind. I had never seen them live but I have heard only good things about them. Their show paid homage to the political and social issues were are currently facing as a society. I was confused when I got closer to the stage and saw that there was no band. Then I remembered that The Soil are an acapella group. They did an amazing job. Be sure to see them live when you can.

The Soil

Tiggs Da Author

Thandiswa Mazwai is by far the best South African performer. Her performance on Friday reminded me why we call her King Tha. It made reference to all the violence we are currently experiencing in South Africa. The performance was also strongly based on Xhosa culture which made me feel at home.



The King of The Noirwave was also a highlight of Sunday. I have seen him perform him live in Cape Town before and he received a very good response from Durban. The band and Petite Noir were dressed well and the visuals completed the whole design.


Before Saturday night I had never heard of Nova Twins. As soon as I saw how they were dressed I knew it was a show I did not want to miss. Their music is definitely not my favourite genre. It's quite difficult for me to listen to hard London rock but they did a good job and got the crowd on their feet. Everyone was amazed by their performance and quite intrigued as well as we are not used to seeing two women rocking out on a guitar.



The star of the festival was obviously Damien Marley. The son of Bob Marley arrived with an MC, opening act, band and a flag bearer. I have seen many international acts come to South Africa and perform to bigger crowds and on bigger stages but none have performed like Damien. I think the only person who has put on a better performance than Damien is Lady Gaga.

I was very nervous about my experience during his performance as I didn't know any Damien Marley songs, well that is what I thought. Even if you didn't know his songs you still would have felt the electricity in the air during his performance.

It was a great performance and he showed so much love to Durban and South Africa. I definitely think he needs to return to SA for an encore.

This past weekend I attended the first Essence Festival in Durban and I absolutely loved it. I attended the concert only as I could not make all the conferences.

Below is a photo essay of the beautiful concert that promoted the great music Africa has to offer.

Wiz Kid was a favourite for me as it was the first time I had seen him live. He is a great performer and has an amazing band. The Kanye of South Africa, AKA did not disappoint as per usual and he even bought on fellow performer Burna Boy onto stage.

Ne-yo, Black Coffe, Cassper Nyovest, Oskido, Babes Wodumo, DJ Zinhle, Big Nuz and Riky Rick were some of the other artists who performed on the night.

There was also a gospel concert on the Sunday which featured the likes of Joyous Celebration and Yolanda Adams.

Not only was it a great concert but a great reminder that Africa is the future. If you do have a chance to go next year ... go!

All the photographs were taken with my Samsung S6 as my camera no longer works so please don't complain about the photo quality.

Be sure to visit my Instagram page for GIFs from the concert.


AKA


Burna Boy


Wiz Kid

Indie-RnB ... I'm quite sure that term doesn't exist, so let us be the first to coin it. The Internet make Indie-RnB and it is the best Indie-RnB I've heard. So why do I call it Indie-RnB? It's Indie because you won't find it playing on Metro FM on a Sunday. It's Indie because alternative music listeners will listen to this. The girl who only listens to diva RnB will give this a listen and tell you it's not soul enough. It may not be the soul your mother listens to on a Sunday when cleaning the house but it's close enough. It is the soul I will listen to when I clean the house.


Ego Death | Released 26 June 2015 | Studio Album

Sydney Bennett, Jameel Bruner, Steve Lacy, Patrick Paige II and Christopher Allan Smith make up the band who are part of Odd Future. I first came across The Internet from a Street Etiqutte mix which my sister gave me. Penthouse Cloud is the track they added to their Audio Visuals 010 mix.

Penthouse Cloud then became my favourite song by the band. The song starts with a narrative about what Americans see on television everyday then moves into what the rest of the album is about, love.

Did you see the news last night?
They shot another one down
Does it even matter why?
Or is it all for nothing?

Father, oh Lord in heaven, is this how you saw it?
When you made your creation, is this what you wanted?
Is this what you wanted?

Maybe we’ll never know
Or maybe we’ll find paradise in the sky
When we die
When we die
When we die

Took her to the moon last night
Let a little, wait a little, why?
Left everything else but high
No plans on coming home

Father, oh lord in heaven
This is what you’ve started, it’s your creation
Is this what you wanted?
Is this what you wanted?

Rather watch the world burn down from a penthouse cloud, real talk
But if this is what you want I’ll fight ’til the smoke-filled skies make the days turn night, then what?
Maybe when the world burns down and the clouds turns black and the sky turns white and the days turn night
It’s a war outside, it’s a war outside, it’s a war outside
Or maybe we’ll find paradise in the sky
When we die

Penthouse Cloud


Sydney Bennett aka Syd The Kyd, is the songwriter and singer of the group and does a great job at it. She sings with no effort yet is probably one of the best singers to release in 2015. When listening to The Internet, the first thing you love is Sydney's voice, listen twice and you fall in love with her colourful content. Yes, the content is very simple but it's a lot more that you and I would ever be able to write.

Now she wanna f**k with me (f**k with me)
Live a life of luxury, models in my money trees
Such beautiful company
Fuck a 9 to 5 I’m seeing dollar signs
But I'm still driving around in my old whip
Still living at home, got issues with my
Old chick she blowin' up my phone
Talkin ‘bout some bull***t
Like who’s this, who’s that
Could be worse
So to calm her nerves
I just tell her

Roll up an L and light it
Let’s go to space
Be my co, I’ll be the pilot
Let’s get away
Let’s get away
Let’s get away
Let’s get away
Baby let’s get away

Money doesn't grow from trees
Maybe we can make believe today
All I need is company
Rest assure I got it babe

Working for the finer things (finer things)
Getting in all kind of ways
[?] under my champagne
Every day we celebrate (celebrate)
F**k your little phones a million a’int enough
But I'm still driving around in my old whip
Still living at home, got
Issues with my new chick
She blowin’ up my phone
Now all I hear is womp’ womp’, womp’ womp’ (womp’ womp’)
But it could be worse
Girl calm your nerves I want you to

Roll up an L and light it
Let’s go to space
Be my co i’ll be the pilot
Let’s get away
Let’s get away
Let’s get away
Let’s get away
Baby let’s get away

Money doesn’t fall from trees
Maybe we can make believe today
All I need is company
And the rest is yours, I promise babe
If money don’t

Get Away

Janelle Monaé, Vic Mensa, James Flauntleroy, Kaytranada, Steve Lacy and Tyler The Creator all feature on the album. It is a very well produced album and you would not think it was recorded in a basement in three weeks.
We need more music like this to be released so upcoming artists and musicians don't feel the pressure to make candy pop.
If you are not going to listen to the whole album make sure you at least listen to the following:

• Just Sayin/I Tried
• Girl
• Special Affair
• Partner's In Crime Three
• Penthouse Cloud
• Palace/Curse

You won't see them win a Grammy, they won't play on MTV ... but in 2015 does any of that matter? I am not a proffesional music critic but believe me when I say this album will be the best album you listen to in 2015, it deserves the five stars I've given it.

June and July of 2013 saw the release of some of the most anticipated albums of the year. Kanye West, J. Cole and Jay Z (previously Jay-Z) all released new albums within weeks of each other. The first to release were Kanye West and J. Cole who released their albums on the same day.

Kanye West - Yeezus Review

Yeezus | Release Date 18 June | Studio Album

The sixth album by Kanye West is the future of music. With that being said, it is too soon for the world to hear hip-hop like this. The album which was mostly recorded and finished off in Paris does not live up to the hype and the expectations everyone had.

Because West did not release a single before the album was released, we did not know what to actually expect but with an album name like Yeezus we all knew that it was going to have controversial content.


Speaking of content ... it's either hip-hop rappers have nothing to say or Kanye West just wants to speak about how great he is. West has a big ego and in case you forgot he did, he does a very good at reminding you. West claims that French architecture was the inspiration of his album but one could never guess that as he only speaks about how he compares himself to God.

Read the Comback of The Year: Kanye West Blog Post
The album is a good album because of it's production and because it is something different, something we have never heard before. The lyrics fail the album and make it something you would not want to listen to over and over again.

"I just talked to Jesus
He said, 'What up Yeezus?'"
- I Am A God featuring God
After listening to the brilliant My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, you expect Kanye West to produce something that is even greater than that. Unfortunately Yeezus cannot compare as it is a different feel and the content is completely different.

Read The Power That Is Kanye West Blog Post
There are only four good songs from the album and only two of those are great. Hold My Liquor and I'm In It are good while Blood On The Leaves and Bound 2 are great.

If you looking to listen to an album that is ahead of it's time, give Yeezus a listen. However, if you are have a limited music range this album is not for you. Kanye West tried to create something different that will not be loved by everyone.

J. Cole Born Sinner Album Review

Born Sinner | Release Date: 18 June 2013 | Studio Album

If Kanye West is the future, J. Cole is the present. Born Sinner is the second album from the rapper and proves to be a lot better than Kanye West's album.
One thing that J. Cole knows how to do very well is tell a story and he does just that on this album.

The album starts with a chorus from what sounds like a gospel choir but that is not the mood of the album. The content of the songs deals with J. Cole's demons and how he struggles with fame and how he loves being famous.

In this age, very few rappers tell real stories. We only hear about Bugatti's, watches and artworks. Artists do not let us know what is happening in their lives anymore. Yes, they want to live a private life but people started listening to rap because it told stories. J. Cole might be the only great rapper who gives us stories we can listen to.


The very honest album features Nas, TLC, Kendrick Lamar and Miguel who features on the very popular, Power Trip.

Choosing a favourite song proves to be very difficult as every song is good for a certain mood or time. Power Trip which was released earlier this year is definitely one of the best songs on the album however it can be overshadowed by Trouble, Runaway, She Knows, Rich N*****, Let Nas Down and Born Sinner.

Basis, my manager back in the days was racist
I was a young boy, passing skates and tucking laces
Old perverted white man who told me: "Jermaine
It's all pink on the inside, f*** what color their face is"
Wise words from an indecent man
Made me reflect on the times when we was three-fifths of them
In chains and powerless, brave souls reduced to cowardice
Slaving in the baking sun for hours just
To see the master creep into the shack where your lady at
9 months later got a baby, that's
Not quite what you expected, but you
Refuse to neglect it, cause you
Know your wifey loves you, does you refuse to accept it?
That's that type s*** that turn my granny light-skinned
Rich white man rule the nation still
Only difference is we all slaves now, the chains concealed
In our thoughts, if I follow my heart to save myself
Could I run away from 50 mill like Dave Chappelle?
You know... - Runaway
Read The Favourite Music Albums Blog Post
If you are still interested in listening to quality hip-hop, Born Sinner is the album for you. It is honest and is a reminds listeners that hip-hop is not dead.

Jay Z - Magna Carter ... Holy Grail

Magna Carta ... Holy Grail | Release Date: 04 July 2013 | Studio Album

Yeezus is the future, Born Sinner is the present and Magna Carter ... Holy Grail is the past. If you are looking to pretend like you are in a music video while partying up a storm in a night club, this album is for you. This album was created for people who would like to be famous and for people who wish they lived the life Jay Z does.

There is no need to discuss the content because it will add absolutely no value to your life. The only thing that saves this album is the song he records with his wife Beyoncé, Part II[On The Run]. Without this song there is no need for me to listen to this album. The music is too loud and Jay Z tries to over power it with his lines about how expensive his watch is.

The only songs I can recommend one to listen to would be Part II[On The Run], and Oceans.

Read The Best of 2012 Blog Post
The more you listen to the album the more you start to think you like the songs. However I can never remember the songs after I have just listened to them which proves that they have no impact on me and will have no impact on the music industry in years to come. The album is forgettable because it is something we have heard before. However if you love music that was made for nightclubs and music videos, you might like this album.

Take A Look At The Behind The Scenes Photographs from Jay Z's Picasso Baby Music Photo Shoot
If you are looking to buy a quality album, Born Sinner is the album you should get. However if you want to live in the moment, Magna Carta ... Holy Grail and Yeezus are the albums you should listen to.