When last did you hear vocals from a young teenager making music from his parent’s house with a laptop and a mic? This is what I was exposed to when I downloaded Cizare Namalemo, an 18year old teenager from Namibia. He is an unsigned hiphop upcoming artist who has some good flows in his vocal cords. Speaking to him directly, he told me he and his friend make music in their house and are planning to drop an extended play album (EP) today. Many of you Namibians and persons from around the world may know some Namibian pop stars like Jackson Kalengo and Monn Mandoza but this young boy can go places if given the opportunity. I had to download his song from a local blog which did not have mp3 database but when I downloaded and played the song on my computer; I decided to write about it. It might be a far cry from what you beat makers, music producers and lovers of music are used to. This is because the rap vocals are not clear but when you listen to this song, I am very sure you will allow your teenage kids listen to it. If you want to link up with this young artist and get the link to his song please link up with him via instagram with the name cizare_youngin.
THE MESSAGE
He opens up the song taking a character of a young teenager telling his friend that he won’t be fooled twice because he is going to face his life squarely. He tells his friend in the pre-chorus that he needs to keep his focus because it will be better for both of them. In the rap verse he states that he grew up having no one to love him but from his mother and the pressure at some time almost drove him wild. He declares that “it will be cool if I do me, you do you, I do gym and you do school. You don’t sleep on your back because mama didn’t raise no fool”. Disclosing his motivation and inspiration for the song, he told me his movement is to “motivate all underground rappers and singers to lift their asses and work hard”. By underground he means people who are just like him producing songs from the smallest piece of equipment they can lay their hands on. He gifts this song to teenagers like him in the music Namibian industry.
THE BEAT
The song is a Trap hip-hop genre song dominated with distant snare and hard kick sound pattern, hi-hats and finger snap sound. Produced by his friend and music partner they tried to make the most of whatever beat making software was in their possession. The keys where played in every march on a kick with regular progressions following each four bars steadily. The intro is what threw me off in this beat. It had the snare playing in a “1-2-22-3” pattern joining with the keys and entrance of the of the radio effect intro vocals. Another part of the production that is cool is the chorus taken in both low and high pitch giving two dimension feel for the ear and mind. I wish I could get the sound but the music is in some protected file format.
THE VIDEO
If this young musician gets a sponsor and is ready or any video; I will suggest taking the making to a class room using a fish eye lens camera to shoot the video. The artist can then take a concept based on what he like. He has a good music and can take it further if given the opportunity.
