South African hip-hop legend Hymphatic Thabs stopped by SPeeKa's studio to deliver a freestyle on SOTRA Cyphers. SOTRA Cyphers is a series of cyphers curated by the Soweto-based producer SPeeKa at his R.E.A Studios in Soweto. SOTRA Cyphers is in its fourth year running and the 40th instalment, comprising three emcees, was released last week. Hymphatic Thabs' exclusive serves as the first exclusive instalment of the year.

Falling on the 21st of January, Hymphatic Thabs' appearance coincided with the 20th anniversary of his first album, Error Era, which was released in 2001. This fact made the appearance all the more meaningful. Before his verse starts, he makes mention of his latest album, called Centre of the Universe, released in 2019.

The Lesotho-born, South Africa-based emcee proves his pedigree, breaking out into a six-minute-long soliloquy replete with highbrow concepts. He starts off with an introspective couplet, rapping:

"As I swing just like a pendulum, am I singular or plural? Swimming drunk and drinking, damned and sinking like I'm futile, since you are so rural, Thabs, think about your future, don't just sing a song for sing alongs, simplify what's crucial."

It is this kind of thematic advisory to self that populates the rest of his verse, as he oscillates between speaking to and about himself in first- and second-person point of view. Posing a question to himself, he asks, "Why fantasise on huge wealth if you can't define your true self? Centralise your thoughts and sanctify your cause or purpose."

The latter part of his verse sees him adopting a more dichotomous style of delivery, written in binary form, as he raps mostly opposing ideas against each other, rapping, "It is big, it is small, it is bricks, it is walls, it is Vic-toria Falls, it is zilch and yet it is all, it ticklish and yet it is sore, it is sick and yet it is the cure, it is the rich that give to the poor."

A veteran in the game at this point, this SOTRA Cyphers exclusive proves that Hymphatic Thabshas never lost a step. He is still as sharp as he was when releasing Error Era 20 years ago.

Watch Hymphatic Thabs' performance on SOTRA Cyphers below:

HYMPHATIC THABS (a #SotraCyphers exclusive)www.youtube.com