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Sabelo Mkhabela
Feb. 07, 2018 05:32PM EST

Professor Proves Jesus Is a Great Kwaito Composer In His Latest Album

Professor's tales of partying and relationships were Composed by Jesus Christ.

South African kwaito star Professor, recently released his third album Composed By Jesus Christ. Don't be misled by the title, though, Composed By Jesus Christ is no gospel album.

Save for "Sthunywa," which touches a bit on religion, Professor is still as we've grown to know him throughout the album. He tells tales of partying, debauchery and relationships over typical Durban kwaito production featuring lean bass lines, skittering drums and an assortment of synths. And there are those chants from female voices who are usually not credited.

Right after declaring his affinity to Jesus Christ on the intro, Professor jumps straight into a song about partying without losing morals. "Morals," which features Speedy and Emza, sets the tone for a great kwaito album that has enough bangers to keep you on the dance floor for the rest of the year.

Read: The 10 Best Kwaito Producers

Most of Composed By Jesus is monolithic. But the song "States" has a nostalgic old school kwaito feel by way of a heavy bassline. It's definitely one of the best songs on the album—and this is an impressive album full of good tracks.

Professor is known for unorthodox features that one wouldn't expect on a kwaito album. In his last two records, The Orientation (2012) and University of Kalawa Since 1994 (2014), he has worked with the likes of Ray Phiri, Avante and Freddie Gwala among others.

On Composed By Jesus Christ, look out for appearances from OGs such as Dan Tshanda, Thebe and Joe Nina and OSKIDO alongside current stars–the likes of K.O., Cassper Nyovest, Mpumi, Uhuru, AB Crazy, Character, and more.

The album's themes revolve around merrymaking ("Morals," "Professor," "Birthday") and relationships ("Troubled Man," "Brand New," "Banamanga," "Can't Get Away"). Professor makes sure every guest featured assists in completing each song, either thematically or by lending dynamic vocal skills.

This will definitely be another big year for the Durban-born Kalawa Jazzmee signee.

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Single cover. Still From YouTube.

Idris Elba Teams Up With Wiley, Sean Paul and Steflon Don on New Banger 'Boasty'

Yes, Idris Elba makes music too.

After it was announced earlier this month that Idris Elba is one of the many musical acts performing at Coachella this year, some folks on the internet were surprised to discover that the celebrated actor also makes music.

In fact, everyone's favorite zaddy DJ turned mega-actor, began his entertainment career as a pirate radio host. Elba reminds us that his music-making skills are still very much in tact on a banging new collaboration with British rapper Wiley "Boasty," which also features fellow British MC Steflon Don and Jamaican heavyweight Sean Paul.

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Featuring Falz, M.I Abaga, Ice Prince, Poe, and more.

Until 2018, rap in Nigeria was all but dead. Lamba or party afropop blew up and became way more lucrative. There weren't too many rappers who were able to make commercial-yet-indigenous Nigerian rap music since the likes of MI Abaga and Ice Prince. More and more rappers were singing at the same time "Alte Cruise" was growing in Nigeria, trap was big in the US, grime was rediscovering itself in the UK and South Africa was at its most vital yet.

So what happened to Nigerian rappers? The big names were couched in the comfort of their pop status. The younger rappers were yet to find their voice and in these intervening years, lamba music just got bigger and bigger, and rap less lucrative. Whether planned or by coincidence, a slew of confident and well thought-out albums were released with the trend continuing in 2019.

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Cassper Nyovest. Photo by Sabelo Mkhabela.

Op-Ed: Cassper Nyovest Says His Latest Album Is a Game Changer (It’s Not and Here's Why)

Sweet and Short is a great moment for South African hip-hop, but Cassper Nyovest is far from breaking any new ground sonically or culturally.

Sweet and Short, Cassper Nyovest's fourth album in as many years, sees the South African hip-hop superstar facing an existential crisis of sorts. He dubs his album a game changer, one that's revolutionizing South African hip-hop. Whether he does so or not is part of a larger question around his music, as an artist perpetually in between genres.

Whatever our evaluation of his musical output or the extent to which we measure his impact, what Sweet and Short highlights is how imperative music descriptors have become in Cassper's quest to stand out. This ironically devalues the very descriptors he employs in his attempt to do so. The problematizing that Cassper Nyovest (unintentionally) represents is not a new circumstance for two genres with a long love-hate relationship.

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