As human beings we are creatures of order. Whether it's fashion, music, art or even fruit and veg (case in point the argument of what tomatoes are), we have a need to fit things into boxes. When Kae Chaps unveiled his debut album, Vanga, he grated at this desire to box things in.
While universally recognised as being brilliant, hip hop saw it as too much singing and R&B thought it had too much rap. Kae Chaps was a circle in a world of squares. A few months after his debut album, the singer would drop his breakout single "Juzi," catapulting him to national recognition. The desire to label him would be instantly forgotten, as "Juzi" would become the blueprint for Kae Chaps' artistry, from there on.
Tarantino begins with reflections of his state of mind, around the time that he created that music. The raw and unapologetic intro, "Ndaikuda," goes from 2020 to 2025, from his roots in the music industry to the present, with a woman that broke his heart at the centre. The prologue to the feature film of Kae Chaps the singer, the grief stricken son, the depressed alcoholic and the hopeless romantic.
Inspired in name by film director Quentin Tarantino, the album is as graphic as the film productions of it's namesake. Where Vanga was the story of Kae Chaps versus the world, and It's Not Me It's You was Kae Chaps' battle with love, Tarantino is Kae Chaps facing his inner demons (a major one being his relationship with alcohol). He is both the documentary maker and subject.
The album has an eclectic cast of producers that include DJ Futronic (the project's executive producer), Ob the producer, Rodney Beatz, King Chief, Kanaboy, Ghost Magician, Gangsta Made It, Ab on the track, Don't be Offended, Rynni beats and Salamao. Together they shape an Afro R&B soundscape that sounds distinctly Zimbabwean, while still borrowing from external influences such as Afrobeats and dancehall.
The subject of love is still central to Kae Chaps' storytelling but there is an understanding of his own fallibility. Over the solemn guitar on "Dhorobha" he sings about how he hoped his love interest wouldn't be changed by the city, but he also sheds a small light on how fame has distanced him from things he used to notice: "I feel like Thanos in this end game... Maybe handichakuone because awandisa malikes."
This somber mood trails into "Shamwari," one of the album's high points, a realisation that people don't belong to us. Then comes "Mai Vevana" a dedication to Kae Chaps first love, a tender hearted ballad that perfectly sets up "Zvisina Loud," a tale of betrayal and a word of caution in the pursuit of success.
Tarantino is a not only brilliant in it's heartfelt lyricism but it's sequencing and nods to classics from the past. Heavily influenced by dancehall, "Chigumbu" ropes in Nutty O and interpolates Rupee's "Tempted To Touch," while "Cherechedza Hama" with Killer T is an ode to 2010s Zimdancehall and the love song "Ndodonha Naye" pays homage to System Tazvida and revels in a love that can see no wrong, while being humourous.
As the film comes to it's conclusion, the upbeat instrumentals are once again tempered down for a somberness that echoes the album's opening. A lover takes everything from him ("Everything"), he asks us to remember him in our prayers because he's going through a lot ("Paucha Nyengetera"), and then the days weigh heavy as loneliness threatens to overwhelm him ("Mazuva Akadai").
In the album's conclusion, we hear Kae Chaps' grandmother pleading with him to not drink and drive, an especially poignant moment, coming right after the singer expresses a wish for one more moment with his departed parents. An emotional conclusion to a graphic and emotionally charged film of sound.
Greedysouth rating: 8.1/10
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