Once upon a time the dream of being a rapper was a hobby you got into in high school and gave up before your 20s. This was an era of music were Zimdancehall dominated the airwaves and Zim hip hop wasn't a thing.
Hip hop was a thing for the affluent, or was it the culturally wayward? Nevertheless at a time like this that's when Shoko was established, and it has survived long enough to see artists that were at the top of their during it's inception become legends. In comes Take Fizzo. At just 16 he produced Roy & Royce's "Handirege" and by 18 he was a leading hand in guiding Zimbabwe's urban sound. Building the legacy Shoko Festival would celebrate this year.
MaShoko Tapes Vol. 2 and it's production class were a highly anticipated presence, so was the 2025 Best Newcomer (I'm sorry Briza but Sane is taking this at the Zim Hip Hop Awards) Sane.wav and SA hip hop royalty Reason, but this was a night for Take Fizzo. Supporting the legend was Mafriq, Trinity (Why didn't we hear "Jesa"?), Tererai & Nembo Bwoy, and my good friend Dennis Shoko's arch nemesis (MC Chita).
While some legends showed up heavily intoxicated (I'm not going to say which legend it was - I'm really not I'm not Kanye), the rest of the supporting crew understood the assignment. Mafriq's rendition of "Ndizvo Chete" tugged on heartstrings, Nembo Bwoy's "Dai Moyo Waibvisika" had everyone on their feet, and
We went from "Kabhasikoro Kangu," to "Chidzoka," to "Happy" and while this was a beautiful moment for Take Fizzo, it still felt like Tehn Diamond and Jnr Brown were missing from it.
Mau Mau had been a reminder of the innovators, Sane.wav had set the stage alight like only a man who owns the moment knows how to and the MaShoko Tapes class of 2025 had been polished: Enhle's vocals enchanted, Paintafresco's energy was unmatched, Yadis' breath control was impeccable, Segulm mystical and Briza was simply at home on the stage.
OneDa had brought a UK flair to the stage that was a mix of firey raps and techno beats. In the midst of which was a poignant "Free Palestine" message and a memorable live collaboration with beatboxer Probeatz.
Reason was a reminder of why we fell in love with South African rap in the 2010s, with "Bump The Cheese Up," "No Sleep," "Yipi Kay Yay," "Do Like I Do," before Sizwe Alakine made an appearance, that included a beautiful moment with his partner Gigi Lamayne and a rendition of "Imithandazo" to end the night.
The 2025 Shoko Mash Up Night had been a package of the past, the now and the future. Take Fizzo's moment, history in a performance, a night for the legends, carrying emotions that went beyond the music.
Greedysouth rating: 7.1/10
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