At the turn of the decade, a new crop of Zim hip hop artists began charting a new path for the genre. Ignited by Holy Ten and the success of "Ndaramerwa," the sound broke through a cocoon that had held it back from being mainstream. Key among this new crop of artists being Bling4. Not as impactful in those early days but a notable presence.
The Chitungwiza native had a down to earth nature, an easy cadence and an ear for production that was right for his sound. Social commentary driven by the narratives of the everyday lives of the Zimbabwean youth became his signature and he never looked back.
Never far from God and the intersection of the divine with the human, this has constantly shaped his music. The ghetto gospel that has him as it's preacher. Often predictable in subject matter, but always resonant with the Zimbabwean youth.
Hosanna arrived as his debut album and true to form a belief in the divine was a pillar to lean on in light of the pain of Zimbabwean life, and of course a few love songs and club anthems. The storytelling didn't feel as inspired as it could've been but the music easily landed on the ear. "Mupei Wine," "Hope Dzandairota," and "Boyz Dzangu" won the audience over, drowning out whatever the critics felt was missing.
Now a year later, Hosanna has been followed up with Majeso, a sophomore album that mirrors the first but is more raw and grittier than its prequel. The album title is a moniker for his fans, seemingly birthed out of the religious label of his debut album. A notion confirmed by the line, "Majeso plus mageez shoutout to JT" on the track "18."
The album once again sees Bling4 as the youth's storyteller, but with a more brutal honesty on the vices that lurk at every corner and those that he engages in himself. This is particularly captured by the songs "Blast Furnace" and "Home & Away." Majeso doesn't have the melodic nature of Hosanna but remains true to trap music, which makes it feel more cohesive sonically. It is not new in the stories it tells but how those narratives are told.
Bling4 displays a great ear for production but a more aggressive approach to his songwriting makes for less catchy anthems. "Mota Hombe" is propelled by the undeniable chemistry between Bling and Runna Rulez, "Rinoshekwa" has a standout hook from Jnr Spragga, and "Varikuti 4" is laced with braggadocio that sees Bling4 proclaiming his place in top 2 - debatable but you can't say he doesn't have a fair argument for the claim.
There's a particular beauty to the duets "Kana Ndakuda" with an uncredited female voice and "Chiedza" with African Wine, both in their vulnerability and how the music comes off. Bling4 goes against grain of current trends in Zim hip hop, where bounce has become dominant, and that works for him in some instances and not so much in others.
The music feels honest, vulnerable and driven more by the personal than capturing an audience. As always it divides opinions, but from the Ghetto Yut EP, to the Hosanna album and now Majeso, Bling4 remains consistent. Casual listeners may want more, longtime fans will probably say more of the same, and a fair analysis is somewhere in the middle.
A care for sequencing, mixing and mastering, just a bit more intentional songwriting and Bling4's albums would be a far higher level above what they are.
Greedysouth rating: 6.8/10
Greedysouth rating: 6.8/10