It has been a few months now since Holy Ten made the decision to step away from the public spotlight, so that he could get his mental health right. In that time he has released and featured on tracks in the double figures, yet it has constantly felt like he was missing from the music space.
His releases have often sounded muted and lacking in personality, but an album announcement and an interview with Ollah seems to have restored factory settings.
"First Of All" is the first single from Holy Ten's forthcoming album, Risky Life 3. It brings together Holy Ten, Suhn and Trapdee over a bouncy trap instrumental just made for rapping, and we get just that. It is one of those rare occasions where we get 3 rap verses on a song and it's not an all star remix.
The usual tagine "Ndege ndamwa tea saka ndovhunduka chii?" is replaced by "No tea, no tea, no tea." Since colloquially "tea" has become a moniker for intoxicants, this maybe reflects Holy Ten's current sober state mind.
Right off the bat Holy Ten is brash, confident, and ready to show people the door with the first line. He seemingly addresses Micky Black's interview with DJ Sparks when he says "Mfana wangu wakandisvibisa but where's the sparkles?" While also making reference to Chatunga Mugabe's shooting incident with the line "VanaChatu vakakuridzira but where's the glock?"
Holy Ten has an off kilter delivery that becomes more melodic midway through his verse. There is Shadaya sample that perfectly fits the song's sheen of braggadocio, and this wades into Suhn's verse, which sees him in flow state (the star of the occasion on the ear test), while Trapdee delivers one quotable after another.
"First Of All" is a public address and a statement of intent of wrapped in one, which makes its title particularly fitting. The cockiness it carries is reminiscent of the Risky Life freestyle before Risky Life and "We Don't Do That Here" before Risky Life 2, which holds the promise of another memorable chapter in the Risky Life franchise.
His releases have often sounded muted and lacking in personality, but an album announcement and an interview with Ollah seems to have restored factory settings.
"First Of All" is the first single from Holy Ten's forthcoming album, Risky Life 3. It brings together Holy Ten, Suhn and Trapdee over a bouncy trap instrumental just made for rapping, and we get just that. It is one of those rare occasions where we get 3 rap verses on a song and it's not an all star remix.
The usual tagine "Ndege ndamwa tea saka ndovhunduka chii?" is replaced by "No tea, no tea, no tea." Since colloquially "tea" has become a moniker for intoxicants, this maybe reflects Holy Ten's current sober state mind.
Right off the bat Holy Ten is brash, confident, and ready to show people the door with the first line. He seemingly addresses Micky Black's interview with DJ Sparks when he says "Mfana wangu wakandisvibisa but where's the sparkles?" While also making reference to Chatunga Mugabe's shooting incident with the line "VanaChatu vakakuridzira but where's the glock?"
Holy Ten has an off kilter delivery that becomes more melodic midway through his verse. There is Shadaya sample that perfectly fits the song's sheen of braggadocio, and this wades into Suhn's verse, which sees him in flow state (the star of the occasion on the ear test), while Trapdee delivers one quotable after another.
"First Of All" is a public address and a statement of intent of wrapped in one, which makes its title particularly fitting. The cockiness it carries is reminiscent of the Risky Life freestyle before Risky Life and "We Don't Do That Here" before Risky Life 2, which holds the promise of another memorable chapter in the Risky Life franchise.
The first album reigns as his magnum opus, the second was his most commercially successful project, and the third carries the weight of bringing him back from exile.
You can watch the video for "First Of All" below:
You can watch the video for "First Of All" below: