Album Review: Ti Gonzi - Hip Hopu YekuGhetto
Ti Gonzi made a name for himself with the last year smash hit jam Zvenyu. The track came with a different type of vibe compared to the other hip hop tracks. Many could relate to what he was rapping about, he brought the ghetto to local hip hop. The track was followed by a fitting all star remix which contained some superb verses from Ti Gonzi himself, Munetsi and Papa Noble Stylez. The remix even managed to perform better than the original and earned him an award at the Zim Hip Hop Awards 2015. To follow on that success Ti Gonzi decided to release an album, which is titled Hip Hopu YekuGhetto. Reviewed the first single Ende Makaoma a couple of weeks back (Ende Makaoma ft Ras Caleb) and it had me counting down to the album. Now the album is out, lets see if it will be as good as I expected.
The album contains 22 tracks and will be doing a track by track review below:
1. Kumaraini Kwangu
Ti Gonzi is narrating what goes on in his hood on this jam. He is just praising his hood and all the experiences they face on a daily basis. The instrumental is standard and sounding good. Ti Gonzi gave a good performance on the track.
Ti Gonzi is narrating what goes on in his hood on this jam. He is just praising his hood and all the experiences they face on a daily basis. The instrumental is standard and sounding good. Ti Gonzi gave a good performance on the track.
2. Kwatabva
The intro of the jam will let you know that you're in for an emotional ride. The humming and strings all add to the thought provoking nature of the track. The instrumental in overall is sounding very good. Ti Gonzi is narrating the tough journey Zimbo's have faced in the past decade, the hyper inflation, social decay & unrest, economic meltdown, corruption. He is also highlighting the fact that Zimbo's are strong people and judging with what they have faced and conquered they can deal with anything that's coming in the future. Ti Gonzi gave a superb performance throughout the jam, you can hear the emotion and passion behind his vocals. Great jam.
3. Ende Makaoma ft Ras Caleb
Did a review of this track a couple of weeks back, read the review: Ende Makaoma Track Review . In summary this is a very good jam, love the structure, combination, instrumental, lyrics...all in all its a solid jam. One of my favourite on the album.
4. Zvenyu ft Baller
This is a monster jam. It was released last year and it went on to become an anthem, the track received a lot of love from Zimbo's all over and it truly deserves the love. Love the gritty instrumental here, its sounding very rough and on point. On this track Ti Gonzi is saying lucky you guys who are having a good life whilst the rest of us are finding it hard to make ends meet. With the current economic and social decay happening all over the nation the majority can relate to this track. Its hard to raise the needed money, but some are spending like never before. Social consciousness at its best. Ti Gonzi gave a superb performance on this jam, Baller was also on point.
This is a monster jam. It was released last year and it went on to become an anthem, the track received a lot of love from Zimbo's all over and it truly deserves the love. Love the gritty instrumental here, its sounding very rough and on point. On this track Ti Gonzi is saying lucky you guys who are having a good life whilst the rest of us are finding it hard to make ends meet. With the current economic and social decay happening all over the nation the majority can relate to this track. Its hard to raise the needed money, but some are spending like never before. Social consciousness at its best. Ti Gonzi gave a superb performance on this jam, Baller was also on point.
5. Hurombo ft Cindy
This track is on a personal tip. Ti Gonzi is saying asking the Lord why poverty is always after him, why is that everything he tries to do fails, despite all those around him making it he continues to fail. He is asking for blessings and favour in order to make it in life so he can be counted among people. Powerful. The vocal performances were good, Ti Gonzi was emotional and passionate on the verses and Cindy soothed out the track on the hook. Their combination works well.
This track is on a personal tip. Ti Gonzi is saying asking the Lord why poverty is always after him, why is that everything he tries to do fails, despite all those around him making it he continues to fail. He is asking for blessings and favour in order to make it in life so he can be counted among people. Powerful. The vocal performances were good, Ti Gonzi was emotional and passionate on the verses and Cindy soothed out the track on the hook. Their combination works well.
6. Photo Album
The instrumental here has some lovely keyboard work. The track is about reminiscing and taking audit of ones life. On a regular Ti Gonzi came across his photo album and it took him back to his past. Those days when he was innocent and ambitious with a bright future ahead before life happened. He is now doing an audit of his life, asking where he went wrong, where he became what he is now. We all get into those situations that where we ask ourselves when our lives changed, where did we stop following our dreams. Powerful. The instrumental in overall is sounding okay but I believe it needed to be more clean, they should not have added the recurring synth or they should have reduced the volume of the synth. It disturbs the emotional feel of the track.
7. Chachirungu
The instrumental here is standard and generic, regardless its sounding okay. He is saying he is fed up with the life he is living and he now wants a better life. A life where he eats what he wants and not what is there. He is urging people to be educated and smart so they will be able to live a life they desire. Ti Gonzi switched from his signature style to a more generic type of rapping, however it's not that bad on this instance
8. Ma Ex Angu
This jam as the title implies its dedicated to his Ex lovers. He is reminiscing about the times he had with his exes. When things are not going well or when one is feeling lonely there is a tendency of reminiscing about your past relationships. A few will however admit they have thought of their exes but the majority of us have been there. The instrumental is sounding okay, standard. Ti Gonzi gave an okay performance.
9. Panapa
This track is about having a good time, when you're with boys and you're looking for places where the fun is at. The instrumental is okay and generic again. Ti Gonzi gave an okay performance.
10. Tiri Kudhakiwa
This track continues with the theme from Panapa above. Its about getting drunk and having great time. The instrumental is sounding as if it was recorded in a hall, the arrangement is not as bad but the mixing is lacking. The track in overall is weak.
11. Kana Party Yapera ft Quonfuzed
From the start of this track, I immediately knew it sounded like another jam I knew...after some moments of meditating I realized the instrumental was taken from Coolio's See You When I Get There. The track carries on with the party mode. Ti Gonzi is saying i'm not going home because if I go home I'll become sober so lemme continue drinking. The vocal performance by Quonfuzed was quite good, Ti Gonzi was okay. In overall the track is lacking, a better theme would have sufficed, the structure is good but the message lets the track down, worse off if you consider the track they borrowed from.
12. Chero Mhamha Vakuzviziva ft Team Rehab
The instrumental here is much better than from the previous couple of track. The track is about what one will do when they are intoxicated, the confidence, the bravery, the frankness. The vocal performances were okay. In overall its a generic jam and there is not much to take from it.
13. Hama Dzangu So ft Ba Shupi
This track is more Ti Gonzi's prayer to his loved ones. He is appreciating the presence of the important people in his life. The relationships may be weird or crazy but above all that there is a lot of love. We all have people in our lives vekuti maybe you fight a lot, or argue a lot but regardless of that you have loads of love for each other. Superb. The instrumental is bouncy and good. The vocal performances were on point, Ti Gonzi got back to his best here, like on the first 4 jams of the album. Ba Shupi gave a different from his usual performance but regardless he was sounding good and blended well with the instrumental. Nice jam, love it.
14. Ngatidanane ft Astral Vee
This is a love jam where Ti Gonzi is saying you love me and I love you so lets be together. He is confessing how he will treat her and how he feels when she is not besides him. The instrumental is sounding nice. The vocal performances are good, the two artists blended quite well. Nice jam.
15. Nguva Yakaoma
On this track Ti Gonzi is saying life is hard in the country right now, ends are not meeting, there are no jobs so in the end many people end up resorting to drugs to pass time and forget their problems. The instrumental does not match the emotion behind the track.
16. Dhe Nhanha Dhe ft All Stars
This jam in on a trap tip, the instrumental is generic but sounding okay. If you a fan of dabbing then this song is for you. The jam is about getting high and enjoying life. The artists gave okay performances, not the best of verses but also not the worst. The structure of the vocals is typical of the many trap jams out there.
17. Siyanai NemaDrugs ft Briss Mbada
This track is addressing the social problem of drug abuse. The artists are narrating the experiences they had whilst under the influence of drugs experience and the negative effects of drugs. Drug abuse is on the high in Zim mostly due to the economic and social decay and educating people about the effects of drugs is important. Enjoyed the wordplay and storytelling of both artists here, the verses are easy to follow and comprehend, with a sprinkle of humor. The instrumental is sounding okay, it's there to complement the vocals and it does just that.
18. Mukwasha Wa President
The track starts on a mapostori tip. The instrumental is sounding good, the bass line is good, the loop is also a nice touch. Ti Gonzi was one of the admirers of the president's daughter and he is saying he wanted to the the President's son in law. He tried to communicate his feeling to the President's daughter but it was unfruitful but hopefully you get to hear this song. His performance was very good, loved his verses and the hook. This is not something many people sing about but he nailed it. Its a entertaining jam.
19. Mwari Komborerai ft Gze & Forbes
The jam starts with a commotion of prayers from the artists, different but good. The instrumental is sounding very good, the bass line is on point. Great work on the production. On the track the guys are saying Lord bless me, bless me in everything I do, bless all my hustles. They are saying I have weaknesses and pressures in life, so have mercy and grace on our lives. The performances from all artists are good, enjoyed the verses.
20. Kutapira ft Schingy, Terry Kae, P Mula, Shucky
They borrowed from an old chorus here, the instrumental and structure of the chorus both borrows from the popular chorus. The production is okay. The track is about saying come and see how good my life is. The vocal performances are so so, its one of those tracks I believe was made on a lazy day in the studio and all the guys just jumped on.
21. Manyuku Nyuku
This is termed the battle track. Before his breakout moment with Zvenyu Ti Gonzi was known for his freestyle prowess. On this track he went back to his roots, the bars, punchlines and rhymes. He truly brought the bars, he showed he still has the touch that made him one of the best at freestyles. This is more underground than other tracks on the album and the instrumental is also perfect for such a jam. Nice jam.
22. Zvevanhu Ndazvitadza
The instrumental here is edgy. The hats are sounding distorted, they should have mixed them better, its the only blemish in an otherwise good instrumental. As the title suggests Ti Gonzi is saying he is fed up with trying to please people. If you live your life trying to please people you will go nowhere and end up going crazy. Ti Gonzi gave a good performance on the track, he showcased some good wordplay here. Nice Jam.
In overall this is an okay album. The instrumentals on most of the tracks are too generic, the uniqueness I was expecting was nowhere to be seen. Ti Gonzi's performance wavered throughout the album, he was amazing on some tracks like, Kwatabva, Ende Makaoma, Hama Dzangu So, Mukwasha Wapresident then not so good on other tracks. That lack of consistency from his part lets the album down. He tried to cover a lot of themes and topics but I just feel he should have toned down on the party, getting drunk/high kind of tracks. Was very much looking forward to the album and it dissapointed me.
Regardless of my disappointment, there are some tracks which I enjoyed. My favourite track is Ende Makaoma, other jams I enjoyed are: Kwatabva, Zvenyu, Mukwasha Wapresident & Hama Dzangu So. My Least favourite tracks are: Panapa, Kana Party Yapera, Tirikudhakiwa, Chero Mhamha Varikuzviziva & Kutapira.
Proud Zimbo Rating: D(58%).
What are your thoughts on the album??
The instrumental here has some lovely keyboard work. The track is about reminiscing and taking audit of ones life. On a regular Ti Gonzi came across his photo album and it took him back to his past. Those days when he was innocent and ambitious with a bright future ahead before life happened. He is now doing an audit of his life, asking where he went wrong, where he became what he is now. We all get into those situations that where we ask ourselves when our lives changed, where did we stop following our dreams. Powerful. The instrumental in overall is sounding okay but I believe it needed to be more clean, they should not have added the recurring synth or they should have reduced the volume of the synth. It disturbs the emotional feel of the track.
7. Chachirungu
The instrumental here is standard and generic, regardless its sounding okay. He is saying he is fed up with the life he is living and he now wants a better life. A life where he eats what he wants and not what is there. He is urging people to be educated and smart so they will be able to live a life they desire. Ti Gonzi switched from his signature style to a more generic type of rapping, however it's not that bad on this instance
8. Ma Ex Angu
This jam as the title implies its dedicated to his Ex lovers. He is reminiscing about the times he had with his exes. When things are not going well or when one is feeling lonely there is a tendency of reminiscing about your past relationships. A few will however admit they have thought of their exes but the majority of us have been there. The instrumental is sounding okay, standard. Ti Gonzi gave an okay performance.
9. Panapa
This track is about having a good time, when you're with boys and you're looking for places where the fun is at. The instrumental is okay and generic again. Ti Gonzi gave an okay performance.
10. Tiri Kudhakiwa
This track continues with the theme from Panapa above. Its about getting drunk and having great time. The instrumental is sounding as if it was recorded in a hall, the arrangement is not as bad but the mixing is lacking. The track in overall is weak.
11. Kana Party Yapera ft Quonfuzed
From the start of this track, I immediately knew it sounded like another jam I knew...after some moments of meditating I realized the instrumental was taken from Coolio's See You When I Get There. The track carries on with the party mode. Ti Gonzi is saying i'm not going home because if I go home I'll become sober so lemme continue drinking. The vocal performance by Quonfuzed was quite good, Ti Gonzi was okay. In overall the track is lacking, a better theme would have sufficed, the structure is good but the message lets the track down, worse off if you consider the track they borrowed from.
12. Chero Mhamha Vakuzviziva ft Team Rehab
The instrumental here is much better than from the previous couple of track. The track is about what one will do when they are intoxicated, the confidence, the bravery, the frankness. The vocal performances were okay. In overall its a generic jam and there is not much to take from it.
13. Hama Dzangu So ft Ba Shupi
This track is more Ti Gonzi's prayer to his loved ones. He is appreciating the presence of the important people in his life. The relationships may be weird or crazy but above all that there is a lot of love. We all have people in our lives vekuti maybe you fight a lot, or argue a lot but regardless of that you have loads of love for each other. Superb. The instrumental is bouncy and good. The vocal performances were on point, Ti Gonzi got back to his best here, like on the first 4 jams of the album. Ba Shupi gave a different from his usual performance but regardless he was sounding good and blended well with the instrumental. Nice jam, love it.
14. Ngatidanane ft Astral Vee
This is a love jam where Ti Gonzi is saying you love me and I love you so lets be together. He is confessing how he will treat her and how he feels when she is not besides him. The instrumental is sounding nice. The vocal performances are good, the two artists blended quite well. Nice jam.
15. Nguva Yakaoma
On this track Ti Gonzi is saying life is hard in the country right now, ends are not meeting, there are no jobs so in the end many people end up resorting to drugs to pass time and forget their problems. The instrumental does not match the emotion behind the track.
16. Dhe Nhanha Dhe ft All Stars
This jam in on a trap tip, the instrumental is generic but sounding okay. If you a fan of dabbing then this song is for you. The jam is about getting high and enjoying life. The artists gave okay performances, not the best of verses but also not the worst. The structure of the vocals is typical of the many trap jams out there.
17. Siyanai NemaDrugs ft Briss Mbada
This track is addressing the social problem of drug abuse. The artists are narrating the experiences they had whilst under the influence of drugs experience and the negative effects of drugs. Drug abuse is on the high in Zim mostly due to the economic and social decay and educating people about the effects of drugs is important. Enjoyed the wordplay and storytelling of both artists here, the verses are easy to follow and comprehend, with a sprinkle of humor. The instrumental is sounding okay, it's there to complement the vocals and it does just that.
18. Mukwasha Wa President
The track starts on a mapostori tip. The instrumental is sounding good, the bass line is good, the loop is also a nice touch. Ti Gonzi was one of the admirers of the president's daughter and he is saying he wanted to the the President's son in law. He tried to communicate his feeling to the President's daughter but it was unfruitful but hopefully you get to hear this song. His performance was very good, loved his verses and the hook. This is not something many people sing about but he nailed it. Its a entertaining jam.
19. Mwari Komborerai ft Gze & Forbes
The jam starts with a commotion of prayers from the artists, different but good. The instrumental is sounding very good, the bass line is on point. Great work on the production. On the track the guys are saying Lord bless me, bless me in everything I do, bless all my hustles. They are saying I have weaknesses and pressures in life, so have mercy and grace on our lives. The performances from all artists are good, enjoyed the verses.
20. Kutapira ft Schingy, Terry Kae, P Mula, Shucky
They borrowed from an old chorus here, the instrumental and structure of the chorus both borrows from the popular chorus. The production is okay. The track is about saying come and see how good my life is. The vocal performances are so so, its one of those tracks I believe was made on a lazy day in the studio and all the guys just jumped on.
21. Manyuku Nyuku
This is termed the battle track. Before his breakout moment with Zvenyu Ti Gonzi was known for his freestyle prowess. On this track he went back to his roots, the bars, punchlines and rhymes. He truly brought the bars, he showed he still has the touch that made him one of the best at freestyles. This is more underground than other tracks on the album and the instrumental is also perfect for such a jam. Nice jam.
22. Zvevanhu Ndazvitadza
The instrumental here is edgy. The hats are sounding distorted, they should have mixed them better, its the only blemish in an otherwise good instrumental. As the title suggests Ti Gonzi is saying he is fed up with trying to please people. If you live your life trying to please people you will go nowhere and end up going crazy. Ti Gonzi gave a good performance on the track, he showcased some good wordplay here. Nice Jam.
In overall this is an okay album. The instrumentals on most of the tracks are too generic, the uniqueness I was expecting was nowhere to be seen. Ti Gonzi's performance wavered throughout the album, he was amazing on some tracks like, Kwatabva, Ende Makaoma, Hama Dzangu So, Mukwasha Wapresident then not so good on other tracks. That lack of consistency from his part lets the album down. He tried to cover a lot of themes and topics but I just feel he should have toned down on the party, getting drunk/high kind of tracks. Was very much looking forward to the album and it dissapointed me.
Regardless of my disappointment, there are some tracks which I enjoyed. My favourite track is Ende Makaoma, other jams I enjoyed are: Kwatabva, Zvenyu, Mukwasha Wapresident & Hama Dzangu So. My Least favourite tracks are: Panapa, Kana Party Yapera, Tirikudhakiwa, Chero Mhamha Varikuzviziva & Kutapira.
Proud Zimbo Rating: D(58%).
What are your thoughts on the album??
Proud_Zimbo
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