Album Review: Karizma - FAKAZI
This is my first review of any project by Karizma, saw the link for this project on his profile and decided its high time now. Was happy to find out that the album only has 8 tracks which is refreshing and shows he will probably be going straight to the point. Personally I'm not a fan of any album that has more than 12 tracks, filler tracks are such a pain to sit through.
Fakazi means Witness in isiNdebele so several question will arise as one is about to listen to the project: What are we witnessing on this project?? is it a change is style?? a change in sound?? is Karizma getting out of his shell??.
Like I said the album contains 8 tracks and will be doing the usual track by track review down below and my overall thoughts at the end.
1. Finally (Intro)
This track could easily have been titled I Still Believe, it talks about how Karizma believed in his dream, he believed that he was gonna get the recognition and success he deserved, for years he has been pouring his heart out for the hip hop and finally he is now being recognized. The track starts with a sample from when he won the Best Diaspora Artist Award. The production is done well, its laid back and quite minimal which works well for the overall vibe of the track, however I feel the bass should have been more pronounced.
2. Elizabeth
This mellow vibe continues on this track, the arrangement also follows a similar style but is more soulful than the track before and the bass is more pronounced adding character to the track. On this track Karizma is talking about how he is willing to leave all of it for Elizabeth, she is the only whom he has eyes for and wants to impress.
3. Glammer
On this track Karizma is sort of reassuring himself and others that you should not be taken by the Glammer and the glitter, it will lead you astray. The production is done well but the song feels too short and also ends rather abruptly, it had me checking the length, it felt like an interlude.
4. ABC
This mid album interlude showcases arguably Karizma's best performance on the whole album. His delivery is on point. The production is also done superbly well, love the bouncy nature of the instrumental it gets you bumping your head to the kicks from the onset. On the track Karizma is taking us through the basics, schooling us on the ABC's that led to his success. The interlude however also ends abruptly, they could have made it a bit smoother.
5. Famous
On this track Karizzy is talking about how he is building the right attitude for success, trying to remain grounded despite having his name written all over blogs, websites and newspapers. At the same time he is proud of the achievements he has attained so far and thanks his fans for the support. The production is done well, it continues with the chilled vibe, love the keyboard work. Karizma also delivered a solid performance blending well with the instrumental.
6. Dreamers
Karizma is talking to all the dreamers, those people who have held on to their dream despite the difficulties they face. He is giving them power through sharing inspirational and motivational stories on the verses, encouraging them to keep pushing on. The production is done very well and Karizma was also at par on the vocals, delivering a solid performance.
7. Love & War, Pt 2
Given the title one will know that this is going to be interesting. Love takes and requires a lot, there are a lot of choices that one has to make for their relationship to progress, no-one wants to end up with a heartbreak. Karizma is narrating story about how the choices he took lead to the breakdown between his relationship with a lady he though he had a future with. The production is done quite well, continuing with the overall laid back mood of the whole project.
8. Do it (Outro)
He seals off the album by urging others that they should go on and execute their dreams, it may be scary but they should Do It. If you do not you will regret not giving yourself the chance to see if you can achieve your dreams. He also goes on to share his dream, the things he is working hard to achieve. The production is again done well and Karizma delivered a solid performance.
Stream the album: FAKAZI on Spotify
So ya that's it for the album, it was quite a surprise, I expected the album to be one of those hyped trap projects and I was wrong. Have enjoyed listening to this project. I 'm not one for these super hyped hip hop/rap projects am more inclined to the mellow, chilled rap jams which let the artist do the painting with his/her words. The album has a different feel to the majority of hip hop albums on the market and that makes it refreshing and entertaining to listen to.
The production is done very well, even though one template was used throughout the album. To differentiate between the tracks they slightly altered the arrangements and alternated the instrument/sound that is more pronounced on each song. The good thing is the tracks flow well together, if it wasn't for the rather abrupt ending on a number of the tracks the transition from one track to another would have been seamless. One thing that stands out when you are about the start listening to this project is how short the track are, which in a way is a good thing but somehow certain tracks for example Glammer feel shorter, which makes you feel a bit cheated, Love & War Pt 2 is short but they ending is proper, I feel they should have done so on all the other tracks.
This album in a way feels like a personal notebook, Karizma is keeping himself in check, trying to make himself remain grounded and not get taken by the buzz & glammer. He also shares his dreams and showcases his desire to progress and succeed. In terns of vocals he performed well, he was solid throughout. Another plus for him is that knowing he is not a singer he did not try to sing on the choruses, he stayed in his lane.
In overall this is a good project, truthfully was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, it surpassed all my expectations. The vibe is spot on, the laid back mood is awesome (arguably the project's biggest selling point), the production is done well and also the performance from Karizma is good. This will not be topping charts but it makes for a compelling listen and I definitely recommend it. To answer the questions from the intro, we are witnessing a change in sound and style for Karizma. I love this new sound and style of his; Fakazi is the best hip hop/rap project I have listened and reviewed this year so far.
My overall rating: 7/10
What are your thoughts on the album???
Like I said the album contains 8 tracks and will be doing the usual track by track review down below and my overall thoughts at the end.
1. Finally (Intro)
This track could easily have been titled I Still Believe, it talks about how Karizma believed in his dream, he believed that he was gonna get the recognition and success he deserved, for years he has been pouring his heart out for the hip hop and finally he is now being recognized. The track starts with a sample from when he won the Best Diaspora Artist Award. The production is done well, its laid back and quite minimal which works well for the overall vibe of the track, however I feel the bass should have been more pronounced.
2. Elizabeth
This mellow vibe continues on this track, the arrangement also follows a similar style but is more soulful than the track before and the bass is more pronounced adding character to the track. On this track Karizma is talking about how he is willing to leave all of it for Elizabeth, she is the only whom he has eyes for and wants to impress.
3. Glammer
On this track Karizma is sort of reassuring himself and others that you should not be taken by the Glammer and the glitter, it will lead you astray. The production is done well but the song feels too short and also ends rather abruptly, it had me checking the length, it felt like an interlude.
4. ABC
This mid album interlude showcases arguably Karizma's best performance on the whole album. His delivery is on point. The production is also done superbly well, love the bouncy nature of the instrumental it gets you bumping your head to the kicks from the onset. On the track Karizma is taking us through the basics, schooling us on the ABC's that led to his success. The interlude however also ends abruptly, they could have made it a bit smoother.
5. Famous
On this track Karizzy is talking about how he is building the right attitude for success, trying to remain grounded despite having his name written all over blogs, websites and newspapers. At the same time he is proud of the achievements he has attained so far and thanks his fans for the support. The production is done well, it continues with the chilled vibe, love the keyboard work. Karizma also delivered a solid performance blending well with the instrumental.
6. Dreamers
Karizma is talking to all the dreamers, those people who have held on to their dream despite the difficulties they face. He is giving them power through sharing inspirational and motivational stories on the verses, encouraging them to keep pushing on. The production is done very well and Karizma was also at par on the vocals, delivering a solid performance.
7. Love & War, Pt 2
Given the title one will know that this is going to be interesting. Love takes and requires a lot, there are a lot of choices that one has to make for their relationship to progress, no-one wants to end up with a heartbreak. Karizma is narrating story about how the choices he took lead to the breakdown between his relationship with a lady he though he had a future with. The production is done quite well, continuing with the overall laid back mood of the whole project.
8. Do it (Outro)
He seals off the album by urging others that they should go on and execute their dreams, it may be scary but they should Do It. If you do not you will regret not giving yourself the chance to see if you can achieve your dreams. He also goes on to share his dream, the things he is working hard to achieve. The production is again done well and Karizma delivered a solid performance.
Stream the album: FAKAZI on Spotify
So ya that's it for the album, it was quite a surprise, I expected the album to be one of those hyped trap projects and I was wrong. Have enjoyed listening to this project. I 'm not one for these super hyped hip hop/rap projects am more inclined to the mellow, chilled rap jams which let the artist do the painting with his/her words. The album has a different feel to the majority of hip hop albums on the market and that makes it refreshing and entertaining to listen to.
The production is done very well, even though one template was used throughout the album. To differentiate between the tracks they slightly altered the arrangements and alternated the instrument/sound that is more pronounced on each song. The good thing is the tracks flow well together, if it wasn't for the rather abrupt ending on a number of the tracks the transition from one track to another would have been seamless. One thing that stands out when you are about the start listening to this project is how short the track are, which in a way is a good thing but somehow certain tracks for example Glammer feel shorter, which makes you feel a bit cheated, Love & War Pt 2 is short but they ending is proper, I feel they should have done so on all the other tracks.
This album in a way feels like a personal notebook, Karizma is keeping himself in check, trying to make himself remain grounded and not get taken by the buzz & glammer. He also shares his dreams and showcases his desire to progress and succeed. In terns of vocals he performed well, he was solid throughout. Another plus for him is that knowing he is not a singer he did not try to sing on the choruses, he stayed in his lane.
In overall this is a good project, truthfully was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, it surpassed all my expectations. The vibe is spot on, the laid back mood is awesome (arguably the project's biggest selling point), the production is done well and also the performance from Karizma is good. This will not be topping charts but it makes for a compelling listen and I definitely recommend it. To answer the questions from the intro, we are witnessing a change in sound and style for Karizma. I love this new sound and style of his; Fakazi is the best hip hop/rap project I have listened and reviewed this year so far.
My overall rating: 7/10
What are your thoughts on the album???
Proud_Zimbo
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