Have upcoming SA artists mastered the art of teleportation through their music?
With the dawn of artists like Shane Eagle, Frank Casino and Shekhinah, it’s clear to see that South African hip-hop is growing in ways we didn’t think imaginable by taking a new turn which focuses far more on creating a more atmospheric production.
The pivotal characteristic in the melodies used in production is that the songs exude this bleak, ambiance which puts you on a “natural trip”, evoking the sensation of teleporting to another dimension within the song, creating an atmosphere of its own.
This transcending aura is a characterised by the use or rhythmic snares and more mellow tempos with slightly futuristic elements infused in the melodies, similar to that of Drake’s October’s Very Own (OVO) sound. Artists like Mapped Out Squad, Miguel Benson and Frank Alabama epitomise these elements through their work.
Mapped Out Squad (M.O.S.) is a music group consisting of artists Midas, Gravity and Hiku, as well as DJ Griffins and Marco Benz who are both artists and producers in the group. However, M.O.S. aren’t exactly your “typical hip-hop crew”; their sound is distinguished by their cross between hip-hop and RnB with a couple of Trap elements found in their beats. This makes them sound almost as if Travis Scott and “40” from OVO had a love child.
The M.O.S. hit Ralph Lauren is described by them as “Trappy”, “litty” and “different”. With its muffled base drops and a futuristic, entrancing background melody that propagates throughout the song, it is definitely a jam that you could “turn up to”. While on the other hand, Problems by their artist Gravity has a mellower, brooding feel to it, resonating a feeling of emptiness, similar to Drake’s Marvin’s Room. This atmospheric, slightly Trapsoul aura in their music is created by M.O.S. members Marco Benz and Dj Griffins.
Marco Benz and Dj Griffins are the creative minds and producers in the group whose handiwork could easily rival the likes of Noah “40” Shebib of OVO Sound with enough time. With the use of down-tempo beats, muffled drums, synths and pianos, they construct this smooth, yet elevating ambiance, revitalizing the hip-hop sound.
Another artist, Miguel Benson, also has his work produced by M.O.S member Marco Benz. Miguel Benson is a singer who is unique for his RnB take on a stereotypical Trapsoul sound which is incorporated with synthesisers and looping- techniques, and this adds a slightly electronic nature to his music. The sounds of synths, piano and muffled drums persist throughout his music which is indeed a trademark of Marco Benz’s production.
Miguel Benson’s innocent sounding voice is often paired alongside a rapper to give his work a more “edgy” feel, making it appeal to both your hard core hip-hop fans, as well as your pop music lovers. A typical example of this technique is in his songs Promises and So Many Ways. Promises ft Tivo, can be described as cute and pop-sounding whereas in his other song, So Many Ways ft Mickey Monarch, we soon realise that he may not be as innocent as we thought, seeing that it displays his versatility in his music. Evidently, versatility has never sounded so good…
Lastly, rapper Frank Alabama - born and bred in Polokwane - astonishes us with this whole crepuscular, futuristic approach to his music. In his song Driveway Music, he teams up with his homebody TOBY TRILL to create this rich, laid-back track that makes you feel as if you’re cruising along Chapman’s Peak Drive, in your convertible, at sunset.
This laid-back atmosphere is created by a free beat that Frank Alabama found online which works in harmony with his baritone voice along with his wavy flow. These elements were perfectly mastered by TOBY TRILL, whom we can thank for the smooth transition between the amazing outro (which I personally think ties the song together perfectly) and the rest of the song embodying the whole equable climate which propagates throughout their work.
It is clear to see that the new direction artists like Mapped Out Squad, Miguel Benson and Frank Alabama are taking focuses on creating a more ambient feel to their production, drawing you into a world created solely by their music. This atmosphere emphasises the lyrical content of their work, evoking in you the sensation of teleportation – straight into the music itself.
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