“Renaissance;” a rebirth of Slessor’s hip hop

Mzuzu urban music has taken another twist with the emergence of a young talent, Slessor, whose singles, Heartbreaker, Ukhale Wanga and Wamatama, are enjoying airplay in Malawi’s radio stations.

The Mzuzu-based singer has named his yet to be released mixtape Renaissance mainly because, as he argues, it appeals to a cross section of ages.

His subject matter ranges from issues affecting society to the hip hop norm of glorifying “the self” while demeaning “the other.”

Renaissance’s lead song Welcome to Africa appreciates the unique natural beauty of Africa, while most of his songs address love issues.

Heartbreaker, which blends hip hop with Zambia’s “The Third” style of singing, explains how a happily single girl breaks hearts of those advancing for her love.

Kamumpanda, Ukhale Wanga and Talk To You expound on this theme of love.

However, the second theme running through his songs is an irony to the title of his mix-tape, as it does not completely depart from the roots of hip hop of satisfying the ego.

Typical of hip hop, the lyrics of Ndimangoblowa, Wamatama, John Chilembwe and Typpa Nigga are full of expressions that address “the self” such as “I have money,” “I am the best,” “all girls fall for me,” and those that demean “the other” such as “you can’t reach my level.”

In another song, his affiliation to two record labels within the period of two years conspicuously finds its way into his lyrics, presupposing an achievement no ordinary person can.

Listening to his songs, one gets the feeling that Slessor is a force to reckon with, and is here to stay.