By Cynthia Mpe
Local is getting real lekker every ticking minute of the hour, as young talent brings itself to the fore-front, country wide. A young musician by the name of Tumza is one of the building bricks in the wall of the local music industry. One can hardly tell he’s an honours student majoring in Policy and Development.
In his first demo album, entitled His Royal Humbleness, he creates music that tells the story of how the local youth of the Free State are taking off from the epiphany of praising one’s origins. His self-titled album presents a kaleidoscope of melodies, beats and instruments combined with lyrics that range from odes about hip-hop battles to love songs to chants, and one can clearly tell he comes from a variety of musical backgrounds. He confirms that he grew up listening to everything the music market had to offer, but his ultimate favourite genre has always remained R&B.
Even though he is Jay-Z inspired he doesn’t follow his style exactly as most artists do; they mimic him in everything from beats to style, but a brother like Tumza clearly represents originality. The stories that he tell take you on a journey through different states of emotion: love, pride, independence, and glory.
His ambitions in the hip-hop industry are very promising, but he’s quick to point out that he didn’t waste his years in university simply to let his degree remain in the cupboard and collect dust. He says, “I’m willing to try and integrate my professional occupation with my music business,” Spoken with true intellect. He promises his second album by Easter next year. All I can say is that we can’t wait!
If you’re a local hip-hop fan be ready to be taken by a Free State storm. We can’t yet compare him to the bigger stars, but he’s the best in his territory. He used beats that aren’t too rough and very well rhythmic. It’s a “you can dance, scream or cry if you want to” kind of an album. Tumza is still introducing himself to his audience, hence the mild nature of his lyrics. In a nutshell: HHP, TUKS, JR, move over; here comes a bigger shot. |