Sho Majozi's debut album is out - Here's 5 reasons to be excited
After what seems like an eternity of waiting, muso Sho Madjozi dropped her debut album on Friday, and the streets were a mess.
Sho's star has been on the rise since her four-line feature on Okmalumkoolkat's Gqi last year.
As 2018 drew to a close, she gave a show-stopping performance at the Global Citizen Festival and announced her debut album.
She named the album Limpopo Champions League after her home province and, as expected, it trended within minutes of its release.
The album was well worth the wait and here's just five reasons why it's a strong contender for local album of the year.
It's full of "iyaah" and "Sho"s
"Can I get a 'iyaah'?"
Sho's signature phrase is all over this album, from the short intro to the roaring chorus on Huku.
It's everything fans expected and more.
It's got those Limpopo vibes
"I came here from Limpopo. I came here on the N1"
The opening track Ro Rali introduces the listener to a sound from the province and the theme continues on the tracks Kona and Limpopo Champions League, where she waxes lyrical about the area.
Changanya brings it back with African traditional instruments and vocals that will make you feel like you are watching the sunset in Venda.
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But it's international at every level
"All your friends are calculators, quick to divide us."
Although it's a proudly SA album, Sho's style and bars are at times as lethal as anything you would find in London's grim scene or New York's underground hip-hop scene.
It's been said several times, but Sho is leading the international push by local artists and she has the right recipe with this offering.
The bars are fire
"I came here by force and I'll leave when I want"
There may be a fierce debate over who is the best female lyricist in Mzansi, but there should be no doubt that Sho's name is up there in the mix.
She bursts onto tracks with all the confidence of a veteran, popping lines like: "Me or your girlfriend, who does it best?" and "I'm probably the best dressed in any room and I bet I look like money too"
Even when she is at her most pop, like on the track Don't Tell Me What To Do, her bars are heavy.
The production is whiling
From the moment the second track Idhom starts playing, you know it's going to be a summer smash. So, by the time a sample of a child speaking comes on in the middle of the track, the party is ready to pop!
The tempo doesn't let up all the way to the climax on Wakanda Forever.
It may be time to trash that Dezemba Boss playlist and just bump this album the whole month.
The streets were impressed