More sour grapes with AKA’s StarSigns

25 Jan 2018 - 16:02

AKA is not the kind of artist you’d be listening to if you’re hoping to hear profound philosophy. This applies to many commercially successful rappers and singers in South Africa. They’re not the type of creatives who can rack your brain with their bars. But in his latest offering ‘StarSigns’ featuring heavyweight lyricist Stogie T, AKA seems to be going deeper than most of his counterparts – save for the garish auto-tune that he uses even when he addresses the crowd at live shows as well as a chorus that sounds like the ramblings of a madman.

AKAs 'StarSigns' featuring Stogie T takes jabs at rivals the two rappers have in common.

To be fair, the bars are average, and do we still call them bars if the rapping has become singing? AKA opens with a line that suggests he’s been waiting for a prophecy about where his life should go. “I’ve been waiting for a long time / It’s written in my star sign,” he sings. He then descends into an abyss where he doesn’t confirm whether the prophecy was fulfilled or not. “Take off the shoes, hop in the swimming pool (splash).” Okay we get it, the man wants to take a swim or maybe it’s an indirect reference to Aquarius. Whatever it is, it makes little sense. “Who got the juice? who go the Liqui-fruit? (cash) / Who got the sauce? who got the minerals? (man).” He asks rhetorical questions that the adlibs painstakingly attempt to answer, while at the same time the rhymes are lazy yet somewhat well thought out if you’re 15.

AKA delivers sarcasm with a serious tone in the verses while referencing recent issues in the music industry. “I be getting so much money niggas think I’m signed to Mabala now.” Here AKA takes a jab at the controversial record label that has been accused of buying awards for its artists. The rapper then continues to gloat about his achievements. American author Sidney Sheldon once wrote, “Vanity is the devil’s mirror.” ‘StarSigns’ is AKA’s mirror. In fact, AKA’s entire catalogue is a reflection of his inflated ego.

Mr Forbes (AKA’s not so gangster surname) had a choice to either rap or use auto-tune. He opted for the latter and his delivery would have been more poignant if he made the right choice.

Stogie T is the redeemer in this song. Sort of. The rapper formerly known as Tumi is known for his lyricism. That’s not saying much when compared to SA’s other big-name rappers. He himself thinks he’s a hip hop authority in the country. Even Cassper Nyovest is threatened by him if we have to go by his reaction at the South African Hip Hop Awards last year. And it’s true – Tumi has one thing Cassper and most other SA rappers don’t – content.

His verse on ‘StarSigns’ has shrewd wordplay and strategically takes shots at both Riky Rick and “Mufasa”.

"Me and B [Bonang] share a legacy / Bad grammar and a booking fee.” Here he uses AKAs ex-girlfriend as leverage for a bar. “How ironic, so much Gucci and no material or music,” he says about Riky Rick. Hold it right there! It’s not ironic, a Gucci sense of fashion is not equal to creating music. And it’s not like Riky Rick doesn’t produce music – he’s actually very productive. The real irony here is that Stogie T’s ‘Diamond Walk’ video was shot in front stores such as Prada and Luis Vuitton in Johannesburg’s glitziest mall, Sandton City. So it’s a clear case of the pot calling the kettle black.

The final line in Tumi’s verse (“You can’t get Mufasad by antelopes”) is pretty corny (it makes a proper noun into a verb) but delivers an effective message: Tumi is the Mufasa of rap, not Cassper Nyovest, because Cassper, contrary to a nationwide fad, is the antelope. This is much like saying “My daddy can beat up your daddy, so there!”

Tumi could have at least called out the two rappers by name. Is he scared? Nobody knows. Probably.

‘StarSigns’ is a well-packaged song with great production efforts on an average trap beat. The rhyme schemes are enthralling at times but the content doesn’t quite make the desired impact. The vocoder is also AKA’s safety blanket that someone needs to snatch from him while he’s asleep.