Octopizzo's Afro Centered ‘Jungle Fever’ Leaves Fans Feverishly Obsessed
I am obsessed with this album, I won't lie. And I am not exaggerating either. The sheer surprise element that gets me every time I listen is baffling to me. My mind is blown, trying to wrap itself around how such a playful and creative concept of fusing rap with traditional East African sounds has worked so well. The project sounds so great and powerful and honestly I feel a sense of awe and deep respect for this artist Octopizzo.
It's been more than a decade since he first picked up the mic. Just as he brought fever to the airwaves then, so does he now. The evolution of his sound is obvious for one and all to see, or hear.But the energy, the jist of his art, the "sweetness" so to say, hasn't changed a bit. The same energy is felt in his 6th studio album: Jungle Fever. And oh my, what an album, what a sound!
Jungle Fever is an afro- centred album. It's whole identity is based on the concept of fusing rap music with traditional East African sounds. The instrumentals incorporate Lingala, Ohangla, Benga and Twisty, as the main rhythms and beats feature heavy drumming so synonymous with African music.
The guest list on the project , save for Blinky Bill and Zzero Sufuri,include vernacular musicians. Suzanna Owiyo is recruited for the song Lela,where she gives a catchy chorus in luo. Owino Kitoto is also featured on the fifth song Plus One, a song sang to an ohangla beat. Ohangla is a style of music predominant among the Luo of Western Kenya. It draws heavily from rhumba music but is sungin luo. And Plus One isn't the only Ohangla inspiration on the album. On the song City Cabanas, Idd Aziz sings the hook accompanied by an ohangla beat. However the lyrics are in Swahili- a playful way to present the music. Octopizzo also does a remake of the now rested Ohangla Maestro ,Musa Juma's, Ma Selina. He repeats the Chorus word for word,with the slight auto-tuned alteration, made to sound as if the chorus is offkey. He then delivers three rap verses in the same song.
He also draws inspiration from other sounds, for example on the first song, Good Morning Africa featuring Idd Aziz, he plays with a lingala rhythm. The second song is a cleverly blended fusion of Benga and Twisty sounds of 1960's East Africa. He even samples Les Wanyika on the same song-a voice so respected in East Africa.
The production Incorporated traditional African instruments. On the song City Cabanas one clearly hears the Nyatiti, a string instrument played by most tribes in Western Kenya. The luo traditional horn, Tungi and shakers, Orimba,can also be heard on the same track! The use of these African instruments is so organic,and they sound so effortless considering that your average instrumentalist has never even seen these Instruments in person.
A great album tackles everyday themes in a clever way. Or isn't that the whole point of art,to question, comment or remind societies about their morals and consciences? And that is what Octopizzo has done on this project.
The first song Good Morning Africa is a celebration of Africa ,it's people and their enterprise. This is achieved both lyrically and visually. When he says "Lima Shamba",it is a statement with double meaning; a reference to the agricultural activities many East Africans depend on,and perhaps a sexual connotation. In the video ,which features various models in African attire, as well as small scale businesses, Mike Lolly P, the director does a superb job in creating an aesthetic that is African and realistic yet appealing. He pulls off another masterpiece, directing the video to Lela featuring Suzanna Owiyo. In this video, he brings to life, the artist's theme of dancing and celebrating Africa and Africans. Although that is the farthest visual executions go, the theme of celebration doesn't. The last two songs are celebratory and are high energy party songs.
Some songs also contain heavy themes; the second song Sitaki , takes a sarcastic tone and an aloofness of attitude towards the current political landscape in Kenya. The first verse starts off as a song about keeping the right people with you, avoiding the fake bunch "Sitaki Mamorio wa Kuchachisha!". The second verse however is where things get political. Octopizzo states" Tangu Handshake wengine waliacha Chungwa/ Staki Siasa za kukwama gutter!"This line is a dig at Hon.Raila Odinga and the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) that decided to cooperate with the ruling Jubilee party. He then goes to give the opinion that such politics keep ordinary people stuck in the gutter.
On the tenth song, and I must admit - my personal best, he gets emotional talking about his past, how he grew up in poverty but overcame it all. The song is titled 'Tamaa' - Swahili for covetousness or greed. On the chorus he sings :
'Mama Natamba/I wish ungeona vile siku hizi natamba/
Tamaa niliacha/Nakula nyama zote nafaa!'.
The simple chorus is powerful if you understand the context. In East African culture, eating meat is associated with opulence, and doing well in life. That is why in the last line of the first verse, he admits that growing up he was covetous of meat-eating neighbours. However, he uses the rest of the song to explain how he hoped and held on to make a better life for himself, and be able to eat any kind of meat he fancies. He dedicates the song to his departed mother, wishing she was there to be spoiled with designer outfits and a good life.
The same song also embodies the theme of ambition. The rapper misconstrues a popular Swahili saying, Mtoto akililia wembe mpe, by saying Mtoto akililia wembe atawai!. Wembe is a razor blade that the child would obviously mishandle. However in Octopizzo's point of view, the razor may not be necessarily a bad thing for the kid. What matters is if the kid wants the blade. The child then should be ambitious enough to get it and handle it well. Other themes handled include Love and Romance on the songs Jaber, Nataka and and Jealousy from peers on the song Zambe. On the track Dungu,he talks about embracing our ethnic differences and cultures.
It is also important to mention that the rapper delivered his lines in a unique way. He chose wordplay-obviously a strength of his. He also made a lot of allusions and comparisons, name dropping and being generous with similes. He Incorporated a few sayings, sometimes twisting them like the Mtoto mpe wembe line. On the song Nataka he mumbles the chorus, and on the remake of Ma Selina he uses autotune.
All in all, this is a cleverly written and well produced album from an artist who just less than two months ago, had four, yes four of his songs listed for consideration for the annual 63rd Grammy Academy Awards. His unique style and deliberate cultivation of the East African sound is highly rated and incredibly artistic. As I said before I am feverishly obsessed by this project.
Stream Jungle Fever here.
