Back with another hustler’s anthem, South African DJ Lutendo Kungoane, otherwise known as DJ Sliqe, has joined forces with rappers Emtee, Saudi, and Thato Saul for ‘Ekhoneni‘. The single is the SAMA-winning DJ’s first since his Champion Music 2 exploits with rappers 25K and Maglera Doe Boy.
‘Ekhoneni‘ is a hip-hop joint standing on the foundation of a rumbling bass and prominent trumpets, setting the stage for the rappers to take turns to give accounts of street life from their respective standpoints.
The song begins with a forceful pre-hook from the ‘Roll Up‘ hitmaker, rapping, “Let’s get to the money/ Let’s get to the money / Let’s get to the money, man (Let’s get to the money) / I was just servin’ whoever whatever (Yeah), just to fill up my tummy, man (Yeah)”.
Saul’s first verse is an in-your-face depiction of ruthless go-getting, with graphic imagery of macho behaviour and violence (“Respectin’ my life and everythin’ I got. I put that on my knife, I just might”).
While Saudi complements him with a softer verse that revolves around his version of events when it comes to hustling. The ‘Abangani’ rapper references his standing in the game (“Bang’dlela umona nge confidence, straight to my face / It’s a number one album when I release, nobody’s safe”) and his friendship with the song’s hook master (“Me and Hustle we want all the smoke again, we live again”) while lacing up his raps, like Thato, with deft wordplay and a suave flow.
With ‘Ekhoneni‘, Sliqe has constructed a controlled posse cut with rappers who understand the strengths of their respective niches. With The Hustler deployed as the chorus master, and with Saul and Saudi playing their usual games on the verses, ‘Ekhoneni‘ is tight and without any lard that could’ve been left aside.
Listen to the song here:
