With two weeks left on the clock before the release of his fifth studio album I Think You Spoke Too Soon, BET Award-nominated rapper and singer-songwriter Ntokozo “K.O” Mdluli has not lifted his foot off the accelerator since dropping “Let Me Cook” with Maglera Doe Boy in May. The warmup has only intensified since then with a rapid rollout of singles including “On the Way” from the Losing Lerato 2 OST and “Too Much” alongside Nasty C. The ex-Teargas member, who has been on an evolutionary growth curve musically and aesthetically, has released neo-Western-inspired visuals for “Pasopa”, featuring “Cheque” hitmaker Usimamane.
The Ted Magerman-directed visuals for “Pasopa” bloom at the heart of Uncle Harry’s Roadhouse. Famous for their larger-than-life burgers and grilled food, the spot serves as a date night venue for the rappers, who charm their lovers over tall glasses of milkshake.
Importing the Texan spirit of country wear and atmosphere, the backup dancers show off deft footwork while arrayed in sky-blue bum shorts, ivory-white cowboy boots with matching tops, and cowboy hats to complete the Western outfit. With roller skates making a cameo and the girls enjoying the wild game of rodeo under the night sky, the American side of the music video plays out as a pastel dream, a sequence extracted from the 80s era in the States.
Watch “Pasopa”:
The music video switches between the carnival-coloured Roadhouse to a meadow-green location, where the “SETE.” star orbits his muse, leaning on her every now and again, serenading her about how she should keep her guard up lest his charm cause her to fall in love with him.
With “Pasopa”, K.O seems to be at a point in his career where he’s not only expanding his musicianship but also the artform of blending sound and looks. The youthful colour schemes and dreamy neon lights melds with the mellow production to fuse fun and fashion. While the video has a quirky playfulness reminiscent of “Y.O.U.” and “Shimmy”, this quality is balanced by grown-man maturity last seen on “SETE.”
Whether K.O has been mixing and matching on purpose or simply experimenting, the move, as seen on “Pasopa”, has been honing his unpredictability piecemeal while still allowing him to maintain on control how his fans perceive him as artist who is more than just the hip-hop artist he started the race as.
