Since SAMA-winning rapper and singer-songwriter Yanga Chief’s “What If? (Mngani)” dropped alongside Lord Faku: The Life of a Dyan, the song has grown into the album’s centerpiece. Spawning challenges on TikTok and reaching virality on Facebook, thanks to people reimagining the trajectory of their own lives based on the premise of the songwriting, the song went on to take the crown for the highest weekly streams for a solo song on Spotify in the platform’s history, a title that was previously held by “Uyena” by afropop songwriter and vocalist Sjava.
Written on the 29th of May 2024, an epoch-making day in the democratic history of the country, and produced by ODDZ and Roy Odero, Yanga says that he felt nationalistic and grateful to those who came before him and paved the way for him when he wrote the song.
Yanga Chief | SUPPLIED
“I wrote the song on Election Day, so I was feeling very patriotic and grateful to all the people that have inspired me in my journey. The question came up while I was writing the song that: “What if they had given up in their personal lives and felt uninspired?” If they hadn’t achieved their milestones, would I have been inspired to actually do something with my life? And it spiralled from there into a patriotic and South African song. And I would say that I am grateful for the response that the song is getting,” Yanga says of the song.
Soulful, sparse, and sonically soothing, “What If? (Mngani)” sees the “Utatakho” hitmaker explore the multiverse of alternate realities, retelling the stories of prominent South Africans, from modern stars such as Tyla and Siya Kolisi to departed icons such as AKA, Riky Rick, and HHP. Predicated on simplistic bars and threadbare production, the single seeks to stoke contemplation in the heart of the listener, prompting the audience to think about the fragility of life and how one is always one decision and one event away from an altogether different future.
Yanga Chief | SUPPLIED
Butterflying the concept of daring to aspire for greatness by using prominent names, Yanga says that while the song is laced with big names, it is for the ordinary South African who may live and die without getting any sort of recognition. He also concedes that what matters most is not fame or acclaim, but making a difference with the time given in this life and making an impact in one’s own home and community with admirable character traits such as discipline and industry.
“I feel like the people that I mentioned in the song have had their fair share of flowers already. What I am trying to depict on the song is for the listener to focus on themselves and for them to believe that they too can achieve those heights. That they are no different from the people that I name-dropped. So, the song is me trying to spread the energy that I get from those people, redirecting it to the listeners. Whether or not you are working a 9-to-5, what’s not spoken about enough is the fact that by getting up and doing that, you are contributing to the growth of your family and your generation. Being disciplined is always something worth applauding, even if it means you must pat yourself on the back for it,” he says.
Listen to “What If (Mngani)”:
