From his humble beginnings with Clouds to releases of monumental career importance such as his magnum opus Candyman and his SAMA-nominated extended play Note to Self, award-winning South African rapper and singer-songwriter FLVME has plumbed the depths of the sorrows of loss and relished the heights of victories. In all those experiences, wisdom was born in many shapes: in emotional regulation, in the endless pursuit of perfection (or perhaps greatness), and in making music that will live on. With the thoughts of a man sobered up by the years, the South African Hip Hop Award honouree has returned with his latest 21-song album titled BLVCK & WHiTE, distilling his head space into a body of work about duality and the binary struggle of wrestling with one’s own darker versions to climb out of that distorted place.
The musician spoke of his mental growth and changes in perspective over the years that gave rise to his album.
“The ultimate thing I learnt over the years is that I don’t know as much as I thought I did. Because of that I started to understand the concept of learning, and that I have to continue to learn something new every day. That is what has brought duality into my music and my life as well. I don’t try to live by certain rules; while there is discipline in my life, I always wake up and appreciate the day for what it is,” he said.
FLVME | SUPPLIED
His newest addition to his discography is over an hour long and features a stellar line-up composed of Zoocci Coke Dope, Young Stunna, and 25K, among other collaborators, including frequent partner-in-music Die Mondez. FLVME spoke about the chronicles of his music-making exploits as a chromesthesia-prone muso, talking about how his album came from an obscure place of darkness and him attempting to crawl out of that space with his project.
“Most of the times when I make music, I see it in colour, so all these colours make up something to me as well as the feeling I get when I perceive them through the music. Initially, the album was called Winter Nights – that was the working title. As I started to make the songs of the album, I realised that they didn’t match what I wanted Winter Nights to be because the most dominant colours I was seeing while working on this project were the darker colours of the spectrum like the blacks and the greys. That’s where the title came from, from the colours I was seeing. In as much as it came from a distorted place, it also came from a place where I was forced to find myself, and I was alone during that process,” he said.
Music is more than layers of well-time rhythms, synchronised harmonies, and suitable songwriting braided together by the solder of masterful composition. To the sad, it’s a companion for lonely nights. For those facing difficulties, it’s an immaterial friend that offers invaluable companionship. It is also there to pump bodies with energy to dance all evening in the clubs and party spots and to tell stories on behalf of those without a voice to do so. FLVME talked about how his album was crafted to serve as a manual for his listeners.
“BLVCK & WHiTE as an album is about expression from my side, but the project is more for the listeners. It’s a manual, a guideline to help them find themselves with the music. So it’s more for them to find themselves rather than about me hearing words of validation from them about this project, even though everyone is entitled to have their own opinion about it. On my side, I think it’s my best work currently, but I don’t think it’s the best I have to offer for all-time,” he said.
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The 2019 Best Freshman of the SAHHA spoke about the paralysing fight with trying to attain perfection.
“One thing I feel like I wrestle with a lot is people demanding perfection out of me. I think that’s the biggest thing I have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Not necessarily to say that everyone is doing that knowingly, but it’s a general feeling I get that spurs me to get up and do what I do and that goes for other areas of my life, even personally. That’s always been my greatest war: perfection,” he said.
FLVME talked about the ongoing dichotomous relationship he has with chasing after perfection and wrestling with it, a phenomenon he credited with helping him becoming better as a musician.
“The most ironic thing about my process of making music is that it relates to what I just spoke about: perfection. In as much as it’s something I battle with, it’s also something that pushes me. Because with the knowledge I have about it not being attainable, I still try to get as close as I can to it. Learning every day, as I said in the beginning, has been part of my growth as well as me pursing that goal of getting closer to perfection. We all have that perfect picture of who we want to be in the future, but the only problem is we don’t create those characters with flaws – and that’s a me I’ll never reach that – that picture perfect me – because I will always have those flaws,” he said.
FLVME | SUPPLIED
The hip-hop star shared how he has learned to regulate his emotions in his process of maturing, marking a change in not only how he handles himself and the expression of his feelings but also the changes of his environment.
“I think the biggest difference between me now and the FLVME that existed all those years ago is that I’m a lot calmer now. I used to be very overwhelming in sorts of aspects. If I was happy, then I was happy to the max, and if I was mad, then I was mad to the max. Every feeling was heightened. Now, I keep the same energy in every situation, whether it’s good or bad or the sun’s out or it’s raining outside. I always keep the same attitude,” he said.
With his album already out, FLVME divulged some of his other plans before the year draws to a close.
“I’m already trying to finish up my next album, so that’s one thing I’m trying to wrap up before the year ends. Apart from that, I want to spend a bit more time with my family because I’ve been too consumed with the music,” he said.
