It has been a long two years since Bergville rapper and singer-songwriter Siyabonga “Big Zulu” Nene shook the tectonic plates of the South African rap game with his tentacled diss “150 Bars”. Sacrilegious to the venerated legacies of hip-hop icons such as Kwesta and K.O and derisive to the contributions of acclaimed MCs such as Stogie T and Duncan, the impact of the Nkabi Nation leader rippled throughout the industry, the shockwaves spawning responses from the aforementioned rivals whilst also giving hip-hop the much-needed attention. Back with a sequel to the track, “200 Bars”, the “iMali Eningi” hitmaker’s sophomore diss cut is laced with venomous criticism and jibes aimed at Stogie, Duncan, Emtee, and Cassper Nyovest.
Produced by his stablemate Xowla, “200 Bars” is a hip-hop song which features a prominent loop sampled from Mgarimbe’s Mzansi’s classic club staple “Sista Bethina”. Sprinkled with shavings of sporadic log drums to create an interplay between the production and the lyrical references to amapiano overtaking the genre, Big Zulu’s “200 Bars” is mid-tempo on the rhythmic side of speed, which dovetails with Zulu’s stolid rapping style and clumpy delivery. The song’s staccato-patterned drums imbue the personality of the diss with a rustic and street feel, a choice that places the song as an anthesis to the subject matter (amapiano) and a catalyst for the revival of real rap, which has fallen off the precipice it once stood proudly on.
“200 Bars” Single Cover
Big Zulu starts off the song as a champion of the people (“S’cel’ u200, banyakazise bath’ uk’vuka futhi”), a subtle but veiled boast to his contemporaries that not only were his ears in tune with the frequencies of the sentiments of hip-hop heads but that he also had the heart to goad anyone in the game for the benefit of the music. In the introductory bars, Nene also takes a slight dig at Kwesta (“Bagcwel’ iQuantum, kade spush iteks’ ayidumi k’shuti / Hip-hop istuckile, akekh’ uDriver kulindw’ inkabi k’shuthi”), which, at the surface, is a bar addressing the state of the music and where it’s currently standing. However, with “200 Bars” being a sequel to “150 Bars”, it wouldn’t be too far a reach for the lines to be a slick callback to Kwesta’s “Quanthum (First Load)” response to Zulu’s initial industry shot.
The first headshot Big Zulu makes obvious by dignifying with a mention is Emtee, though the first wave of his lyrical onslaught leans more on the side of derision and mockery, poking fun at his weed and smoking addiction. It is only in the second round, though, towards the end of the diss where uShun WeNkabi pulls out his sharpest blade to begin the work of butterflying open the character that is Tha Hustler and his questionable track record in the past few years. “Uth’ uZul’ akanaHit, udakwe umuthi womkhuhlane / Unebhabhalaz’ leLean,” Big Zulu spits on the record and the memory of Emtee’s past works before venturing to throw dirt at his discography, accusing him of last making a decent hit song with “Manando”. Cutting through him with the merciless intent of inkabi on duty, Big Zulu ends his argument against Emtee by shaming him for his financial woes and the substance abuse which he jests has made it difficult for him to even hold a piece of KFC properly.
Big Zulu touches on his feelings regarding Tumi and the Volume alumnus Stogie T, downplaying his claim of being a better rapper than him by rebutting that he hides behind the usage of bombastic words in his music. In addition to stacking his case by calling Stogie’s music unintelligible (“Ng’ding’ idictionary wena maw’Rapper ngoba ang’kuzwa”), he alludes to his present music being weaker than his former opera alongside the Volume with slick wordplay: “The only Tumi othule tu ilo ongesena Volume”. The Shun pioneer completes his desecration ritual aimed at Stogie by employing Nas’s “Ether” tactic, declaring that Zakwe murdered him on his RISA-certified record “Roots”. He doubles down on this by also adding, as an afterthought, that Emtee killed him on “By Any Means”.
Big Zulu | SUPPLIED
Duncan is the next name to be thrown into the torture contraption. The “AmaMillion” star makes short work of Skhuva, devoting an appreciable amount of time addressing him, yet not matching the clock with intense output as seen when he waxes lyrical over Emtee and Stogie. From alleging that he is a difficult person to work with, let alone market, to being a faltering musician not high-status enough to be bankable, Zulu’s response to the self-styled Street Government carries the air of a backhanded slap.
Next on the “200 Bars” hitlist is music magnate Cassper Nyovest (“Wathi ng’shay’ abafazi, kuBoxing uyabaleka, k’shuthi ungumfazi”), but his inclusion packs neither power nor malice. The segment is lighter, much like shots locked on Duncan. Juxtaposed with the poison he mixed for the other rappers mentioned, Duncan’s and Cassper’s portions feel like parts of the diss he penned while rolling his eyes.
Besides barred-up namedropping, “200 Bars” also contains moments of respite such as when the “Volovolo” star pays homage to fallen rap legends, namely AKA, Riky Rick, Prokid and HHP and when he offers a backhanded compliment to K.O, who responded with “Omega Freestyle” and has since collaborated with Nkabi Nation on multiple occasions ever since the drop of “150 Bars”.
It remains to be seen in the weeks to come whether responses will come in thick and relentlessly as they did for “150 Bars”. In any case, “200 Bars” is Big Zulu in rampage form, tearing through anything that comes to mind on the spot. The ruthlessness and the competitive spirit just might be what the game needs to jumpstart it.
Listen to “200 Bars”:
