It has been a month since the “Hosh Karamaima” catchphrase caught fire on social media, sparking polarised discourse surrounding the snippet, with acolytes vibing to the neologism and spinning a mantra out of it, while others threw dirt on the creativity. Only a month later, musician and businessman Refiloe “Cassper Nyovest” Phoolo released visuals for “Kusho Bani”. Directed by Ross Hillier, the music video is rooted in upper-class opulence, nigh faultless choreography, and shameless product placement.
The music video opens with a close-up of Phoolo’s face, his black-rimmed shades glistening with the hue of his trimmed facial hair; and as the camera inches away from his face, his lips remain in sync with the refrain of the song drawing attention to his alcohol brand: “Billiato, on the rocks, no dash.” Nyovest, during the single-shot take, begins swaying from the side to side, and is joined by a squad of female dancers all clad in cream white. Parroting the phrase with a dramatic crescendo, the feature of the dancers not only expedites the rising action leading up the first verse, it also sets a groovy mood and dance-friendly atmosphere, a promotion that is justified by the thumping production that takes off soon after.
Cassper Nyovest and the dancers | SUPPLIED
“Kusho Bani” goes back and forth between the energetic kineticism of the backup dancers and Cassper’s implicit vaunting of his assets, material possessions, and business ventures. The most tangible link between what’s said lyrically and what’s represented visually is the inclusion of the Cassper-founded Billiato, a concept that occupies a great chunk of the music video and could very well be edited into its own television-geared commercial sandwiched between the ad breaks of shows.
If the “Phumakim” star is not spinning cigar plumes, he’s most likely reclining on the elegant interior of a polished lowrider, spouting boasts of his wife that he likens to a Chinese woman while rubbing his ring-studded hands. Although the rapper and amapiano superstar has proven that he’s got what it takes to work his joints and his bones to obey the rhythm of a tune when it demands him to, he leaves all the hard moves to his onscreen entourage, whose movements are as effortless as the milk their wardrobe has styled them to look like.
Cassper Nyovest | SUPPLIED
At best, “Kusho Bani” is an aesthetically-pleasing advert masquerading as a music video with a slick dance crew. There’s nothing inherently boring about it, if anything, it’s watchable. It could’ve been more, considering that the “hosh karamaima” line has been a thing ever since it was coined. It lacks zest, even though it tries to make up for this with well-edited visuals and cinematic camera work.
Watch “Kusho Bani”:
