Seeing Makilla The Ripper’s album cover for ‘The Inferno’, there was no doubt that his music would be unapologetically kwaito.
And so it was. Kwaito is one of Namibia’s most popular genres as it is enjoyable to everyone, brings people together and is relatable. The problem that arises is that upcoming kwaito artists often do not try to push the envelope and explore new possibilities in the genre, creating a black hole of cliché and dull music. Makilla The Ripper narrowly missed falling victim to this.
The album starts off quite uninspiringly with an intro monologue which would’ve been better left out. ‘The Inferno’, however, kicks off on a live note musically with ‘Peinge Omhito’ featuring Uncle V. This jovial sound lasts throughout the 17-track album.
Makilla slows it down on track six, ‘Love and Protect Our Women’. Featuring Nestor, this is an anti-gender-based violence track crossing paths with kwaito romance. ‘She Loves Me’, featuring Khalifa Kally and Bozza, executes the romantic kwaito sound skilfully to produce a very simply structured song, however still maintaining its entertaining qualities.
‘Bad Boys’ is one of the more outstanding songs as the sound incorporates a modern feel and the collaborations with Blvcboxx’s King Elegant and Jay K Nakaye add value.
Renowned kwaito artist Young T and Longizo join the ranks among the features on ‘Kapaka’. Unexpectedly, this track isn’t as appealing as the big names involved would suggest.
‘The Inferno’, from the cover design down to the music, is a well-assembled production.
On that note, it does sound like it’s been heard before. Makilla has a vision and originality is key when executing that vision. The album is also too lengthy – shorter projects with more impactful music linger longer than trivial compositions. The artist should explore more and push the boundaries of what modern kwaito is, and in no time, he will carve his name in stone in the industry.
