From Solomon to Rap Life: 7 Things We’ve Learned About Cassper This Week
It’s been just over a week since, on behalf of Front Page, I was invited to the listening session of Cassper Nyovest’s 7th Studio album, Solomon. In the time since then, the rapper has also been named as the featured artist for Apple Music’s Rap Life Africa playlist, and it’s probably fitting because he’s been an undeniable headline topic since the album released. He also speaks to Nandi Madida and Ebro Darden in the latest episode of Rap Life Radio.
His listening session which took place at Montecasino in Johannesburg, was a star-studded affair as Cassper invited members of the media, his closest companions and collaborators, as well as a number of celebrity guests to be the first to sample his newest project in cinematic fashion (literally, we listened in a movie theatre!). AI-generated visualisers, a QnA with Ayanda MVP and a host of freestyles ensured it was a memorable night for hip hop heads.
As the feature star for Rap Life Africa, it was only fitting that Cassper not only got us talking about his music, but put himself at the forefront of what’s been a resurgent year for African hip hop. Across the continent, and not least in South Africa, rappers have enjoyed a strong, competitive year and the tracks in this month’s playlist (featuring the likes of Nasty C, Black Sheriff and more) reflect this.
We’ve all had at least 7 days to let everything simmer in and now I think I’m ready to share 7 things we’ve learned about Cassper Nyovest on his latest record and our general impressions of the body of work as a whole.
Refiloe has matured
Cassper Nyovest has often cut a divisive figure in South African mainstream media. Regardless of your opinion of him, or which fanbase you claim loyalty to (more on that shortly), he’s definitely grown into a character who owns his narrative a little more in this latest project. Gone are the days where he’d respond to every single Tweet, instead, he knows his work has already done the talking and he doesn’t have anything prove. There are still some typically Cassper verses and lines on the project though.
Longevity is an art
Throughout the listening session, Cassper referenced Jay Z several times, citing his idol and feeling as if he’s on a similar path to greatness. Speaking to Ebro and Nandi on Apple Music’s Rap Life Radio, Cassper further reiterated that he doesn’t take his decade-long run lightly when he said:
“It’s been a decade since I got my first hit, getting on the cover of RAP LIFE with my 7th album Solomon, 10 years deep on top of the game, is such a dope pat on the back for myself, my team, and my fans! It shows that we have stood the test of time comfortably. Solomon is a project that is solely inspired by the rap music that I grew up listening to. It’s my most mature yet simplest offering. Enjoy!”
Maglera Doe Boy is not only the future – he’s the NOW
If you ask any hip hop head which rapper is delivering the most on a bar-for-bar basis, I’m willing to bet at least 8/10 of the replies will say Maglera Doe Boy. The Klerksdorp born rapper has raised the stakes in the rap game and is no longer being looked at as one to watch for the future. Local rap lovers are eager to watch his every move right now and every time his name appears on a tracklist, the expectations are raised. Doe Boy didn’t disappoint again as he featured on Solomon’s lead single, 018. He also teased a live performance of his verse for those at the listening session.
“I’m never naming my album Solomon!” – Welp.
During the listening Session, Cassper Nyovest took a moment to reveal that his 7th album initially had a different name.
“We were at the farm and the album had a previous working title, but then someone mentioned ‘Solomon’ and it just stuck. Some of the homies who were there with me, also got real deep and said ‘do you know who Solomon was in the Bible?!’ and from there we just knew this had to be the title’”
The spiritual elements are also reflected in not only the album’s artwork, but in the video for the lead single 018 where Cassper takes us back to his hometown church. Sometimes you just can’t ignore signs. As well as all that, Solomon is also the birthname of his longtime friend, Carpo. Cassper insisted that’s not the reason the album got it’s title but he was a good sport and he was even willing to laugh at a previous interview with Anele where he swore he’d “Never name his album Solomon” … only to, you know, name his album Solomon.
How to pronounce “Balmain”
As it turns out, it’s not “Bal-Mayne” – it’s “Bal-Mah”. It’s French. Thanks Cass and Windows 2000!
Ganja Beatz, Tweezy and Alie are the holy trinity
Back to the listening session, I lost count of the amount of times that Cassper credited producers, Ganja Beatz, Tweezy and Alie on most of the album’s standout tracks. On Balmain (now you that you can pronounce it), Cassper revealed that after hearing the beat by Tweezy, they had to go back to the drawing board and build the album around what Tweezy had put together.
The trio were well in sync throughout the record and you can tell that they fully interpreted Cassper’s vision and played a key role in bringing it to life.
The fans haven’t let it go
The biggest talking point in the aftermath of the album’s release was the 5th track on the record, Candlelight, where Cassper, for the first time, shared his true feelings on the death of AKA. He admitted during the listening session that it’s a fate he never wished upon his longtime rival and revealed he had visited the Forbes family to seek permission to speak about their complicated dynamics reaching a tragic end when AKA was murdered in Durban earlier this year.
While many in the room sympathised with Cassper, many on the socials did not. In fact, a large portion of the Megacy took exception with the track claiming that the track was unwarranted. This sparked a massive online war between the two fanbases which lasted much of the weekend but the overall consensus was that if the family is okay with it, who are we not to be?
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In the end, Cassper’s album will be memorable for its standout tracks and his return to his core hip hop roots. As a listener, I enjoyed seeing him shift from vulnerability to security without needing to try as hard as he has in the past to reassert the dominance he’s already clearly established. Maturity appears to be bringing the best out of Cassper Nyovest, and African rap is better for it. On that note, let me go stream Rap Life Africa.
