Review Author. Sir Kempson Ari Mabuluki We Yulu Jaffe Joffer
@ZambiazHarshTag @KempsonAri
Visual verbatim: @killa_kamy
One time for my boy @killa_kamy congrates on your new album
"My dairy"
On 14th November the endorsement
(via Facebook) of My Diary pt.2 by Zambian veteran rapper C.R.I.$.I.$ aka Mr. Swagger @hiphopcrisis: “The Zambian #HipHop
joint that I’m feeling right now! Good looking out to KB, B-Mak, Thugga @Iam_Thugga, K.R.Y.T.I.C @Kryticismusic and Wezi @Wezi_heartsound. Thanks for the shout
out too!!” went viral veteran as did
the track which is sits at 15272 downloads (at the time of this review) make it 15273 because I also just hit
download. On 15th December
Mr. @killa_kamy himself made it official: “Listened to my diary part 2 14 times straight.. this felt like
listening to One Mic by Nas.. the hip
hop we grew up listening to..” My Diary Pt.2 is not on the album, perhaps it will appear as a bonus track on
the deluxe edition of My
Diary. However hardcore fans can
still download this trill master piece from the link at the end of this article. I see
this single making a few song of the year lists and hitting serious download figures.
I was steady rolling down Kafue
road with some undammed hooligans, when suddenly
@CleoMulenga & @ThisisUrbanHype Turn Up the situation which is track one on the album
and sets the tone for a rollercoaster ride.
I knew the first single of My Diary was official when the home girl
@leelabee tweeted the track was Dope! Summer party and festivities written all over it, the RnB trio slays the hook and the Ice Queen goes
trigger happy with some feel good verses. That throw
back vintage K-Amy sound can be heard on Ninani ft. the seasoned veteran singer/hook man/songwriter Izrael (formally known as Exile). No one record is similar to the other, you get I diverse feel of the labels founder’s vision but also a sense of who KB is as a producer. This versatility is further experienced
on track 2 Yanka Phone where he switches
up and raps. KB has something for everyone including old skool diehards.
My
Diary features an array of Zambian musicians
both old school and new school including the gifted Chef
187 @Chefy187, each contributing to making the project dissimilar but cohesive in the same breath.
The idea of features can work in favor of or against the producer who may over experiment which is not
the case with this album. The participation
of the K-Amy roaster such as Ben also gives the album another dimension,
much like when rappers who own labels
have their artists actively feature on their albums. Most notable
was the return of the prodigal Alpha Romeo who raps “Nabwela
futi mu barrack” on Where Have
You Been, a poignant reminder of
just how many careers the label has spawned and also highlights
growth. Wezi burnishes the hook of the stirring story with the rich soulfulness of her
voice bellowing the essence of
the entire album which is the struggles of the industry and its soldiers but also a celebration of the great efforts thus far.
It is easily my favourite track of
the album. Mr. Eddie Black @Eddieblackbaby
goes in deep on his verse on the
original My Diary and also has some rhetorical questions of his own. Despite the all star cast in his diary, KB
reminds the masses why he is relevant to Zambian music as an artiste and expresses just how vast his repertoire
is.
The initial interview/listening session was suppose to go down before the album dropped, during the build up to the main event
on Thursday the 12th of
November 2015. However I wanted
to experience the album for myself however in the environment it was created, and interact with Killa Beats
away from the noise and bias of the public. Thus we sat down like grown folk in his modest studio (nothing modest about the sound though it beams out), and listened to the album track for track after the dust had settled and hype had muted down with clarity.
This review as is My Diary is
long overdue, perhaps also a befitting tribute to the late LBC who spurred on his compadre KB
to release an album. Everyone I met during that tragic first
week of December remembers seeing the legend
at the album listening session, supporting
his comrade as time had ordained.
Shout to @slapdee & @Macky2umupondo for sharing a stage last nite at @killa_kamy media launch. A win for Hip Hop
#LBCForever
respect to the OG, thank you for cheering
on My Diary, the album that has brought the music industry together again
in and out of the studio. I see this LP making the list of nominees for various
awards and taking home a few
along with the pack of accomplices
who contributed to this tour de force.
A varied album with a classic feel, yes I have a favourite
cut on the record (I’m impartial and won’t
tell you what it is) it makes
the grade of top 5 albums of 2015, salute KB
@Killa_kamy lays it all down in his diary and gets an 8/10, its out of the park.
Check in here for the exclusive KB Interview: Word From The OG: KB’s Diary Session
Go NOW get a copy from Sounds, its’ also available on iTunes @iTunesZambia and
Amazon. Treat yourself to some real
music and treat someone else with the gift of music this festive season.
