Politically conscious rapper Yxungwave is nothing short of a lyrical Messiah. The rapper dropped his politically charged, debut EP KEMETIC in July of 2020. KEMETIC is a 5 track, poetic masterpiece that paints a grim picture of the socio-economic issues faced by millions of black South Africans today. It also touches on our painful past of colonialism, and it’s permanent scars. The EP features the likes of Genius, and PDot O – who also happened to feature Yxungwave in the interlude, Saints & Sinners (Yxungwave Interlude) on his album, Cold Waters. KEMETIC was followed by the release of the single, Not At Peace which is another musical illustration of the rapper’s black conscious views.
In the spirit of Freedom Day and political consciousness, 808 PLUG caught up with Yxungwave to talk all things KEMETIC, and learn more about his artistry as a politically conscious rapper.
For our readers who are just getting to know you, who is Yxungwave?
Yxungwave is a 21 year old hip hop artist/ rapper from Sekgosese in the province of Limpopo, Azania. I’m not just a rapper, I’m also a revolutionary on the rise.
What can you tell us about your EP, KEMETIC?
KEMETIC means “belonging to the black land.” The word is derived from the ancient name Kemet, which means “Black Land.” KEMETIC is a very powerful project where I not only share my life experiences, but I also talk about the ups and downs that my people have faced throughout the years. There are many things that black people have forgotten about the struggle. Everything that happened during that era still has a negative impact on our lives till this day. This is a project written to remind Africans that we haven’t gotten the peace, justice and equality that we have been longing for. Life is still the same, the enemy just makes it seem as if we got it all when we actually don’t. The project is the first of the trilogy EPs that I’m still going to drop. There’s still more of KEMETIC to come.
How did your collaboration with PDot O come about?
I’ve been tight with big bro since late 2019, he put me on an interlude, Saints & Sinners (Yxungwave Interlude), on his album, Cold Waters. I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunity. For the collaboration on Heavy Heart I just sent him a beat, along with a hook done by Genius. He then sent it back two weeks later and we just kicked it. He’s a rare breed and I appreciate everything that he has done for me.
In your single Not At Peace, you mentioned the Marikana massacre and other struggles faced by millions of South Africans daily. What inspires you to make socially conscious music, considering the fact that it’s not very prominent in our country?
There aren’t many rappers who talk about the pain and struggles that we face on a daily basis nowadays. Hip Hop was never about what 80% of it is today. Yes, it’s evolving but we shouldn’t use it talk about the illusions of this world. We should actually use it to reflect the reality of our lives, the neighborhoods around us and of the wider social circumstances in which we find ourselves. Not At Peace was just me doing what a Hip Hop artist is supposed to do. What happened in Marikana left scars on our people and so did the Sharpeville massacre, Soweto uprising and many others. Nothing is going to stop me from making more songs like it because it’s my purpose and I’m going to fulfill it.
What do you think is the reason for the youth’s apparent disinterest in social and political issues?
I think the youth knows the truth, they know what’s happening. I wouldn’t say they are not interested in political and social issues, I just feel like most of them know what’s going on but are scared to raise their voices because of FEAR. Fear was the downfall of a lot of African empires, still is. The youth can change everything, if only they can get rid of fear and do the right thing.
When, and how did your journey with music start?
I started rapping at age 11, just freestyling over the Nokia 2700 classic ringtones. As crazy as it sounds, I was just a young kid having fun but when I grew older, I took it seriously and haven’t looked back since.
What are your all-time favourite Hip Hop albums?
I really like To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar, 3T by Youngsta CPT, Cold World: The Sideline Story by J. Cole, Illmatic by Nas and Stakonia by Outkast – just to mention a few.
Which artists would you like to work with in the future?
I have a super long list but to name just a few, I’d like to work with Kendrick Lamar, Youngsta CPT, Damien Marley, Mereba, J. Cole, J Hus, Santan Dave, Burna Boy, Nas and obviously with PDot O a lot more.
In the spirit of Freedom Day, which South African struggle icons resonate with you the most?
First of all, I don’t think we should be celebrating Freedom Day. South Africans didn’t get any freedom post apartheid. Like I mentioned earlier, our lives are as they were before, there are no changes. There are a few struggle icons that I look up to and resonate with though, not only South African ones. I look up to leaders that we had in Africa like honourable Chris Hani, Thomas Sankara, Steve Biko, Julius Nyerere, Amil Cabral, Idi Amin, Samora Machel and Fela Kuti because I believe that they all shared the same vision, which was to see Africa free from imperialism.
What’s next for Yxungwave?
I’m going to be working with my team, APEX RECORDS on a few music videos of songs from my EP, KEMETIC and maybe drop two or three singles before the end of this year. I’m surely dropping a mixtape or an album in 2022. There’s a lot more of me that’s still coming. I don’t really want to say much. The people shouldn’t sleep because if they do, I’ll surely wake and shake them up. I’m heading to the top, WHO JAH BLESS NO MAN CAN CURSE.
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