Review: Konfab - The Lost Tapes (Pioneer South Africa 2010)

Review: Konfab – The Lost Tapes

It’s not every day that you get some for free -just like that, ma-ha-la. Well it happened when DPlanet put the Konfab disk up for download on the Pioneer.co.za. So what do we have here? It’s twenty tracks of rare slash unreleased tracks, b-sides and collaborations from Mr Konfab the hiphop artist based in Cape Town. These have all been put together into a so called Lost Tapes compilation.

"Who is this rugged ***?", to misquote the man himself...

Konfab’s name has been ringing bells in the Cape Town hiphop scene for a while already gaining him legendary status amongst those in the know.  However besides the odd chance to hear a track via a link on Africasgateway or the Landmynz mixtape I, and I think I am not alone on this one had never heard a full album or compilation from Konfab until now.

So without further ado, I started the playlist and let them speakers bang!

“They Sleep” kicks things off on the compilation with an energetic Konfab stressing that “the media be sleeping on me” over a beat with menacing strings but that does not outshine the lyricist.
“Cynical critics with business interests diss from a distance” claims the chorus and the track is punch-line aplenty with gems such as “you couldn’t drop if I clothes-lined you!”.

Before the end you will have been taken to Maseru, Lesotho with a short effortless switch to Sesotho lyrics plus for bonus heard Konfabs take on George Bush. This is a great opening, a perfect introduction to the MC Konfab. 

A menacing, opera inspired beat creeps in laying the canvas for the next track featuring Oracle Flo. This track continues on the enemy-of-the-state stance whilst the two MC’s send their open letter to the government-of-hiphop regarding the current state of hiphop music. It’s wordplay gallore and a nice chemistry is there as they trade bars over the first and third section.

Things get bouncy on the next beat but it’s actually only a skit.

No time is wasted on the next track with Ben Sharpa of Groundworks fame kicking-it over oriental strings and an edgy rhythm section. Again they address the social ills and politics of promoting war over educating the masses. Punch-lines aplenty on Konfab’s verse – get used to this…

“Hubbab” remix comes up next. The sparse beat allows Konfab’s rapid flow to shine.

On to the second quarter of the compilation... The next track is a killer anthem - KONpliments. The violins create a nice atmosphere as Konfab shows off his multi-syllable flow on the chorus and lyrics are on point ridiculing gimmicky industry rappers. This must be Konfab at his best again switching effortlessly between English and Sesotho lyrics and it sounds dope. Aptly titled Konpliments, this track only deserves compliments.

“What” has a feel of a musical theatre piece as Sketch drops wisdom about Khayelitsha- I think,  Jaak is hard to follow with the off-beat flow but does it even matter? Konfab closes off the track with rapid fire mountain-kingdom dictums. Three languages on one hiphop track? That’s some real South Africa music for you.

“KONtraversealFABetiks Ft. Oracle Flo” we’ve all heard before on the Landmynz compilation which for many people was also their introduction to Konfab back in 2006.  Konfab shows his range of topics referencing from the south to the north pole:
“lyrical scathamiya, I cut Shake-speare  with Shaka’s spear… ask Charles Xavier to save ya”. Dope head-nod track.

“Sick Spirits” made me think of a sudden slap stick section in a movie -well if this was a movie. Featuring VV and Anon they talk about “dishing out acid spit spirits” this track couldn’t just be an excuse to kick multi-syllable wordplay could it? The beat is giddy reminiscing of Rza’s Bobby Digital. I told you this track was on that playful menacing tip.

"Survive" closes of the first half of the compilation.  This is more of a routine track – excuse the pun (marching). The lyrics always on point as usual and the never give up theme of this track is actually quite motivational.

“Swart Gevaar” translated “black danger” sees Kon addressing the ever-burning issue of racial prejudice that we inherited in Africa chanting “we are going to Oranie” which I think was supposed to be a new right-wing sanctuary in the Cape. There are a lot of thought provoking lyrics reflecting on a people who are still trying to brush off the brunt of apartheid and move on. 
A classic Steven Bantu Biko quote fittingly closes this track. RIP Mr Frank Talk.

“Do or die” is another dope track with a dope oriental inspired beat.  It’s a great production and a performance by Kon. 

“Hidden City” picks up when the previously track left off production wise laying nice sonic sound-cloud for the MC. I guess this a concept track and it’s definitely worth listening to a couple of times to grasp the whole concept. This is hiphop ya’ll.

On “Perspectives” Konfab slowly things down as he lays down some jewels for the young ones or at least the way he sees things –his perspective but you got to select your own point of view he stresses. The implied message reminds one of Guru’s (Gangstarr/Jazzmattazz) classic “Choice of Weapons”. Choose yours. Oh, Mrapper ke mmao ha ha!

“Runonsentence”  picking up speed again, more word-play again and this track closes the third quarter. We are getting  there.

“Hobos Advice featuring VV” has nice multi-syllable flows over a dark beast but overall not remarkable for me but this might grow on some listeners though.

Things get jazzy on “Solar Eclipse”. This is another track that demands close listening but you can also just vibe with it with the nice beat and flow.

“Bigger Man” flows in with them flutes and mellow melodies in the background while Konfabs chants his mantra. Does he give a damn?

“Lifelines” is an introspective, facts-of-life track nice vibe to it.  aNon starts the track with a slam poet like cadence setting it up for Konfab:
“This is Africa society, if you a man you don’t cry, or you weak but that’s the irony”

The Fender Rhodes piano beat is nice and chilled.

“Do or Die Remix” closes of this dope compilation. This dub remix is slower with a nice moog bass  dominating the soundscape and Konfab slows down his bars to the instrumental’s BPM as well so that you can hear him louder and clearer ”me spewing and D, EQ-ueing” but the speech is still coded in some parts and I suspect that he knows this happens  because he says he ”sent you a free-throw but you missed it”.

From this compilation it’s clear that Konfab’s MC skills are on that other level and that he has developed a unique style. It testament to his time in the game that he has so many quality tracks to give away for mahala. 

It’s also clear that he is coming from the point of view that we do hiphop for the love and the freedom of expression so we have to respect his choice of production and presentation.  

The production ranges from good to great. Most important is that the production gives space to the MC to exercise his lethal skills. 

The focus lies clearly on the lyrics and delivery so I bet lyrical aficionados will love this compilation but every hiphop fan should check this out. It's worth your time and money (you can actually donate when downloading).

And that is the final verdict! Go pick this up. At the end of the listening I am sure you will be asking random people on the streets: “Yo, when Konfab’s album dropping???”

Get the compilation album here: http://pioneerunit.com/the-lost-tapes-konfab/

Peace

Chief Mlu