TAWANDA CHARI & TAKUDZWA HILLARY CHIWANZA
The inimitable
and exceptionally prolific hip-hop wordsmith from Zimbabwe Malcolm Mufunde
released three albums in 2022. And that is a self-explanatory statement of
intent.
His first solo
project release was Halcyon Days in 2018; and last year
thus saw the release of 2020 (an album penned in 2020 during that wild
lockdown era), and Economy. These
LP releases were then followed by the very seemingly abstract Existence. All ably anchored on the invaluable assistance of Yaad Universe Premiere.
On our end at
ZimSphere, we felt deeply obliged to convey a quick analytical and appraisal
piece on the album Existence. Its title, when one first looks at it, gives off
an enigmatic aura —seemingly, a convoluted auditory exposition of sheer
sophistry. But, far from that.
Existence is an
album showing Malcolm Mufunde revelling in his top-notch lyricism: but for
Malcolm albums aren’t mere lyrical exercises of showoff; he conveys, unflinchingly, the most problematic subject-matters that go to the very root and
essence of our existence.
He is unafraid
to confront, with profound artistic reverence, the bizarre yet blissful
universal condition called being. To some unacquainted listeners, Malcolm may
seem to be exuding proclivities for prevaricating under a thin veil of abstract
philosophy.
But with enough
patience—we do admit that there will always be a hip-hop listener/fan base
without enough steadfastness and patience to fully appreciate the nuances of
this rap type—one soon realizes that what Malcolm preaches is the most relevant
message of our [demoralizing] times.
Malcom explored the existential and philosophical subject-matters of
existentialism, in the process drawing parallels with nihilism and death in a
very abstract format. Abstract in the sense that it evades rigid and strident artistic
classification.
We can at least
assume you’re curious about this perplexing art form just from the concept. And
we’re going to be a bit philosophical too.
Why Should We Care?
“Abstraction allows man to see with his mind what he cannot see physically
with his eyes.” ―Arshile Gorky
The continuing interest in Existence lies in the album’s ability to
inspire our curiosity in mental, spiritual, intellectual, existential,
and material terms. The limits of our imagination.
Here’s the
unfiltered artistic manifestation and contradiction of life: the potential for man to
create [whatever created], and the barrier in our minds laying bare our
frustration with the fact that there’s no universal agreement or answer to
this ineluctable, sobering question: “Who am l in the grand scheme of
things?”
Still, what’s
important here is to look at that humanistic and existential dilemma as an
opportunity rather than a roadblock. And to do that without a didactic diatribe
on what an “existential crisis” is.
Existentialism
Existentialism is the philosophical belief that we are each responsible for creating
purpose or meaning in our own lives. Our individual purpose and meaning are not
given to us by gods, governments, teachers, priests, or other institutional authorities. Ditto
Jean-Paul Sartre. Basically, we first come into being, before we conjure
up whatever meaning or purpose we’d love to believe in and pursue.
We see this unavoidable struggle with fate or even faith throughout the album, it seems. There’s a discussion of the meaninglessness of life. Again,
ditto Sarte’s concept of nothingness.
There’s palpable
tension and angst with this dichotomy: we are ultimately responsible for our
choices, yet, we lack a clear, precise, and infallible [psychological and material]
framework for knowing if the decisions we make are the right ones, or if
they even matter at all.
This tension is
generally accompanied by the suspicion that, beyond the everyday trivialities
and dreadful issues, beyond the mundane and the lethal, there lies a deeper
human need that natural science and traditional religions have not been able to
fulfill. Oh, Malcolm, look at the trajectory you choose, one would
assert. It can be unsettling.
A Bit Philosophical…
Malcolm presents
a fascinating way of thinking about the world, as well as our place in it. The
philosophy of existentialism of course goes much deeper. In a nutshell,
originally defined by Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, existentialism
is the ethical theory that we ought to treat the inherent freedom at the core of human
existence as intrinsically valuable, this being the foundation of all other attendant values.
Are there pre-ordained paths or objectives that are assigned to any of us; and that do human beings possess any inherent value more fundamental than the fact
we exist? In other words, is being conscious of our own existence the most
fundamental thing about what it means to be a human being?
Now, given that
the album does not have as much tracks—with only 8—one can be left with a
longing that perhaps Malcolm could have fully explained this abstract trip, via his usual artistic
tools regarding words, in more tracks. But, for such abstraction, 8 tracks will do. It is a delicate balance—for with such albums the risk of being
superfluous is always too close to disregard.
Nihilism
Existence also incorporates elements of moral pessimism and religious
skepticism. Moral pessimism presumes that nothing good can happen because
there is nothing good capable of truly existing; in essence, goodness is a construct that is subjectively different
for everyone.
Religious
skepticism is questioning religious authority and it is not necessarily
anti-religious but skeptical of specific or all religious beliefs and/or
practices. Which is a component in nihilism. This, either with a perceived goal
in mind or not. If nothing can never be inherently good, it is axiomatic that
religion is a fallacy.
Yet these
concepts of goodness and religiosity are a massive smorgasbord of centuries-old
traditions continually undergoing innumerable permutations in line with the
current order and interests of the day—creating a very peculiar existential
burden.
Now, the
following crystallization of nihilism as gleaned from its classic sense and
from the album is going to be truncated below.
Nihilism is a broad philosophy that describes a belief that there is nothing
certain in human existence and all values are relative. Nihilism is the
rejection of fundamental truths often used to describe or govern human life,
such as the rejection of morals, assumptions, or knowledge.
Life for a nihilist is innately meaningless because there are no absolute
truths to explain why we exist or how to exist correctly. In other words,
nihilistic perspectives conceptualize the world as a chaotic, varied place
wherein everyone is randomly placed for no reason.
It’s prodigious how much can be packed into and extracted out of an 8 track
album. Such is the perplexity of a Malcom Mufunde album. There’s a lot to it
sonically as well as the lyrics and general abstractness. In Malcolm Mufunde,
hip-hop in Zimbabwe must pay due attention to the eccentric but greatly poised
genius in their midst.
What you may refer to as “social messages and issues” addressed by the album are, at their very root, existential in nature. All of it. Hence it is named Existence.
☆ ALBUM RATING: 8.2
Stream/download the Existence album by Malcolm Mufunde below and share your thoughts.
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