TAKUDZWA HILLARY CHIWANZA
We always love songs and collaborations that merge hip-hop and rap sounds. They remind us of how these two genres, which underscore the collective artistic voice of youthful populations, are fundamentally a single entity when it comes to urban culture.
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And Dollar Sign, the new song by Prosper Fi Real and Bagga, brings this to the fore without any shreds of skepticism.
Except that this song—a commendable dancehall-rap mash up in the prevailing bigger picture of mainstream Zimbabwean urban sounds—feels bereft of some critical aspects as regards originality.
The lyrics are not entirely faulty, given how they should be understood in the broader context of the individuality that comes with our post-colonial capitalist political economy.
Hence the quest for the much-vaunted “dollar sign” is expressed in individualist, consumerist, and borderline nihilistic terms. It is understandable. And it is compensated for by the head-bumping kicks and drums, with melodious strings that allow Prosper Fi Real to deliver energetic dancehall flows, while Bagga sits comfortably with a tone inclining more towards rap braggadocio.
We say originality in this song feels obfuscated because in some instances Prosper Fi Real sounds as if his style is completely ripped off other artists in the Zimbabwe’s dancehall spaces; while Bagga’s voice inflections feel as if he was collaborating with Saint Floew. It feels as if the song needed a modicum of polished fine-tuning in this respect.
Notwithstanding this, Dollar Sign is a good offering for the culture at large. It is this element which saves this record. ZimHipHop ought to merge with ZimDancehall-oriented sounds with more frequency.
You can listen to the latest song by Prosper Fi Real Dollar Sign featuring Bagga here:
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