Meet THEBOYNAMEDSIMBA, a rapper/producer currently raiding streaming platforms with his latest project, CallMeKing: Manhamo’s Son., which sees the release of a new single every two weeks.
Born Simbarashe Darel Kasunzuma, Simba conceives music based on his past, and has dedicated CallMeKing: Manhamo’s Son. to his late father, Manhamo, who helped him realize his talent 13 years ago. Since then he has embraced a diverse persona versed in generational song-writing and modern production, following the footsteps of artists such as Khalid and the likes.
“I Don’t Wanna Waste Our Time” is a standout, with soft falsettos and murky instrumentals. Lyrically, it sees Simba speaking to the woman he loves, confessing that she deserves better. It feels like the music is spewing from his heartbreak, and all of CallMeKing: Manhamo’s Son. is beautifully vulnerable in this way.
A let down across the project is the vocoder processor that the vocals run through. “Antisocial, Pt. II” (feat. Txwxndx) loops a pretty basic chorus and while it may be pop-according, it doesn’t showcase Simba’s full potential. “Darkness” takes direct influence from Childish Gambino’s “Awaken, My Love”, and while it is a silky instrumental, again, it’s hard to hear the real Simba behind the waves of processing.
Ultimately it may be lacking a little originality, but it’s also the picture of an artist searching for his own voice in a crowded room, and in time, he’ll surely find it.
