South Africa’s drill scene might be small but the heavyweights within it flex everything they’ve got. Congo-born, South African hailing Raphael Tambwe (aka Rafaelo) has been carving out his niche for a while now and “Piece” sees the pieces falling into place – so to speak.
Teaming up with fellow drill pioneer KLY, Rafaelo pairs high-tone orchestral 808s with a driving thud of a backbone beat. He leads the force with a looped chorus, while KLY fills in the edges with slow-spat organic verses and they reel out their snappy ode to the hustle.
It’s your classic sort of lyrical hip-hop content – and that’s where they fall short. Because while they flex their silk-smooth rap skills over buttery production via Cape Town producer Shaney Jay, the lyrics still chart that overworn route of working your way towards hot-shot cars and girls on their knees. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a tried and tested narrative which has worked for decades – but at this point we’re all itching to hear something a little more personal.
The video keeps things interesting, pairing gritty handheld footage with snappy editing. Rafaelo and KLY flash grilled grins at the camera, cruise some brand new wheels through their local, and drop verses against the Jozi skyline.
And while we might have heard this hustlers’ anthem one too many times before, the pair still succeed in holding down the fort and driving home a reminder – that drill is going nowhere.
Feature pic supplied by artist
