Emerging hip hop artist OB Magik’s latest EP For The Taking cuts through dark melodies with intelligent rhymes and trap-heavy rhythms, making for a forceful seven-track offering from the Durban-based rapper.
The project follows his 2020 The Blue Pill EP, which landed him notable local success, and he hasn’t lost momentum since. He’s been releasing singles all year long, leading up to his new EP, with tracks “Special”, “Bathi”, and “Love Me Now” each giving us a taste of the full-bodied attack that comes to the surface on For The Taking.
Opener “Big Risk” weaves murky melodies with a solid lyrical flow, whilst the EP’s title track is Magik’s mark of identity. He sings, “Maybe listening to this music is what’s giving me the fuel/ I’m from Durban/ the city where they say you ain’t gon’ make it”, reflecting on how far he has come as an artist, and how much further he still wants to go.
The rest of the EP is coloured by similar up-tempo beats good enough to could fill up any club, and while they may get listeners hooked right away, Magik’s music might suffer from a lack of emotion.
The songs need a little more space – space for us to hear the real Mnqobi Ngcobo, behind his stage name, being more sensitive and open with his writing. Once he does that, he’ll take his career that extra mile he’s been wanting it to go.
Feature pic supplied by artist
