Title: Free Steph
Artiste: Steph Kapela
Genre: Hip-hop/ Rap
Release: February 5
Steph Kapela is that artiste committed to the come-up narrative. He's always been keen to take up every opportunity that has presented itself, including jumping on collaborative efforts with top acts like King Kaka, Muthoni Drummer Queen
and
Khaligraph Jones. He has also performed with his fellow contemporaries Timmy Blanco, Barak Jacuzzi and Nu Baba, creating their own niche in the industry. I bet he surprised everyone with his Jamhuri Jam Sessions cover of the "Wild Thoughts/ Sukari" medley.
No longer signed to Atwal Music, Steph Kapela can now independently showcase to the world what he is about. He is on the verge of earning his spot in the hip hop scene and has started this venture with a five-track EP called "Free Steph".
The project is a perfect release as we await his debut full-length LP, which he guarantees is a body of work full of surprises.
He begins the EP with an intro built on robust English-Swahili lyricism, chilly vocals and minimalist beats. He explores the music industry, making reference to fellow rappers like Octopizzo, Nyashinski, Khaligraph and Camp Mulla. He gets into a more contemporary sound on "@IamKapela", detailing the journey of building his brand with emphasis on his digital media presence.
We get tracks like "Walahi", where the
artiste
exhibits his vocal ability as a singer amid a rapped verse towards the end of the track. Just like Steph, you are bound to love the "Too Easy" beat as soon as it drops. He extends the topic of his existence in the music scene as he exhibits a powerful verse highlighting how he effortlessly does it. The EP ends with "Exposure," which is a knock that's heavy as he exhibits full confidence in his creative process.
“Free Steph" presents the world with well-structured tracks, and it's alright to conclude that Steph Kapela is not a singles
artiste. He teased a lot about his debut album and just to introduce the world to what he's capable of doing, he's presented an EP — probably not too cohesive and overly risky.
He is aware of his artistic strengths and probably it will only be fair to wait for the full-length LP to get the true worth of the artiste.
Star rating: 3/5