Xenlaii has been repping Pietermaritzburg for the last few years with his laid-back mellow rap that feels like taking a walk along the beach. He fittingly calls it “Surf Rap” and showcased it in-depth in his 2019 debut album, ‘Surf : AM’.
His new two-pack single, ‘Bless / Umgowo ZA’, delivers the same chilled vibes as the rapper spits convincingly over breezy beats. In the first song, ’Bless’, he appreciates life and counts his blessings, rapping, “My cup runneth over, think I spilled some on my loafers.”
Xenlaii mentioned on Instagram that he wrote the song during the first hard lockdown of 2020. “I didn’t think much of it at the time because it didn’t make sense why I would write a song like that during a time of mass uncertainty,” he wrote on IG. “I felt that way for a while until I actually recorded it in 2021. The more I stood behind that microphone and chanted 'bless, blessed, we blessed, we blessed', the more it started to feel like a gratitude mantra. Gratitude for the blessing of life and gratitude to still be alive. Life is a rare gift.”
He flips the coin on ‘Umgowo ZA’, a song about the state of South Africa where he raps about how the youth cope with umgowo, from drowning their sorrows in liquor to chilling in the corner. “Siyagowa but we act like ku monate so/ That’s why ubona amajita ahele e-corner store,” he raps on the chorus.
The beat switches midway through the song which just makes for a dynamic and thoroughly entertaining listen from an artist who sounds like he’s having fun with his craft. The song ends on a motivational note as he encourages black people to preserve:
“Ngeliny’ ilanga, buda, nawe lizok’khanyela, mfethu/
Ngeliny' ilanga, sis wami, nawe lizok’khanyela, mfethu
“Ungasbai, ungakhali/ Kuzolunga sibe on, sibe mnandi”
Xenlaii is in the process of changing his stage name to WASHA X who is listed as a featured artist on both songs. “People were having such a difficult time pronouncing and reading the name Xenlaii. WASHA X is so simple and South African to the core. Even my three-year-old cousin can pronounce it, which makes it much stronger from a branding perspective,” says the artist.
Stream ‘Bless / Umgowo ZA’ below:
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