Earlier in the year, South African artist Blxckie dipped his feet into R&B/Soul with his EP ‘4LUV,’ purging his emotions about love and its all-encompassing power. The project showed a different side of the Durban-born artist as he chose to sing over smooth beats, a contrast to the Trap bangers like the Lucasraps-assisted “Big Time Sh’lappa.” Since releasing his debut album ‘B4NOW’ last year, Blxckie has risen to one of the exciting Hip-Hop voices on the African continent.

“I’m a student of the game, so I always see myself as being at the right place at the right time,” Blxckie told Hype Magazine. “I have no competition ’cause I studied enough to find a gap that I can only fit into and I can only do the things I do on songs or just as a character in general. I guess, over the years the platform I have and the number of people I’m talking to gets a little bigger, so I have to adjust to that, I’m also always looking to improve my skills as an artist, so I explore different techniques and learn things often just to impress myself.”

‘THE4MULA’ is his latest project. It marks a return to the Trap-leaning productions and braggadocious raps that Blxckie has been known for. Behind the boards are some of his trusted collaborators like Swervo and Herc Cut The Lights. He told DRUM that he began work on ‘THE4MULA’ three months ago and that the project “outlines the moves he made and the type of music that started his journey.”

The project starts on a high note with “plug call (freestyle)” as Blxckie brags about his success and the lavish lifestyle he enjoys. “Hip from beginnin’, I’m the lieutenant/Came with the paint, changin’ the image,” he raps. He carries that energy into the hard-hitting “ronda,” as he raps, “Fuck it, I’m searchin’ my name on the browser/It say I’m great and I’m breakin’ the boundaries, ayy.”

On “​werrkk,” Blxckie and fellow South African artist Willy Cardiac keep the energy as they drop bars about the prosperous lives they lead. “​khuphuka,” which was released as a single in May, makes an appearance on ‘THE4MULA.’ Over production by Loud Haileer, Christer, Herc Cut The Lights and London Rhodes Co., Blxckie boasts about the smart decisions he has made to advance his career.

In September, Blxckie was nominated in the Best International Flow category at the 2022 BET Hip-Hop Awards alongside Ghana’s Black Sherif, UK’s Central Cee and Zimbabwe’s Nadia Nakai, among others. A month prior, his album ‘B4NOW’ won the Best Hip Hop Album award at the 2022 South African Music Awards. Blxckie’s win was special in the South African Hip-Hop community because ‘B4NOW’ was released during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Lyrically I don’t even gotta do much, I talk ‘bout my day and that shit turn out litty,” Blxckie raps on “abdullah flow freestyle (Redbull 64 Bars).” The track is a fest of impressive flows and the beat switches make it one of the memorable tunes on ‘THE4MULA.’ On the Crxigcreates-produced “investigate,” Blxckie invites South African rappers K1llbrady & SCUMIE to beat their chests and mock their detractors. “I don’t need to say much, the money talk fluent/All I know is get money, you’d think I was stupid,” K1llbrady raps.

The braggadocious raps continue on “sss” and “together,” with Blxckie showing his vocal dexterity. The project ends with “kwenzekile,” which features Madumane (DJ Maphorisa’s alter ego) and Chang Cello. Released in 2021, the track differs from the other tracks on the project with its Amapiano rhythm. On it, Blxckie expresses gratitude for the successes he has achieved in his career.

“I feel like my versatility has become a challenge for myself and listeners, not a bad one really but just something to think about and tackle on my musical journey,” Blxckie told DRUM. “This project is just another way to reel everything back to the basics and refresh the listener’s mind as to what got me here.” ‘THE4MULA’ shows that the 22-year-old artist believes his to have to blueprint to take South Africa’s rap scene to another level, as he infuses his skills with masterful productions.

Stream ‘THE4MULA’ below.

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