We’ll eventually get bored of even the most exciting things if we see them often enough. Once an art form goes mainstream, it loses its allure, and artists who’ve realized this renounce norms and experiment with different patterns to create unconventional art. Taking influence from several places, or subverting traditional notions has given us awesome art expressions in the past from Laolu’s art works to Fela’s Afrobeat and its pop variations. Creating something refreshingly different has inspired a NuNairobi movement in Kenya, and artists under the East African Wave collective are championing that with their music.

Nu Fvnk is a rapper who developed music producer skills when his limited resources forced him to start making his own beats. He has gotten quite adept at beat production, earning him a place as one of the major producers in the EA Wave. Nu Fvnk songs have a disco-y punk-funk undercarriage layered with his rap vocals. His new single, “Save Yourself” has a mid-tempo time signature filled with bass drums that aren’t typical of Nu Fvnk’s productions. Synth piano riffs play over this ad-lib sounding rap vocals urging us to save ourselves, but doesn’t say from what exactly.

On the downside, “Save Yourself” seems a little light on lyrics, as if experimenting with production and the excitement of juxtaposing his vocals with the beat took precedence over writing. That being said, though Nu Fvnk repeats the same 7 phrases over 3 minutes, it’s easy to conclude that the message of the song is inspirational. He earlier released “Go Green” a pro-earth single with a quicker tempo and more lyrics.

What “Save Yourself” lacks in words, it more than makes up for in rhythm and progression. The laid back minimalist beat is primed just right for good vibes at house parties where the music not only sets the tone, but provides the perfect backdrop for good conversation.

Enjoy “Save Yourself” below.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/nufvnk

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