Ukuphumelela Cypher ft Asaph, BlacPerl, Eden Lang, Oxzy, Kzee

Tafadzwa ‘Asaph’ Tarukwana shot by Nigel Ndlovu

Ukuphumelela Cypher is a collabo between artists such as Asaph, BlacPerl, Eden Lang, Oxzy, Kzee and the song addresses the plight of the youth in Zimbabwe. This is the same sentiment which seems to cut across the chart-topping artists such as Asaph himself and Holy Ten. The two are quickly becoming the voice of the Zimbabwean youth and we love to see it. One thing about Asaph is that he always understands the assignment and no matter who he is working with, he will deliver!

The visuals for Asaph were shot by Nigel Ndlovu and if you are from Bulawayo then you should already know where Asaph is standing in the video. Highlanders supporters and khothama boutique customers don’t disappoint me. The locations for the visuals were representative of the youth’s grievances, for example, Oxzy is by a bus which may allude to public transport woes, whereas Kzee sells snacks in traffic. These are collectively powerful together and the snippets of the vendors and people from the informal sector make the video that much deeper.

Ukuphumelela Cypher has something for everyone. I dare you to listen to it and not find a single relatable lyric. It honestly epitomised the struggle of being a Zimbabwean youth. Ngubani ongafuni ukuphumelela? We all want to succeed but we are hindered by circumstances beyond our control because #DemLoot.  The song checked all the right boxes;

Gender ✔️
Multi-lingual ✔️
Bars ✔️
Energy ✔️
Hook ✔️
Visuals ✔️
Representation ✔️
Relatable ✔️

It’s important to note that having different, strong artists on one song is what the industry needs. A sense of unity for a unified purpose. There are artists on this song which I had never been exposed to and I’m glad I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them now. This is the exposure artists actually need. Put each other on and tap into each other’s fan bases. You’re stronger together.

Thank you to Moto Republik and Verseless for what you put together here. Looking forward to seeing more collaborative projects with strong key messages for social change. #SpeakingTruthToPower