Zeus to launch African Time

Mpho Tlale | Sunday December 8, 2013 21:14

 

He is currently preparing for an album launch after being awarded in absentia for his Dats Wasup video featuring South African artists AKA and Tumi last weekend.

The album, African Time will be launched at the Masa Centre rooftop. He revealed that the title of the album was influenced by the negative connotation that the phrase ‘African time’ carries. Zeus added that in general Africa is viewed as always asking for donations and Africans as consumers of popular culture from abroad be it food, cars, fashion or lifestyle. He, however, said that instead of allowing this perception to persist, Africans are the only ones with the power to change it. Like is the case with everything, Zeus said: “We can own the African Time phrase and turn it around into something positive that can carry us forward.” Furthermore, Zeus revealed that as an artist he has matured.

With the new album he has embraced growth and evolved to play with new sounds, he said. According to him, this is what any artist with the aim to stay relevant should do. “At the age of 27 I cannot make music the same way I did when I was younger. I have to incorporate change and growth,” he argued. Like the title depicts, Zeus said that African Time embraces the idea of time and time speaks melodies of rhythm.

Although he has not lost his Hip Hop plot, the rapper said he has diversified his sound to fuse it with adult contemporary.

He added that his teaser single Ma Afrika, which is a sampled song of Louis Mhlanga, has an afro jazz feel that combined a Hip Hop mix. Zeus said that in the album he features a variety of artists who all bring their own flavour.

The artists include Tumi, AKA, Mahotella Queens and Kwela Tebza among others.

With his ability to make a change as an artist, Zeus said that he believes in the idea of ‘Africanism’. He stated that by fusing that idea in his music the younger generation could learn something. “They can learn that Hip Hop is just not all about party life.  There is much more to it. It has the authencity to cultivate youth and give them a sense of who they are,“ he said.

On winning the Channel O award, Zeus said that it is a big deal and he appreciates it.  He added that an award gives an artist credibility. It accords one a following because of the interest it generates.

He said that he is still excited because the award could not have come at a better time.

Zeus, whose win follows several nominations over the years, said that the award is the icing on the cake that backs everything up. African Time is a 15-track album with a bonus of a number of hidden tracks. Zeus said that the album will be on the shelves this week and is already available at Musica. Meanwhile he is still in the process of making it available on a wider scale. 

To date Zeus has released Freshly Baked in 2008, Flipside in 2009 and his mixtape Honey I’m Home was released in 2012.  African Time is his third offering.