AJ-Fresh should get with the times

Artist: AJ-Fresh Album title: Son Of A Preacher Rating: * I was excited to AJ-Fresh’s solo offering, but my excitement was short-lived. AJ-Fresh is still stuck in the kind of Kwaito that was popular a decade ago and the majority of his songs sound amateur. He probably didn’t get the memo, but screaming one line here and there, like on the song Mushinge Nale, just don’t cut it anymore. There are more House elements these days and the instrumentals and vocal delivery sounds like a musical unit on the tracks of successful artists. What’s Next is another song that would have been a hit back in 2006. It has all the elements of early Kwaito, but the industry has become much more competitive. These kinds of sounds are just not current at all. There is, however, light at the end of this dark tunnel - the song Kukutu. The song has exciting instrumentals. It’s catchy and easy to sing along to and has all the elements of a party anthem. The song 99 Problems, which features Blacksheep, is also not a bad track. However, things seem to fall apart on everything else, especially on Faded, which features Tulisan and V-Fresh. Lyrically the song is almost annoying to listen to. The vocals of all the artists sound chaotic. Thought, featuring Tulisan, is an attempt at a Hip-Hop song and just sounds wrong. The laughing in the background and the rapping just isn’t musical, and there is just no cohesive flow. However, the beat is refreshing and it would be an amazing instrumental, without the vocal contributions of AJ-Fresh and Tulisan. There is no doubt that AJ-Fresh certainly has the tone to be a Kwaito artist, however, for the most it just doesn’t come together. Great artist adapt to the times and changes in the industry. They incorporate new sounds and influences, in order to be commercial and remain current. AJ-Fresh needs to get with the times if he wants to last in this cutthroat and competitive industry.