In some circles, Hip-Hop, as an expression of music, is often received with a pinch of stereotypical infamy especially cos the culture from which it originates is mostly associated with virile styles, attitudes and gangster traits. However, with the proper lyrical semantics, the right MC and some skillful production, this is easily a first-rate art form for delivering a resounding thematic message across diverse audiences.
Zoe Melodies recalibrated the intricacies of this genre and stormed the music scene with their debut Extended Play (EP) earlier this year, in February. The team has the ambition of bringing forth a freshness of sound unlike any the world has known.
Body of Christ, their hit, which received nomination at the recent and inaugural Royal Gospel Music Awards (RGMA) in the category of Hip-Hop/Rap song of the Year, set the pace for what to expect of this music group. The near 4-minute track unveils a crisp and intense combination of steady rhythm, colorful oratory and expressive melody.
If you had trouble coming across a well-arranged piece of music with great vibe and powerful lyrical references to the societal distortions that characterized the year 2020 eventually spilling into 2021, this might be the hit you were looking for.
Renowned rapper, Ruyonga, also known as Ru, has a prominent presence on this track and wastes no time demonstrating why he’s the best in this business of word game and flow. He introduces the song in modest fashion before flinging the verbal door open and hurling an avalanche of hectic lines that should get you nodding in approval!
For his part, Ru recounts the deeds and misdeeds of the Church (Body of Christ) at the time when calamity befell the world; and the Church—which should’ve offered solutions—instead got sucked into the same muddle of fear, confusion and despair.
You might quickly notice that he makes citation of the Man of God Prophet Elvis Mbonye’s stinging Open Letter to the Leaders of the Church in Uganda that made countless media rounds in May 2020.
The chorus lead is the pleasantly smooth female voice of a lady called Christine. She punctuates the rap segments and adds splashes of sparkle to them with her sweet, sensual and deeply emotive riffs.
Christine calls for the Church to alter its worldview and have a unified front when confronting obstacles of any nature and magnitude. She’s backed up by a host of fluent harmonious voices that also happen to be the object of wonderful undertones throughout the piece. Ruyonga then returns and, without a stitch of mercy, rips right through the remaining block of bars in no time.
The instrumentation and arrangement of Body of Christ employs the tactful use of canorous hooks that sort of arrest the listener when the song is played for the first time, such that they’ll involuntarily have it on repeat thenceforth.
In terms of phrasing and general tonality of this production, there are elements that give off the aura of a creation from the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, a period when Hip-Hop caught on really well.
So, ideally, this should appeal to the Generation X as it’s reminiscent of the ‘good-old’ yesteryears. However, the contemporary feel, lyrical resonance and absence of musical clichés ensures that this has the capacity to allure millennials and the silent generation too.
Stream Body of Christ here: bit.ly/3dRGJx8
