Most South African Hip-Hop fanatics must be acquainted with The Qwellers by now. But surely, like many of us, you tend to scratch your head a bit when it comes to attaching the members’ names to their faces. We cannot really blame you. There are T-E-N people that form part of that group. And today, we are covering one of them. MR BULLY.
“MR BULLY?”, you must be asking yourself. Sorry for the added pressure. His actual stage name is LaCabra (born Mxolisi Sibisi). The qweller with the dreads, who often carries a hand stick, rocks the South African flag when performing, and often has the colourful qoh (colourful towel, for all the 1k’s in the chat) on his head. That’s LaCabra. And he has just released an amazing hip-hop album titled MR BULLY.
We have had the record on heavy rotation for a fortnight now since its release, and we can boldly say that anyone playing with a full deck can surely attest to the fact that it sounds like a Hip-Hop Album of the Year contender as things stand.
And that statement is not even based on the eyebrow-raising reality of him having A-Reece and Nasty C appear as guest features on MR BULLY. Because if we are keeping it a buck, the two songs where the heavyweights appear are arguably the most underwhelming, at least on their particular parts. One could even argue that the Mnqobi Yazo feature on “uMashwabede” carried more weight than the aforementioned.
For us, what stood out the most were the songs where the Durban-born artist collaborated with his peers. “Ayafezeka” with Blue Pappi and Sastii, and “Twin/Brother” alongside Lowfeye.
This can be seen as a lesson for rising musicians. Sometimes you do not have to obsess over the big-name co-signs, but rather put in maximum effort with those around you who are just as talented.
There were also brilliant solo efforts on the album where uLaQasha, his other nickname, was simply flexing with his infectious flow. We are talking about songs like Sike Sike!, Sala Kanje, Isbhamu, and I’m Still the Same.
There comes a time in a musician’s career where he unleashes industry-standard work. In doing so, we can no longer refer to him as an up-and-coming star, but rather a star. Point blank.
This is that period in LaCabra’s career.
The album is amazing. The album sleeve is amazing. The rollout leading up to the release is sensational. His image is immaculate. This is a properly developed artist who is ready to run with the best of them.
Stars who respect their craft and value long-lasting impact over short-term gains always stand out. In true artist fashion, uLaQasha has laid a solid foundation for the stellar career ahead of him.
The platinum records, which he has already had a taste of via his guest appearance on Sjava’s Typhoon), the sold-out shows, the awards, and and everything in between, all feel within reach.
Nobody likes bullies, but LaCabra has given us enough reason to love one. Him!
Listen to MR BULLY by LaCabra on all music streaming platforms.
