We recently came across a unique up-and-coming prospect from Jozi, a kid who goes by the title phenyo WAZE. We were immediately taken aback by how mesmerizing his sound and art style was interpreted.

Over a week ago, he dropped his three-track EP, titled “21”, and we took the time to experience the project, taking in his introspective lyrics that echoed over distinctive instrumentals. It felt like a whole different take on the Hip-Hop genre, feeling more like listening to a poet recite his material.

We looked even more forward to listening to this project after seeing the likes of Jarry Pitboi, ohteeh, zhuckoa, and others play an important role in developing this tape.

The first track, titled “UNDERSTAND”, had the wordsmith unveil a whole lot of issues on his plate, questioning his fallout over a woman, even questioning how she ended up in another man's bed. He also mentions his beef with a supposed snitch (named Jaden); however, he confesses how he wouldn’t even wish the worst for him. The song continues more of this narrative with the smooth instrumentals humming in the background, with lingering synth noises hovering above WAZE’s verse.

The following track, “R.I.P JERRY SPRINGER”, was a rollercoaster of a listening experience. This track had the poet bring about an uncanny vibe, speaking on strange topics like the revival of AKA, Jerry Springer, and more. He voiced his concerns with men fighting each other over their women’s actions. And that’s just the first 45 seconds of the track, with WAZE going even further throughout the rest of the track. The beat was also a neat touch, having phenyo spit his lyrics over a mystifying instrumental.

The final track off the EP, “FEAR ISN’T HERE", was a dope tune, having WAZE continuously chant how "fear isnt here" and explaining why he believes in this statement. He clearly isn’t afraid of dying, and how his mission is to acquire as much money as he can. This was a faster-paced track with an accelerated tempo and a sharper flow from WAZE. It was interesting to see how phenyo could always perfectly cater his flow and cadence toward the beat of the different songs.

Listening to this project gave us Zulumecca vibes, and we’re not comparing their sounds, it was just impressive to see another talent take on this type of sound with their unique twist to it.

phenyo still has a way to go, but with a release of this quality, it can’t be too long until his artistry finally gets appreciated by the greater SA if that’s what he truly desires.

Check out the EP, now available on streaming platforms.