REVIEW - SLIKOUR'S VENTILATION MIXTAPE VOL. 2

Slikour is by no means the greatest rapper on planet earth. However, what he’s good at is the execution of creative music ideas that often set a new path that many soon follow. Slikour is a visionary who reminds me of a young Quincy Jones. He is the one dude in local hip hop that is audacious enough to finance his own music projects without the assistance of majors, because like any other true entrepreneur he believes in his product.

On his highly underrated solo debut “Ventilation Mixtape Vol. 1”, Slikour assembled a star-studded cast of burgeoning local rap stars and producers in a manner that had never been done before in the past. With his second offering, he uses the same recipe but to much better effect. Friends such as Tumi, Mr. Selwyn, HHP, Maggz and RJ Benjamin lend a helping hand; this welcome solidarity ensures the well-roundedness of this hip hop opus. The musicality of the album is impressive; Slikour refuses to submit to mediocrity by going as far as enlisting the likes of the Thokoza Youth Choir for a track and by using the services of some recognizable international producers.

Standout tracks from this splendid album include “Showbiz” featuring Tumi, “All the Way” featuring Spex, Nothende and Selwyn and “Fallin”. However, it is on the first single “Dreamer” that he impresses me the most. Featuring the mesmerizing RJ Benjamin on vocals, Slikour takes advantage of the magnetic beat to pour his soul out. He waxes lyrical about some of the economic issues that have enslaved black people for ages. He raps, “Jews, Indians stick together so they lead/we hate ourselves, we endorse overseas”. I know for certain that this track has touched many and it easy to hear why.

Overall, this is an album that every hip hop head, and anyone else that appreciates good music, needs to have in his or her music collection.

One.