BY SIPHOSETHU MABUZA
MANZINI – Extasy is giving his supporters their flowers on ‘12th MAN’, a new rap track that mixes confidence, loyalty and a little bit of defiance.
The song, taken from his latest five-track ‘FORMATION’ EP, uses the idea of the “12th man” in sport the supporters who stand behind their team to tell a more personal story.
Over a sharp live guitar sound, Extasy moves between lyrical and melodic rap, touching on loyalty, self-belief, self-mastery and African unity. It feels less like a song about simply making it and more like a reminder to keep going, even when the journey gets difficult.
Extasy wrote the track himself, with vocal support from his label mates JustDavid and Size Killa. It was recorded at Black Race Records, with production handled by Mozzy.
The rapper says the song reflects where his head is at as he thinks more seriously about the kind of artist he wants to become. “12th MAN’ comes in a time when I am obsessing over the fundamentals of what makes a legacy act,” Extasy said.
He is also looking beyond his own career, particularly at how Southern African hip-hop can connect with audiences outside the region. “It is about being the greatest or one of the greatest at the art form without negating the fundamentals of what the purpose of music is all about,” he said.
‘FORMATION’ is Extasy’s fourth project and comes as he works towards his debut album. The short EP represents a change in his approach as he continues shaping the sound and direction he wants to take into the next stage of his career.
For ‘12th MAN’, there is more on the way, with Extasy planning visuals and additional content around the song. The track is available on major streaming platforms, including local streaming platform Jelele.com, giving listeners another chance to hear where Extasy is taking his sound next.
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