BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MBABANE – A father and son duo!
Local rapper Size Killa, born Sizwe Mthethwa, is set to release his first single from his upcoming album titled ‘Black Shakespeare’.
The single, titled ‘Wakhile’, features local vocalist Zweli Dlamini, who sings on the chorus, and notably, three-year-old Jordan Mthethwa (Size Killa’s son), who speaks on the intro before his father proceeds to express his love in musical form. The song will be released on his son’s fourth birthday.
‘Wakhile’ is an African term that refers to building, and the rapper revealed that this was also his son’s native name. The song was produced by Eswatini-born composer Mfundo ‘Mozzy’ Zitha, who currently resides in the Republic of South Africa (SA).
When asked what inspired the song, Size Killa mentioned how the birth of his son had been a pivotal event in his life, and he thought it necessary to capture that moment in time. “The birth of my son was a turning point in my life, and I would like for him to know how it made me feel when he is older. Making this song is like freezing time and lessons for later reference,” said the rapper.
Mthethwa also spoke at length about how, in the song, he made a reference to his own upbringing in order to reflect on vital lessons passed on to him by his own parents and how he would like to apply those lessons to his own child. “The song will drop on his fourth birthday (8 July 2024), and the artwork idea was founded on a picture he took with my mobile phone,” said Size Killa.
The rapper is currently preparing the release of a 23-track album titled ‘Black Shakespeare’, as previously mentioned, and he said the first single was symbolic of the kind of artist he was. “My niche is common human emotions, and this song speaks to one of them, namely love. My 4-year absence from music was also attributed to me wanting to familiarise myself with the responsibility of fatherhood, so I thought it fit to return with a song that speaks to my progress,” he explained.
This single comes after the rapper released a video tribute dedicated to a late peer (Tshepo ‘PhonetiQ’ Ngoasheng) on YouTube, where he leaked songs for the upcoming album. “The song was recorded at The Lab Studios in Mbabane, and the full album is set to be released on August 31, 2024, which is also my late mother’s birthday,” added Size Killa.
