Here is our track by track review of DJ Stokie’s hit album “My Journey”.
Over the weekend, Mzansi DJ, Stokie dropped his highly anticipated album “My Journey” and it came laden with 23 solid tracks. Notable names including Kabza De Small, Bongza, Madumane, Daliwonga, DJ Maphorisa and more all contribute to it.
He starts this off with the song “Time” featuring contributions from Kabza De Small and Mhawkeys. The production of the song is stunning, and the vocals on it is a perfect fit. You should hear this to boost your confidence in a relationship. The fun continues on “Superman” with Kabza De Small, Masterpiece and Madumane lending a hand. There’s something calmer about this one which makes it even more appealing.
Tribal drums lead the way in “Ipiano e’Soweto”. The song features Daliwonga and vocals from Nia Pearl who absolutely owns it. “Ubsuku Bonko” raises the tempo a bit from the beginning. The beat owns the song before the vocals are heard. Focalistic, DJ Maphorisa, Howard, Gomba, and Bongza join him for this one, and the song builds up as it plays. This is beautiful Amapiano. On “Wena”, Nia Pearl returns with Bongza and Mdu a.k.a TRP. The dance vibe isn’t lost, and Nia’s stunning vocals are chilling ear candy. Sha Sha and TylerICU feature on “Ngaphandle Kwakho” sprinkling bliss on the slow tempo track which sounds a bit like the previous tunes.
“Amagrapes” also comes set on a foundation of drums. The Scorpion Kings and Foca raise the bar with Stokie on this. It is true vibe. The drum trend also continues with “Vukile” as Mawhoo and TylerICU join in. However, things change a bit on “Funa Yena” featuring Daliwonga, MDU and Bongza. The song boasts a simple production and makes you want to sway. “Drive” featuring Howard Gomba is even more stronger. The song is perfect for the radio and a soundtrack for a conversation with the boys.
The drum beginnings make a comeback in “Asikhuzeki”. Kabza, Phori, Daliwonga and Loxion Deep assist on this one. It is a true vibe that sort of rides on a plane. You’ll definitely love the flute as the song builds up. Nutownsoul makes an appearance in “Cleva” alongside Daliwonga. The head bop is perfect for it. “Sunday Chilaas” is reminiscent of a Kabza hit. It is no wonder he is featured on it. However, the sound changes on “Adiwele”. The scratchy sounding song features Bongza and MDU. The song’s instrumental reigns supreme and reveals the beauty of Amapiano.
Kabza returns in “Msotra”, a song that takes its time to set. The tempo is slow but fast enough to make you dance. “Audi A3” follows suit holding on to the same tempo. MDU and Bongza are equally stunning on it. It is a bit reminiscent to “Msotra” and it also takes time to bloom. “Sgija 1” and “Sgija 2” boast assistance from Kabza. As expected, Amapiano is exalted in them. They get more interesting as more layers are added to them.
Even without being told, you would know that Kabza has something to do with “Grootman”, “Sgija 3”, “Malume”, and “Mzimhlophe”. While the beat, and the drums sound a little altered, piano chords set the atmosphere just like every other Kabza song. He and Stokie are just the perfect pair and this proves it well. The album closes out with “Blood Service” featuring MDU and Bongza. As most of the songs on the album, the drums lead the way into the song.
The beauty of this album is that it not only showcases great production, but also exalts the beauty of vocals on a well produced song. The album also shows Amapiano thriving on its own without lyrics. It proves that the genre glorifies organically produced music which shines as different instruments clash with each other.
