Holy Ten, one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent rappers, officially released his album “Risky Life II” on February 10, 2024. The album kicks off with “Secondary School”. It has a typical album intro sound as Holy Ten takes the listeners on a journey back to his childhood roots, reflecting on why he is the way he is. It sets the tone for the themes of the album as Holy Ten addresses some challenges he has faced, starting the song off with “I’ve been bitter since secondary school”. However, he attests to his resilience as he later states “One hundred thousand reasons to give up…I just get higher”. As a new listener, I think the rhythm and lyrics of this intro song do a good job of giving insight into what the audience should expect for the rest of the 12 tracks.
The album flows into the next track, “Banga” featuring Kimberly Richard. I learned that Kimberly Richards is Holy Ten’s wife and this relationship definitely adds an intimate element to this song. While I was unable to find the English translation of the lyrics, you don’t necessarily need a translation to sense the song’s meaning. “Banga” in Zimbabwe means “sword”, and in Holy Ten’s official music video, the imagery of knives is striking. The music video shows Holy Ten and his wife, sitting at the dinner table with their family when suddenly the family burst into arguments. There’s imagery of what seems to be witchcraft and pain being placed on each individual family member. The video cuts to scenes of Holy Ten and Kimberly dancing alone in a dark room filled with knives. Based on this imagery, I think the song portrays a message of troubles being inflicted on the ones you love and how conflicts can pierce your relationships like a knife. Overall, I really enjoyed the soft melodic beats of this song and appreciate the dynamic of Holy Ten incorporating his personal relationship into his artistry.
The album takes a sharp switch in sounds as the next track “Sorry Boss” plays. It has a heavier bass and a punchier sound – giving a traditional trap rap sound. It’s definitely a vibe and I can see it being played to elevate moods. Next, Holy Ten switches to a light, airier beat in the next track “Wake Up featuring Mr. Candy”. This slow-tempo love song blends RnB and hip hop, making it an easy listen. “Baba Vasina Basa” continues this slower tempo as it switches to a more emotional, heartfelt rap. The title, meaning “there is no father who doesn’t matter”, gives the listeners insights into Holy Ten’s personal experiences and perspective on father-child relationships and their importance to guiding a family. I think the song adds a good dimension to the album and shows Holy Ten’s ability to be vulnerable in his artistry.
As Risk Life II continues, the next track brings the mood back up into “Mureza” featuring Poptain. This song portrays a sense of patriotism as the lyrics “I’m proud of my country Zimbabwe” repeat throughout the song. It is uptempo with typical Afrobeat qualities to it. In track 7, “One Step Ahead”, Holy Ten takes the beat solo, showing his talents in infusing his lyrics with different beat styles. “Jongwe” featuring Kayflow is the next track and it is a personal favorite of mine. The song tells a story about a character named Jongwe who loses his way as he battles with his pride, ego, and fame. I think Jongwe represents the typical character arch story a lot of artists take as they begin as a “regular guy trying to make it out the system” but can easily lose themselves in the process. I think this track once again shows Holy Ten’s versatility of being able to create catchy hits, while also being able to focus on lyricism and deliver raw messages. The next two songs, “Ndotokuda” featuring Kimberley Richards again and “Are you really leaving?”, cycle back to romantic relationships and the struggles lovers can encounter. In the track featuring his wife, the lyrics talk about being confused and no longer knowing your partner as time goes on.
In “Are you leaving?”, this sentiment continues as the feminine character asks if Holy Ten is actually ending the relationship for good. The background harmonies and layered music add an experimental sound to the track that I really enjoy. The music contrasts with the lyrics and adds a fun, catchy vibe to the album. This upbeat tempo continues into the next song “Party Rules” as it seems that Holy Ten is embracing and enjoying ending the relationship and being alone. However, as the album flows into the second to last song, “Paranoia”, it is evident that Holy Ten regrets losing people and the tone is brought back to the themes that were presented in the beginning of the album.
The album closes out with “Risky Life Interlude”, where Holy Ten sums up all of the core themes of losing people, reputation, money, opportunities, and making mistakes on a slow-tempo RnB-infused Hip-Hop beat. While titled Interlude, this track is definitely an outro and Holy Ten ends the album on a raw, vulnerable note. Overall, I thought this album was really well done. Holy Ten’s ability to paint a storyline, connecting the plot and themes through each track kept me well engaged throughout the course of the album. It makes me intrigued to listen to the original Risky Life to see where his artistry narrative initially began.
