“… I remember when this music thing was just a thing / Now I’m Mfumu Kadzi / call me King!”
Bomb$hell released her debut album Mfumu Kadzi early this year (2022). Having only listened to a handful of her previous singles, I was a little skeptical about the album. Mfumu Kadzi was heavily promoted and had received praise from critics. I decided to give it a listen, and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it is!
What stands out from the onset is the amazing production, I especially enjoyed the beats done by Yxung Bxss. Other producers on the album were J Hun, Eazy the Producer, Mzenga Man, and others. Bomb$hell has a distinct husky, gritty voice, that is both sexy and powerful. The overall theme of the album is following your dreams and working hard to achieve them.
I would say the album has two distinct sides to it. One is “Zambia beats/Afro beats” style and the other is pure hip-hop. I gravitate more toward the pure hip-hop side as I feel that is where she excels and is in her element.
A Track like ‘Good Times’ is a testament to that, as she flows effortlessly alongside one of Zambia’s greatest lyricists, TIM. They traded bars perfectly, with Bomb$hell delivering arguably her best rap performance. She and TIM had great chemistry on the song. “… knew I had it /but didn’t think I would grow to hold power /once a seed but blossomed to a whole grown flower / I rose from the concrete though we had no hero’s /pockets were zero / but I had the cheat code, now here we go / I had a mean flow / vocals so gritty / fast forward now my face is plastered the whole city” she raps. This is one of the best tracks on the album!
Another strong rap performance was on the Musa the Creature produced trap banger ‘Illest Alive’, which features King Illest and Killa. “…call me King B / they all stop buzzing when they see me /everything I do, you know I dominate / I even got world records on my CV” she brags. King Illest blesses the track with his trademark fiery Tonga trap flow.
Bomb$hell shines on the more introspective tracks on the album such as ‘Grind and pray’, ‘No make-up’, ‘Grateful’, ‘You Change me’.
‘You Changed me’ is my favorite track on the album. On this laid-back track, she strips off her tough chic exterior and displays a vulnerable side, talking about how love has changed her. “… now it’s funny cause I got love on my mind / and it’s all cause of you boy, you one of a kind / never thought I would have been in my feels / you made a gangster go shopping for heels”. She raps.
‘Grateful’ – This is one of the stand-out tracks on the album. It features Emmanuel on the chorus, his vocals were mesmerizing and gelled brilliantly with strong verses from Bomb$hell. On the song, she tells God how thankful she is for everything she has been blessed with. “… when I see Bomb$hell on top of the charts it’s not because I can, its because you are / many closed doors / many close calls / but I’ve never lost the war”.
The album has some tracks that will burn up the dance floor such ‘Bad Gyal Lovin’ and ‘Lelo Ni Weekend’. The latter is a kalindula infused hip-hop club banger. It features Afunika and Nez Long. In this party starter, she shows her diversity of musical styles. The Magician produced ‘Bad Gyal Lovin’ features Nigerian superstar Skales and King of Zambia Hiphop Slap Dee. Bomb$hell holds her own alongside the top hiphop giants.
Mfumu Kadzi is a great introduction to Bomb$hell. She truly deserves the crown as “King” of the female rap game in Zambia. It is an album the Zambian music scene needs right now. It feels fresh, in an environment where most artists are using similar sounds and subject matter. 2022 will definitely be a big year for Bomb$hell!!
With this album, Bomb$hell solidifies herself as one of Zambia’s top artists, Male or Female.
” … ima keep grinding till the world sees sparks / I ain’t gotta fake cause I know God sees hearts /daily iv been working, trying to get my life in order / I do this for me, and I do this for my daughter / when life gets hard / hommie I be going harder / cause I’m finna shape my future like I took it to the barber / and I put it on my momma, I will never be defeated / I’m Queen B, a throne is where I’m meant to be seated “
Rating 8 out of 10
By KAPA KAUMBA
Grind and pray is my Jam.
Did she pay her PF loan?
If the music is as beautiful as that face I will buy
This is a really good album . I play it back to back everyday.