About an hour ago, regarding his video, Soweto-born Spoek Mathambo tweeted, "Who's got the better silkshirt-game...Nelson Mandela or me in the 'Mshini Wam' video?? Dun know!!" While he was drawing a line between his sartorial preferences to those of the great South African leader, he was also referencing the historical context of his lyrics—"Mshini Wam" is a flip on the South African jam "Umshini Wami," a kind of anthem for military dudes in the African National Congress. So when he's talking about kids with machine guns on celebratory synths, he's also giving us a brief lesson in South African politics in double dutch cadence, a young historian of his homebase with serious future-funk chops to flex. Mshini Wam, the album, is out September 13, and it is one of the best releases of the year, period. Familiarize yourself with the god.
