IG/Twitter: @emteerecords
Emtee, a hip hop artist in South Africa, recently came out with a song titled “Brand New Day.” Ever since a very young age, he had a passion for music. He is best known for his single “Roll Up.” This past year, he created his record label by the name of Emtee Records. Through this achievement, he has been able to create new music. One of those new songs has been “Brand New Day.”
The “Brand New Day” music video starts with an isolated grassland scenery that portrays himself and another artist. Throughout the video, there is a constant emphasis on the car and road. For most of the video, both Emtee and the other artist, whose name is Lolli, are on a never-ending trip. Nonetheless, at minute 1:14 of the music video, Emtee includes a young child praying while viewers have the chance to see Lolli guiding the child. The inclusion of the youth has been a common move artists have taken into account; it is one of the groups that listen to such music genres. Furthermore, the song stays consistent with its beat, in this case, a calm upbeat rhythm is present, yet I believe it has to do with the meaning behind the song. Religion plays a huge role in this song; Emtee continuously relies on religion to strengthen his message of being grateful, persevering, and trusting the process. The use of two languages is a tactic that I believe Emtee uses to help his listeners feel more connected and relate to the song.
African hip hop has been a source of entertainment, but over time many artists have relied on hip hop to convey their feelings towards social, environmental, and political issues. In this case, Emtee ensures to strengthen faith within the South African community through his music.