Tanzanian recording artist, and one of the most respected up and coming lyricists, Simalike “SIMA” Musika (aka S.I da Genius) dropped his highly anticipated 12-track album Heaven is Now on September 26th. The album is filled with many note-worthy features from his peers such as Fresh Like Uhhh, H.I.M, Naomisia, George Gavin and many others. Heaven is Now is a somewhat introspective, project that tackles some sensitive topics like domestic abuse, infidelity, addiction, faith and the search for truth. In Heaven is Now SIMA brings the good the bad and the ugly in one mellow, dynamic and versatile album. Songs such as “Kensho”, “The Golden Mean”, and “Sun Child” take you into an introspective somber mood as he addresses his bouts with alcoholism, infidelity, abusive behavior and conflicts with faith, while songs such as “Lounging”, “MAHEWA” and “Misele” take you into a world of palm trees, shores of Zanzibar and youthfulness. SIMA obviously being no stranger to the [Hip Hop] culture, has tracks gives respect to Hip Hop legends such as Hasheem Dogo, KRS-1, and Clarence 13X on the song “Juma Nature”, which is itself named after the great Tanzanian rapper Juma Ally Kaseem.
Apart from a few Swahili lines here, a verse there, the majority of the lyrics are written in English. Executive produced by himself and recorded independently at Eternal Studios Mikocheni, SIMA credits Domi Beats, a Tanzanian producer currently residing in Canada, for all the beats and samples.
Other notable producers who have been featured in the project include Kamili Freeman, Victor the Traveler (AUX.WAV) and Tino (T3), all Tanzanian producers.
Heaven is Now is an easy listen, from track 1 to 12. It is packed with layers of meaning and a concurrent theme of religion and spirituality. The album is a follow up from his mixtape released in 2016 called “The Sorrows of Young Walter”. SIMA claims this to be his first serious project, and has been featured on a number of local events such as the Lyricist Lounge (now known as “The Lounge”), an article featured on HighTz.com, and a few other blogs. This is definitely one of the projects that shall leave a mark in the “Bongo” Hip Hop scene, and a great legacy for the culture.
Twitter & Instagram: @simalikesmusik
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