Once upon a time, it was common practice for DJs and producers alike to host albums or mixtapes.
This would involve a producer composing and arranging instrumentals which they would then dress with desired guest appearances, mixing and matching vocal styles to present a fresh take on familiar artists.
This is what J-Smash from Limpopo has done with his latest album Toxic Perfectionism. Every track is loaded with the best and brightest of the local hip hop crop from people like Zooci Coke Dope, KLY, Flow Jones and a string of other talents.
“I grew up in Venda in a small village. We live in Makhado, and I have lived here for most of my life," the laid back beatsmith explains.
“What inspired me is that I felt it was time. It was time to drop my debut, I have dropped a couple of projects, a few Eps but this was the time to take a big step in my career.”
The album was inspired by how he felt as he was recording, “I was starting to become too much of a perfectionist, and it became toxic for me. I wanted every feature to be flawless and it started weighing on me, doubts started creeping in. I started questioning my abilities, am I still good.”
This saw him suffer a temporary depression, but he found a way out, after watching an interview with fashion designer Virgil Abloh who said you should always back yourself and just put the work out as people will help you find a path for your creativity with their assessments of the work.
“So, after that I decided to just put it out.”
His hometown inspired him a lot through this process, “Chronic E, J Rascal and people like that who were making music before I was, and it was fascinating to me to hear their music and I wondered how they made it. I always wanted to be the guy that breaks out and puts people together.”
This is the kind of outlook that has lost traction in hip hop where producers look to represent their neighborhoods and the talent found there.
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“The features include Samthing Soweto, Amanda Black, Thato Saul, Kwesta, Emtee, Manu WorldStar, Una Rams, I have quite a number of people on the album, and they are all people I enjoy working with and they enjoy working with me to.”
The synergy he was able to cultivate with all these acts is easily detected in the music in what could very well be a contender for the best rap album of the year so far.
“It was all about the energy. I tapped out of the toxic perfectionism and worked with people who really want to work and create music. My role is to put people together, unexpected people on the same song and do it in a way that makes sense for the music or song.”
Sometimes the artists would have an idea and together they would craft this into a working vision. It was all a case of trial and error and what it has yielded is rather enjoyable.
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“The album is heavy with features because my role is to put people together to make one beautiful piece of art. The thought process is always about that. The features were a big part of the overall work.”
He enjoyed having so much talent on his roster and made sure that the opus still sounds cohesive and not like a compilation.
“I believe my album is pushing hip hop forward. Let’s come together and work, collaboration over competition and it’s always amazing when people work together. That’s how I feel, I’m pushing SA hip hop forward.
He feels the state of the culture is at a good place, “I’m loving seeing new people with a different vibe and sounds. It’s amazing to see fresh ideas and new talents. I’m loving what’s happening now, some people may not see it as things are maybe not as commercial as before but what is being crafted is really impressing me.”
He is also looking to help other artists put their ideas together and provide access to people who would like to work with each other.
“I need to evolve as well. I think I am playing my role well and I’m also growing and learning how to make this even bigger to extend the impact my work has.”
He hasn’t been paying that much attention to global hip hop, “I don’t think it’s doing as well as it once was. Looking at how it was in like 2019 to now, I haven’t been as tapped in as I was before as there is so much great music right here at home.
“I listen to more of our scene, that’s where I’m at. Those are the people who have my attention. I think we’re doing well compared to the global scene and we have fresh people that haven’t really been noticed yet but with time, people will understand what I am talking about when I say there are many people who need to be checked out."
