Coming straight outta Pretoria, hip-hop “MoshSoul” young gun Planet Fwe$h just dropped his latest album, Catch The Sun, and it’s an expertly rendered clarion call to take your mental health into your own hands.
In many ways, the thematics of this album supersedes the sonic quality here – although to be honest, both are slick and expertly delivered. Fwe$h finds his feet in a composed combination of snappy, minimalist hip-hop rhythm, punctuated by soundbytes lifted from various mental health talks which shed light on just what it is he – and so many others – navigate on a daily basis.
And he moves through the motions with a naturalness which is hard to miss. “Why” opens the album on that familiar note of “why me?” across a thudding, fibrillating beat, before “G.A.F/Friday” hits the hard parts hard with a self-deprecating no-fucks-given tone. “Padre” unwraps father-induced trauma, “Check On Me” urges those who love him to do just that – while “Breakdown” favours a hollow, liquid, organic rhythm as he gets real on what triggers that final unravelling.
While the context is mostly dark and weighted in emotion, Fwe$h still succeeds in delivering slick, polished verses and infectious bass line beats. Minimalism keeps things interesting, while collabs (including UniCade and SEVN) are scattered throughout. And the rousing kicker comes at the end as “You Good” drives home the message, again and again, that you will be OK.
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Feature pic supplied by artist
