“Come on, ZULO…” It's hard not to recognise that tagline when it pops up in any song featuring Johannesburg rapper and music producer ZULO.
Born Zunaid Lombard, the 30-year-old was raised in the south of Johannesburg. He has tampered with filmmaking, video game design, graphic design, poetry and music at 11.
Musically, my ears were first introduced to ZULO on Dali Danger’s “Be Free” last year. Since then, I’ve gone on to discover there’s more to ZULO which has been well showcased on “Jol,” and “Adawise”.
His latest offering “Smaak To Love (Lamza)” landed in my inbox, and unbeknown to me, I was reintroduced to the artist that is ZULO.
The music video for “Smaak To Love (Lamza)” is fresh, and fun and references modern dating terminology of how an Instagram like is more than just a like and can spark something between two strangers.
“I just wanted it to be cute. I wanted it to be fun. I wanted it to be palatable, just easier to take in. We just want to watch something freely without having to think too much. I think with this video, we just really wanted to put that all on camera.
“Have something super wholesome and something that while you're watching it, you're constantly smiling because it's just so cute.”
ZULO is on a journey to release his debut album, he has been releasing singles, showing South Africa and the world who he is. His genre bends, taking from Kwaito, afrobeats, pop, and a few 70s and 80s disco.
A trial and error process figuring out what works, and what doesn't work, to make the most South African music he can make.
“I think for the type of artist that I am, I just wanted to showcase what I can do, especially because of the kind of sound that I make.
“We were just trying to figure out what South African music looks like to the rest of the world, and how we can find that texture and something that's just unique to us, and with these singles, I think each single kind of just showcased a different side of me.
“I think that's gearing people up for what the debut album is going to sound like.”
ZULO wanted to see how he could blend everything together but still remain hip-hop, without restricting himself as an artist, while showcasing his coloured identity.
Giving people an understanding of what coloured people sound like, is something that ZULO is passionate about.
“It's kind of lost in translation in this country, not just in this country, but in the world, especially in this country though, coloured people themselves can kind of get told what they are and what they aren't, and they kind of just listen.
“I think for my music, it's always just about displaying coloured culture. What does this mean? We don't know what it is. I think with my music, I always just try to display the culture, and more so than that, it is a lot about the accents as well.
“My EP that I released a few years ago was called ‘Talk to Me, Naace’, which was born out of my family from all those who would always get told whether they speak professionally or not. Naace was just speaking about this in our accent; there's no such thing as corporately or speaking, white’.
“I'm always just trying to put the coloured identity at the forefront, just for some level of education in my music, I do want my music to speak to the larger message of, what South Africa is.”
His debut album has been three years in the making and in no way is he in a rush to release it.
“It's going to be something in the history books, it's gonna be a message, it's gonna be a statement, it's gonna be something that belongs in museums,” he says.
“I'm trying to make timeless music. I'm trying to make historical music in the history books … In terms of the timeline, I'm looking at next year.”
ZULO is currently working with music producer Spice Drums, Liss Landers from Zambia, who has been assisting him with the texture of the sound he is working on. For the album, ZULO is looking to get a few features on the album; he has already worked with Flow Jones.
IOL Entertainment