Featured Artist : KID TINI from South Africa ( Review ) @KidTini

Record label TinismDotc0m has unveiled their prized possession Kid Tini as the latest young rapper ready to stamp his mark on the game. Real name Phiwe Unam Tini, he hails from Butterworth in South Africa’s Eastern Cape and is actually the reason for his label’s very existence!

His desire to do music from a young age inspired his brother, Miso Tini, to build an environment which could nurture the skills he required to make it in the music industry: thus the birth of TinismDotc0m. With that weight on his shoulders, Kid Tini’s breakout project carries a lot of expectations with it.

His debut offering, Coming Of Age, is a combination of his experiences, hunger, drive and passion all encapsulated in 18 tracks. The length of the mixtape is a literal reflection of both his age and how much work he’s putting in. The project encloses well crafted verses backed up by effortless flows that definitely come with the self assurance of coming into your own.

The most palpable quality of this project is how the rapper presents himself: he sounds right at home on the mic, with an authenticity that makes it impossible to confuse him with anyone else! This is a musical journey penned by an adolescent that will gain plenty of respect from his peers and elders alike. In what’s quickly becoming a crowded space of young up-and-coming rappers; you don’t get the sense Kid Tini’s trying too hard to prove himself and differentiates himself by faithfully telling his own story. With plenty of boxing references and smart punchlines, the sonic balance is achieved through mellow cuts like Sextape and Running Back To You that display a different aspect of the artist’s abilities.

Shay’ Wei and One In A Mill see Jermaine Three-d Mayj-c behind the boards; showcasing the amazing skills of the producer who, despite being blind, “works his machines in a way that’ll take your breath away”. Over further production from J Smallz, Tone Jonez and Digital Beatz the rapper’s versatility is refreshing and promises some mileage well into the future. If he really does have your “role model tripping off his blueprint” it might be because of his ability to fuse elements of his influences whilst moulding a distinct sound for himself. This is best reflected on the sincere track Ghetto. This song pays homage to the rapper’s favourite local group Driemanskap by interpolating their track S’phuméGugs. Also accompanying that is how the melody of the hook salutes another favourite of his, in the form of Ludacris‘ Runaway Love.

Video Preach On Youtube:

He definitely won’t be accused of having no respect for those that came before him! And with the delivery and lyrical content of someone beyond his years, it’s no surprise he’s “schooling dudes he was skipping class with”. Trying to whittle down this effort to a list of standout tracks is pretty hard between the hypnotic No Favours, Shay’ Wei, Addiction, Koze Kuse and the earworm Dreaming Out Loud. The beauty of Coming Of Age is how it puts Kid Tini’s best foot forward whilst seamlessly catering to different palates.

With the release of the short video for his intro Fight Every Figtht, Kid Tini introduces himself to the world. Peep the visuals above.

@KidTini