By Kabelo Moremi
Sometimes treasure comes from a purely trash situation. The Ambitious saga of questionable deals and disgruntled artists wasn’t a pleasant thing to witness. However, that disaster spawned an avengers of young artists known as the Wrecking Crew.
It’s always refreshing to see young folk create a movement and deliver on all their promises. After the record label saga we saw Benchmarq and A-Reece proclaim that the Wrecking Crew would take over and boy have they delivered! A year later they continue to carve out a lane only they could occupy.
When the kid A-Reece put out his single ‘Feelings’ it was a seamless introduction of a great talent by the name of Flame. This set up Flame pretty well; with his buzz increasing Flame wasted no time and dropped his Cloud EP. His project was expertly executed and is the perfect soundtrack for the new age sad boys. These guys have abilities that are normally only at the disposal of seasoned vets. ‘Feelings’ was the perfect introduction to an artist who is set on giving the kids an emo project filled with great ambient beats as well as melancholic melodies that soothe his fans even in their darkest hour. Zooci Coke Dope has also had a hand in executing the sound of the youth. His music has more of an introspective feel. Although he is a Vth Season signee Zooci’s contribution to the sound of the crew is undeniable.
The Wrecking Crew is definitely not short of anything at the moment and the added benefit of their independence is that they can drop what they want when they want. A key piece to the Wrecking Crew’s puzzle is Mash Beats. His chemistry with A-Reece is impeccable and cannot be denied. The duo delivered so much heat delivered so much heat last year that it some of that fire is spilling over to 2018. “From Me To You And Only You” was arguably the best project of 2017 and A-Reece proved to the masses that he is definitely one of the leaders of the new school. The kid raps like he has the biggest chip on his shoulder but instead of letting his twitter fingers talk he lets the music do the work. From songs such as “My Own” to his show stealing verse on Riky’s “Pick It Up”, Reece sounds hungry. It’s clear that he wants the number one spot but also wants to make sure his boys smell the top too. We can never question his hunger, vision and talent.
It is quite evident that Flame and Reece seem to be the front runners in the team however they seem to have structured their race as some sort of relay. We keep wondering who is next to get the baton. Could it be Ex-Global who has been in the public scene due to television appearances (Big Brother) and released some tracks which have not really caught much fire? Or will it be Thando Nje, an indie artist that is still on the come up? Thando has a very interesting take on R&B, she knows how to speak to female emotions while appealing to a male fanbase as well. It will be interesting to see how traditional media takes to her sound.
With all the young bucks putting out work at a rapid rate; we do wonder what the OGs of this movement are going to do this year. Benchmarq was relatively quiet in 2017; besides their radio hit “Whayasay” we are still waiting on their full project. A lot of people have expressed some doubt in relation to their music. However, we must take into consideration that according to the two rappers everything they put out while they were signed were songs that the record label forced on them. Having said that the pressure is on and they will need to deliver on their upcoming project.
As of late it is quite evident that fans buy into people and not just ideas. This is something that the Wrecking Crew seem to be capitalizing on. They give people the opportunity to get to know them way past the music. Content is king nowadays and if you are an artist that is just going to give listeners a few singles, a video and an album then you really are begging to be phased out. The Wrecking crew are definitely selling a lifestyle.
Through their youtube channel and vlog series you get to see how they are living, the language that they speak and the music that they listen to on a daily basis. You make the connection between the music and the life. Thus when you hear Reece say “Bought a new house in the east and the room is a pic of Bob Marley” that’s exactly what you see in the vlogs. They have seen the importance of cultivating an audience. The team has made sure that their fanbase stays fed. If it’s not a single that’s dropping then it’s a video, if it’s not a video it’s a documentary if its not that then it’s a full on project that is going to be the sound for the youth. They keep the content coming!
The Wrecking Crew is a true representation of young and getting it. Their work ethic cannot be questioned. They are not concerned with radio hits but rather winning the hearts and loyalty of music fans by giving them a lifestyle that they can subscribe to. 2018 will be a glorious year for the Wrecking Crew if they keep up the momentum.
