BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MBABANE – Size Killa makes a comeback and pays tribute to his late peer, PhonetiQ.
Local Rapper and Audio Engineer Size Killa, born Sizwe Mthethwa, is set to release his seventh studio project this year, titled ‘Black Shakespeare’.
After a four-year hiatus, Mthethwa said he was ready to get back to doing what he loved and releasing new music. Yesterday, the rapper released a tribute video dedicated to a late peer (PhonetiQ of Dig It Deep Productions SA). In the video, he premiered songs from his new album while showcasing tribute songs he wrote for his late peer.
The video is currently available on YouTube and was shot and directed by local producer and multimedia graduate Alex Muti at The Lab Studios in Mbabane. In the video, Size Killa speaks about his relationship with PhonetiQ and exhibits his rap skills as he performs content from his new album.
“I was initially asked to perform at the tribute show in the Vaal (South Africa) that takes place annually since PhonetiQ’s passing (2022), but due to my inability to honour the invite physically, my team and I decided a tribute video would suffice,” said Mthethwa.
Size Killa poses with the late PhonetiQ (R) in Vaal
Elaborating, the rapper said this video was mainly inspired by his close relationship with PhonetiQ, and it also pushed him to finish the ‘race’ he and his peer had begun. “PhonetiQ was a man of hip-hop, and he loved it to the end, and this is what urged me to continue. So even in death, he has inspired me,” he explained.
In the video, the rapper also gave an exclusive performance of the first single from his upcoming album titled ‘Suit and Tie’, which he said was slated for release in April 2024. “I have plenty of work in the pipeline, and collectively, I recorded over 60 songs, and then selected the best 20 for the album. However, I have plenty of other songs that are not on the album that we will be releasing during the promotional stage of the album,” said Size Killa.
Although the rapper was not keen on giving out too much information prematurely, he confirmed that his album featured the likes of the late Soldier Within, Lution, C Trix from Yaoundé, Cameroon, and Cool From The Ave hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, to name a few. “I am proud to say I managed to capture my son’s vocals on a pivotal song in the album, so that was a milestone for me. I also worked on numerous songs and most of the post-production process with DJ Stig, who is my younger brother, and that was monumental and priceless, to say the least. Look out for Black Shakespeare,” he said.
