Okmalumkoolkat recharges “iTheku eThekwini” with “iBattery,” a 2:16 collaboration with Nhlanhlaleyo at track six, the album’s shortest early cut.
The title borrows the word “battery,” and the song plays on the idea of energy, power, and running low or full. Early write-ups say little about the lyrics, so the mood comes from the title and the pace. At two minutes and 16 seconds, it moves quickly. That brevity fits the pattern of the first half of the album, where “Yinto Yabantu Ababili” runs 2:34 and “Umshibiliko” runs 2:58. Quick songs keep the project lively.
Nhlanhlaleyo is the guest here, and the pairing gives the record a different voice from the solo cuts around it. The album also brings in Khanzi Mnguni on “uZongithanda uNomphelo,” P Dogg Amazing on “Obishini,” and Enocs Mae and Keyy Wavv on “eMtateni interlume,” while Cid Rim joins the closing “Lomdlalo Ozigcawu-gcawu Outro.” Lowfeye and Musiholiq also appear on “Bukhoma.” So the guest list stays wide, and each name matches a different corner of Durban’s scene.
Okmalumkoolkat has always mixed alternative hip-hop with electronic textures and local slang, and a short track like this one shows that approach in a compact form. The album itself centres on eThekwini, the Zulu name for Durban, and its artwork shows Moses Mabhida Stadium, the coast, and Zulu dancers.
For fans who like Mzansi hip-hop with a playful edge, this is a quick, easy replay.
Recharge your playlist with “iBattery” and tell us – what gives you your energy?
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