Amapiano heavyweight De Mthuda revisits a classic with “Ubuhle Bakho (Noise Reshuffle),” pulling in Thuli P for the closing track on his “Noise” EP.
The original “Ubuhle Bakho” with Mas Musiq, DJ Maphorisa, and Acatears already carried significant weight in the Amapiano catalogue. So bringing it back in reshuffle form with Thuli P’s vocal contribution is not a casual decision. It signals De Mthuda connecting the dots between his past and present – closing the “Noise” EP with something that honours where he came from while adding a fresh dimension.
Thuli P’s voice gives the reshuffle its most distinctive quality. Her delivery sits warm and expressive over the reconstructed production, which De Mthuda shapes differently from the original without losing its emotional core. Because a reshuffle that sounds exactly like the original gives you nothing new – but one that strips back certain elements and rebuilds around a different vocal centre creates something worth returning to on its own terms.
Placing this track as the EP’s final moment is also structurally smart. “Noise” opens with “Skuta” – a solo instrumental that declares De Mthuda’s production authority without needing anyone else. Then it closes with a Thuli P vocal over a reshuffled classic – warmth and emotion after the energy that built up through the middle of the project. That arc gives the EP a beginning and an ending that feel deliberately designed rather than assembled at random.
For listeners who have followed De Mthuda since the “Ace of Spades” era with Ntokzin, this closing track lands as a reminder that his instinct for emotional production has never left – it just keeps finding new forms.
Stream “Ubuhle Bakho (Noise Reshuffle)” and tell us if De Mthuda saved the best for last on the “Noise” EP!
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