When ExQ comes to mind, I always associate him with two things. The first is his longevity in the music industry (21 years and counting) and the second is his ability to adapt to different sounds. In some sense he’s our very own Drake. After all his career has roots in the Hip Hop sound and now he just does a lot less of the rapping and a lot more of the lover boy songs.
A third thing that also often creeps into mind when I think about ExQ is his ear for great collaborations. This brings me to Enoch The Album. ExQ’s latest project, which is adorned with 16 tracks and features a host of the best in Zimbabwean musical talent. From rising voices to established acts, and from Zimdancehall, to Zimhiphop and ZimRnB.
In a year that kicked off with ExQ being honoured at the 21st NAMA Awards for his 21 years in music, Enoch the album is not only a celebration lap for the artist but another trophy for the mantelpiece. Album number 7 for ExQ is one that brings the vibes, and it’s also certainly one for the lovers. It also continues the sound, the artist has been riding on in his second wave.
I always look at ExQ’s music career as being split into 2 halves. The ExQ of the Urban Grooves era and the ExQ that came after, with Afropop & Afrofusion as his chosen sounds. Each version of the artist is equally good it’s own right, even though the music is markedly different. Enoch the album, which earns its name from artist himself Enoch “ExQ” Munhenga, is an exploration of sound.
While grounded in Afropop, the project is very nomadic in the other influences it latches on. Kana Todla kicks things off and it’s a song that talks about when it’s time for celebration. It’s centred around ExQ asking people not to kill his vibe when he’s in a good. It’s one of the tracks with a calmer tempo on the album. Sweeter comes up next and this is certainly one of the stars of the show. It is a celebration of love and from subject matter to tempo and cadence, it just hits home.
ExQ explores te subject of love from many different angles. Bluetick ft Freeman HKD is a message for a love interest to ignore the advances of others, Dating Is Not Easy (DINE) talks about how love is an investment of time and energy, while Amour ft Jah Prayzah is a song of shall we say courting a beauty that is widely appreciated. The music is upbeat and it has a nature that brings Jit to mind but it is slightly softened and vocalised with tenderness.
They’re so many favourites to pick from Enoch and the duet Mashoko ft Kim Makumbe is another particularly standout song. The two artists work so well together I felt like we should’ve had more tracks from them together. Enoch the album, dabbles a little in the Rhumba sound with Firi Gudhu, embraces Dancehall with Nyope and pays homage to Tanga Wekwa Sando with Mwana Iyeyu.
From start to finish you almost never want to press the skip button. From Kanonaka, to Let’s Get To It, to Many Men, the favourites keep rolling in.
I know that some of the music has the typical ExQ sound that we’ve come to know and love but the artist sprinkles just enough seasoning for the musical palate to note the difference. When Enoch is placed next to Tseu Tseu and Verified Milestone, the other albums of ExQ after Urban Grooves, you can see the new identity of ExQ’s art and his progression over years.
ExQ’s 7th album is without a doubt one of the best releases to come from Zimbabwean music this year and this can’t even be argued. It displays the art of collaboration, production and storytelling. Tied together with one infectious melody after the next.
