South African rapper Nadia Nakai recently released her sophomore album Braggacy, a poignant tribute to her late partner AKA. A deeply personal project, with undoubtable appeal to contemporary rap connoisseurs.
The album title is a clever play on words that combines Bragga – Nadia’s self given moniker – with Megacy – the name given to AKA’s fanbase. In a social media post at the beginning of the journey to the album’s release, the rapper described it as a letter to AKA.
Braggacy Tracklist:
- Well Done
- Never Leave
- No Problems (Sandidaro)
- Don’t Know Why?
- Sous Chef
- Sipithipithi
- Umfazi
- Shots in L.A
- My Body
- Top Of The Mountain
- Missing You
- M.E.G.A
- Talk (Bonus Track)
While rooted in hip-hop, Braggacy is an album that has a multitude of influences. It wades into RnB, 3-step and Afro house, all the while featuring the lyricism that has made Nadia Nakai a household name. The 13 track project features Kashcpt, Boskasie, Moozlie, Umthakati Kush, Manu Worldstar, Big Hash, Krush, Zakes Bantwini, Cindii Masina, Osaze, Shekinah, and Qwellers.
The album’s variety is brought together by it’s exploration of love, grief and personal growth. It is a journey to healing with multiple inflection points. The ochrestral intro Well Done sets the tone, with an atmosphere of sadness hanging in the air. Never Leave is centred on loss, followed by a refusal to have loss being the end all and be all of her existence on No Problems (Sandidaro).
Sous Chef sees Nadia’s pain forgotten, with a cadence and lyrical blend of an artist who only sees a new horizon to her music career. Top Of The Mountain is not only a reference to AKA’s track Energy but it samples the late rapper, an added layer to Braggacy’s soliloquy. Missing You brings life to memories yet marks memories as incomparable to a real presence and this is somewhat echoed on M.E.G.A.
Talk is the album’s exclamation point, a fitting end to an emotional tale of love and loss.
Braggacy achieves a balance that makes not just another project of sad love (loss) songs. It feels the sadness but doesn’t wallow, and it is defiant with making everything seem like chocolates and roses. A fitting tribute to a painful chapter.
