Veezo – Pre Visa Review
Words by Mayuyuka
Veezo's always been an impressive rapper, he stands out on features and first caught our attention on eventual Family Tree signee, Tshego's Fomoza. "It's the V -double the E, Z O". That announcement has rung in my head many a time so stumbling across this solo Veezo project in late last year was really exciting. Pre Visa is a 6 track project made with the help of frequent collaborator Yaw Bannerman, Thaiwanda Thai and Ginger Trill.
On Zaka, arguably the standout effort of the project, Yaw and Veezo combine on another beastly beat by Rookie Gold. This song best represents the flow Veezo seems to effortlessly possess. The melody, hook, ad libs and rhymes occur in a twilight zone between ragga, trap, hip hop and dancehall. It's beautiful. This track, and the EP by extension, isn't a tired rendition of Controlla-esque songs even though it plays in the same neighbourhood. The hammer definitely connects with the nail on this one... it's on-trend but a uniquely Veezo offering. When Veezo proclaims "y'all niggas is old hand me my throne" he's spot on because "it doesn't matter if you hit it first... who's a Ray J to Kanye West?"
Rookie Gold handles the production on Get Lost and Veezo's hook is layered with some smooth vocals. It's a laid-back joint that jilts into overdrive with every approaching bridge. On the hook topic: Yaw Bannerman deserves bottomless daps for his contribution to the Obado-produced Come and Go. The perfect collab. A hook-driven song paired with a solid beat for Veezo to ride over. And if you thought the bars would be sacrificed in favour of vibes the line "I got a table for two now we eating at Tasha's, she order the shank... I'm moving in silence I order Lasagne" reminds you of the rapper's pedigree.
The barfest is undoubtedly the Ginger Trill-featuring Not My Fault. It's got some choice lines like Veezo's "I got these niggas tryna hang like they Emmett Till", "You became a bitch like Mister Jenner did" and Trilly's equally potent "Allah-u-ak-bars, fuck an atheist". Checkout the two link up again on Ginger's GVNG Tapes too.
The direction of the album is great and with a strong influence of ragga evident in the features of Yaw Bannerman and Thaiwanda Thai. The visceral reaction to his music is what makes Veezo so Amazing as the opening track featuring Mane Dila attests. It's the flow, the riding over beats and the literal punch at the end of his lines that gets you. In a game that's either annoyingly safe or absurdly over the top, there's a great balance achieved in Pre Visa. More impressive is the fact that it's done with the Botswana Hip Hop scene seemingly held together by Faded Gang and it's affiliates. It's no throwaway line when Veezo says "left a country full of diamonds just to bring back all the gold".