REVIEW: Riky Rick’s last album ‘Boss Zonke Forever’ epitomises his passion for young people

The last few weeks have seen the trend of Mount Rushmore.

In the fad, a depiction of four individuals in various industries mimics the original Mount Rushmore, which has the faces of four of the most respected US presidents.

The faces of football players, musicians, wrestlers and content creators have all been put on the mountain according to rank.

The trend hasn’t entirely made its presence felt in South Africa.

Still, after listening to Riky Rick’s posthumous album Boss Zonke Forever, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the late rapper, whose real name was Rikhado Makhado, being placed on a South African version of generational great Mzansi rappers by Generation Z.

This Sunday will be exactly a month since the album was released. The 17-track album was released on 4 April, a decade after his memorable project Family Values came out in 2015.

Rikhado Makhado, or Riky Rick as he was fondly known by his fans, lost his battle with mental illness and took his own life in 2022.

ALSO READ: New Riky Rick album to be released a day after 10-year anniversary of ‘Family Values’

Riky Rick for the kids

Looking at his life and influence Riky had on the current crop of artists, it’s surprising that his only other fully fledged album was his debut album, Family Values. But I suppose that’s where Riky’s powers lie beyond the music.

Riky was not the “lyrical miracle” type of rapper – the refrain is used to describe a rapper whose writing is of high prowess displayed in their intricate use of similes, metaphors and other language devices. Think Stogie T or Lupe Fiasco.

Riky was 2Pac-esque. His writing was simple without being superficial, sincere in its reflections and inspiring through his convictions.

This is why the youth appreciated him; the album is littered with features from people under 30.

Riky’s support of young people has strengthened his legacy among the youth. The artist was passionate about supporting and empowering youth, particularly young creatives and artists.

He believed in giving them opportunities to showcase their talent and express themselves. This passion led him to create events like CottonFest, a platform for young artists to thrive.

The album opens with a sombre reflective song, Higher Power, featuring newcomer singer-songwriter Lusanda.

Other album features include young rap artists such as 25K, Focalistic, K-Keed, Blue Pappi and Blxckie. Cassper Nyovest is the only “senior” statesman on the album.

While people from my generation of hip hop listeners still cite Zubz’s song Heavy 8 as a track with some of the hottest local rappers at the time as a moment in rap, Cishe Ngaposta can be that kind of song for this generation.

Other notable songs on the album are the catchy Raindrops and Eish featuring Blxckie.

ALSO READ: Onset Music Group pays homage to Riky Rick ahead of debut EP [VIDEO]

Speaking through the music

Riky’s appreciation for the finer things in life – be it clothes, good food or fancy rides – might come off as shallow.

However, when you listen to the music, you get a sense that these things were temporary remedies for his pain. This point is proven true when you listen to the song Never Let Me Down.

On the chorus of the song Riky repeatedly raps:

Gucci bag never let me down (Let me down)

Prada bag never let me down (Prada bag never let me down)

Louis bag never let me down

Louis bag never let me down

Without trying to be a pseudo-psychologist, his lyrics give one a peek into what might have troubled him.

Mama told me “Go to school”, I did the opposite

I looked up to dope boys sellin’ rocks and shit

Daddy said he comin’ back but I ain’t seem him since

I grew up without a father, now my life’s a mess

But f*ck it, we gotta move on (Yeah)

He seemed to contend with his father’s absence throughout his life, even in adulthood when he became a father.

On the opening track Never Let Me Down, Riky raps feeling lost because my daddy never taught me how to drive.

Some might find it a tad melodramatic, but this was his sincerity. Riky was a modern man who could be vulnerable about his emotions, which have now become lessons.

Reflecting on Riky’s life, his mother, Louisa Zondo, said what remains significant about him is the lessons he would give.

“The lessons were enormous,” said Zondo speaking in an interview on 5FM earlier this year when the album was announced.

“He would give them such simplicity, and the one that stays, and I even refer to it in the book that I subsequently wrote about life. It was that we should always take the moment to calm our emotions, understanding that we don’t know what the next person is going through,” Zondo said.

In 2023, Zondo published Dearest MaRiky: A Mother’s Journey through Grief, Trauma, and Healing.

In it, she speaks to her son in letters and gradually unearths the words to express her love for him and the pain of losing him.

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