First of all, let’s give props to YoungstaCPT for dropping this project that has 20 records on it without any features at all, we all agree that’s something hard to pull especially for rap artistes.
The album itself has a total of 22 tracks.
YoungstaCPT decided to name his debut album ‘Things Take Time’ or ‘3T’ since it took him time to put the project together.
On the album, his grandfather Boeta Shaakie Roberts who is also on the album cover narrates, through himself and his grandfather, the history and lived experiences of a Cape Town person of color.
The colored identity has always been a complicated issue in South Africa, his grandfather, Boeta Shaakie Roberts attempts to provide some clarity on the ‘Kleurling’ record. In South Africa, the Colored population has always been stuck between the Black population and the White population.
It has been this way since the time of colonialism, it continued into Apartheid and is still evident today.
The Colored population, like the White population, are in the minority in the country.
However, they are in the majority in the Western Cape and many argue, including YoungstaCPT’s grandfather, that the Colored folk is indigenous to the Western Cape, as the Khoi and San were.
Youngsta’s message is that after decades of ill-treatment and displacement, due to colonialism and apartheid, the Colored population is starting to carve out a meaningful existence. However, the community should remember that “Things Take Time” and therefore the Colored population in South Africa has a long way to go.
“I waited five years to release this album. I made 30 mixtapes in the interim but I waited five years, wondering if people are going to understand and respect it. Now we’re at the point where things are so bad in SA, I don’t care if they understand, people need to hear this.” YoungstaCPT’s powerful statement about his ‘3T’ album.
If you ask me, this is one of the best if not the best African conscious rap album you will ever get to listen to, YoungstaCPT poured his heart out on this project and took us to his Capetown neighborhood letting us in on his personal life, how he lived as a child in Capetown where he was nicknamed ‘Yaatie’ and how his love of sneakers came about.
He has a whole lot of gem to say on his ‘Yaatie’ record off the album and listening to him, you’d understand why YoungstaCPT is respected as an artiste and a veteran in the rap scene despite his young age.
” This sh*t is a bit more serious than the other music I’ve released. I’m turning over a new chapter in my career. I’m no longer just going to make fun, party music. We are not driven to learn about our history, because it’s painful. There are things going on that shouldn’t be happening in 2019. I wanted to understand and break this cycle. The only way I was going to understand the cycle was to go back into the past.” YoungstaCPT on how uniquely different the ‘3T’ project is from his other records.
Listening to this album, you’d agree with me that it makes you feel as if you are listening to a story while at the same time it takes you back to memory lane, thus making it a unique album as they come.
Most if not all of the rappers have already given props to the ‘3T’ album of how deep it is and why you should cop your very own copy.
You really need to have your own copy of this album to understand where they are coming from since this album became a classic the same day it was officially dropped everywhere, March 29, 2019.
Tracklist of ‘3T’ by YoungstaCPT
1. Pavement Special …produced by Chvna & Kay Faith)
2. VOC …produced by Psykobeats
3. Yaatie …produced by J-Beatz
4. La Familie …produced by Loopsta
5. YVR …produced by J-Beatz
6. Sensitive …produced by Luc Veermeer
7. To Live and Die in CA …produced by Miles Singleton
8. The Cape of Good Hope featuring Kay Faith …produced by Egypt
9. Old Kaaple …produced by Ganja Beatz
10. Kleurling …produced by Jaydogg
11. (CA)Crazy Arabian …produced by Psykobeats
12. 786 …produced by Michaelson
13. Tik Generation …produced by Maloon Theboom
14. Pallet Gun …produced by J-Beatz
15. 1000 Mistakes featuring Robert Black …produced by Airdee
16. For Coloured Girls …produced by J-Beatz
17. Mothers Child …produced by Ganja Beatz
18. Gham …produced by Ganja Beatz
19. Just Be Lekker …produced by Egypt
20. Kaapstad Saaier featuring Kay Faith …produced by Maloon Theboom
21. Powerful …produced by Psykobeats
22. Outro …produced by Chvna & Kay Faith
This is the only album that I ever got to listen to while taking notes because YoungstaCPT’s grandfather shares some important and very crucial information that you can’t easily get a hold of.
It was the perfect move for YoungstaCPT to have his grandfather on this project.
This album is not only one of the best rap project to be put out this year, it’s also very educational and inspirational in the same breath.
This album deserves to be heard by every person on earth, not only by the Colored, or whites, blacks, or any other race since it’s a project without any bias at all, it tells the hardest of the hardest truth to tell.
I just became a fan of YoungstaCPT once again after listening to the album from the first track to the last track.
I beseech you to not only listen to this album to dance to it and jam to the beats on it, take your time, listen to what YoungstaCPT is trying to tell you because most of these rappers will tell it the way it is the way YoungstaCPT is telling you black from white on his album.
It has been a long 5-years-wait for this album but it was absolutely worth the wait, there is no way the ‘3T’ album will be extinct.
Sooner or later people will start quoting from it.
Stream the album below on your favorite preferred streaming service.
