Gigi Lamayne looks into the crowd and declares: “iGenesis is going to go gold! It’s going to be the first album by a female hip hop artist to go gold in Africa.” She looks serious about it too.
During her Live N ReYired performance – which is an unplugged session hosted by the Gauteng radio station and cultural institution, YFM – the rapper, whose real name is Genesis Gabriella Tina Manney, treated a mixed audience of much older people and tweens to a preview of some of the songs that will appear on her new album.
Hot on the heels of releasing a trending mixtape, that spawned radio-friendly singles like Shisa, and graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in media and anthropology with four distinctions and at the top of her Wits class, one would assume Gigi wants to take a moment to catch her breath.
Not so. The 21-year-old, who was named one of the faces of Moshito 2016, is ready to drop her debut full-length album, iGenesis (which is a play on her name), at the end of next month.
“It’s just going to be a schizophrenic album,” she repeatedly says on the show that is hosted by DJ Sabby. On the album, the Ice Cream rapper will feature the likes of Riky Rick, Proverb and Duncan.
Sonically, iGenesis has a lot of dance elements, a lot of singing in the pop vein and mainstream rap beams. It’s clear that Gigi is working hard to establish herself as more than just your little sister. On this night, she rocks faux locs in a mohawk style, leather short-shorts and knee-high boots.
It’s clear she’s all grown up. Many of the songs she previewed are about love and imagining “being your wife”, like on Silly Little Girl. Over a kwaito baseline on a song called Guluva, which is her mom’s favourite, Gigi lets the ’hood in her come out. She explains that the song is about “being in love with a gangster. We like bad boys; we don’t like guys who behave. My little cousins are here,” she suddenly remembers and looks into the crowd: “Block your ears!”
Continuing with her socially conscious side after appearing on Channel O to pass the Fees Must Fall message, Gigi has a song called Jumanji. The explanation? “The song is about a lady called Penny Sparrow who didn’t have some nice things to say about us.” The chorus? I’m a proud monkey/I live in Jumanji/I’m a proud monkey/And no one can stop me.
Without context, this song is going to ruffle a few feathers. But what’s hip hop without a bit of controversy, right? Gigi talks a good game, but seems like she still isn’t all that comfortable standing alone on stage.
It’s only when her DJ steps out from behind the booth to hype her up that her eyes change from clinically going through the motions to a bit of a sparkle. At that moment, she seems like she’s really enjoying herself.
When alone, it’s like she’s learning how to fake it till she makes it, but doesn’t realise she’s already well on her way to achieving what a lot of women haven’t in Mzansi hip hop. Here’s hoping she gains more stage confidence past her genesis.
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