Regardless of little proof of pure rap expertise throughout his keep on the present and a widely-held perception that he was only a fairly boy, there gave the impression to be one thing about him. Armed with a cussed self-belief, a burning want to show his detractors improper, and a novel story to inform, Eagle left the present decided to defy the chances.
Early beginnings
A couple of months after ‘The Hustle’, Eagle, then simply 19 years outdated, holed up with Tabure
Bogopa Junior (higher referred to as JR), a veteran musician and government producer referred to as a prolific author and producer for varied artists, most notably AKA, to study the ropes and discover his groove.
“That was a really fascinating time for me as a result of I keep in mind simply freshly coming off The Hustle and there have been lots of people and making an attempt to method me and making an attempt to get near me like [JR], who I used to be working with on the time,” he tells The Africa Report.
“He was the primary individual to see that gentle and go, ‘Yo, I have to method him and work with him as a result of I can see that everyone’s sure to return attain for him’, so I believe shoutout to him for seeing the imaginative and prescient first.”
Whereas early singles like ‘Method Up’ and ‘I’m Again’ gained some good traction commercially, it was the introspective and deeply private ‘Reducing Corners’ that basically caught on in late 2016.
The success of ‘Reducing Corners’ was an aha second for Eagle. “As quickly as I confirmed the world who I actually was once I dropped what was near my coronary heart, that’s once I began understanding that it’s not essentially the music that you just put out that you just assume is gonna work, it’s the music that you just really feel is correct that’s working.”
All these years later, he says individuals nonetheless hit him up with their testimonials about ‘Reducing Corners’. “Folks will inform me that the tune modified their life or they’ll say, ‘That tune saved me, that tune took me off the bridge’ or it did this and it did that. That was simply the younger Eagle off The Hustle able to take over the sport, that’s a distinct vitality, that’s the one who is aware of that I’ve received one thing in me however nonetheless has quite a bit to study.”
Following a quick stint as a presenter on Vuzu’s in style leisure information parody, V Leisure, Eagle solidified himself as one of many nation’s high native rappers with ‘Julia’, a shocking, well-executed ode to early 90s growth bap rap that showcased that ‘Reducing Corners’ was no fluke and put to mattress any lingering doubts about his abilities.
As his buzz reached a fever pitch, he then adopted that up with the viral and inescapable single ‘Let It Move’, which was launched in help of his debut album, Yellow. ‘Let It Move’ went on to be licensed gold a 12 months and a half later, whereas Yellow beat stiff competitors from the likes of Emtee and Riky Rick to be awarded the Greatest Hip-Hop Album on the 2018 South African Music Awards (SAMAs).
Standing the take a look at of time
Now, 5 years later, Eagle has stood the take a look at of time. 4 albums deep, he has turn out to be one of the revered rappers on the continent. Over the previous few years he’s collaborated with a number of worldwide acts, together with most notably J. Cole protege Bas, with whom he toured Europe with in 2019, and earned quite a few extra gold and platinum certifications for a number of of his singles and initiatives.
Nonetheless, after a quick interval on the sidelines, the discharge of his new single, ‘Maintain You’, appears to mark the daybreak of a brand new period for Eagle. Lastly having some new music out is a sense he’s missed.
“You recognize, I don’t actually get into the feedback and all of that, generally it’s extra of simply what it means to me. […] I’d say it’s a really highly effective sign that I’m placing into the universe. The subject of it being about love and inspiration. That’s therapeutic, it’s already a healer that hip hop and Africa wants proper now. Clearly, a variety of the followers are saying that that is paying homage to the traditional capsules, so I’m simply grateful. Up to now, the reception’s been lovely.”
‘Maintain You’ is reminiscent to 2018’s ‘Chocolate Milk’, which is by far his most commercially profitable tune up to now. He provides that the tune’s hook, which sees him sing, “Simply to carry you”, is a double entendre.
“It was a message to the followers[…]: ‘Look, that is simply to maintain you and that is simply to carry you till I put within the work and the time to complete up this subsequent physique of labor for me and for you guys’, however on the similar time to additionally remind you of any individual you’re lacking or are eager for like think about if I may simply maintain you… it simply feels proper. […] That is to heal, it’s for individuals who’ve gone by means of stuff, together with myself.”
