17/07/2025
From the Pavement to the Pen: Victim’s UMLAHLO Brings Back the Kasi Frequency
In an age of rapid sonic reinvention, UMLAHLO, the latest tape from multidisciplinary artist Victim boldly chooses to look back in order to move forward.
Rooted in the raw textures of Kwaito and the soulful pulse of early 2000s South African house, the project feels less like a release and more like a time capsule unearthed one that reverberates with memory, emotion, and meaning.
UMLAHLO is far from a nostalgic rehash. Victim's pen is sharp, current, and emotionally resonant. His verses walk the line between street sermon and journal entry blending introspection with rhythm in a way that honors the past but speaks directly to the now. His lyrical delivery, deliberate and unhurried, pairs seamlessly with the tape’s warm synths, dusty drum loops, and the unmistakable groove that once defined township parties and city nights alike.
The standout feature from GREEK a sonic connoisseur in his own right adds his own flare without overshadowing. Greek doesn’t just complement Victim’s direction; he expands it, weaving in his own lineage of influence, equally steeped in township textures. Together, they create a moment that feels suspended in time filtered through the lens of today’s lived experience.
At its core, UMLAHLO is a project about translation of memory, of culture, and of personal truth. It reimagines what heritage sounds like when filtered through the pen of a modern-day storyteller. It’s a reminder that while the beats may evolve, the soul remains.
In UMLAHLO, Victim doesn’t just revisit the past he reanimates it.Though brief in length UMLAHLO delivers in full. Do yourself a favour press play and let it run
Written by: Aviwe Kombela
