'V' For Victory? More Like 'V' for Very, Very Disappointed: My Reluctant Thoughts On Ruyonga's Latest Single "Victory Music" Featuring MoRoots

So when I got online this past Monday morning I was welcomed by what I thought was going to turn out to be a pleasant surprise of the 'Christmas in July' variety. Uganda's 'It' rapper Ruyonga had just dropped his latest single featuring the talented songstress on the up and up, MoRoots. And if that wasn't enough, the song was called "Victory Music". How much more epic could it get?


         When I logged onto Facebook I was welcomed by this

And so without hesitating I went to Ruuu's Reverbnation and downloaded that thing pronto. I could feel the excitement bubbling up inside of me as the 'seconds left' eroded away to nothing.

And then I had it.

I'm pretty sure many of you have been to 3D Cinema Magic by now. You know that little flutter you get as you sit there with the blue shades on and that first 3D trailer begins to play? Yeah, it was something like that.

Taking a deep breath, I pressed play.

I've never been able to hold my breath for a particularly long time but right then, right there, I found myself holding it, hoping against hope that I would find something spectacular to hold onto. A punchline, a metaphor, an ad-lib, a note hit, anything...but then...nothing.

The song ended and I sat there in a sort of stunned silence. That was it? No, wait, there must be some sort of mistake. Maybe if I just played the song again...

And so I did. Twice more. No dice.


              "uuuummm...okay."

Kneading my forehead with the fingertips of my left hand I let out a long and disheartened sigh. I had such high hopes too...

The truth is, I really, really didn't want to write this, for lack of a better word, review. I would have much rather preferred to have kept my thoughts to myself and sat on my frustration for as long as I needed to get over it. But when Ugandan raps' latest flag bearer goes and puts out something that is more akin to a white flag than one promising glory I get a little worried and rather hot under the collar.

But enough about me, let's talk about the music.

The song starts with Ruyonga pretty much pleading with us, the listeners, to follow him on Twitter and to remember that the hashtags his management team have decided on are #VictoryMusic and #AllWinEverything. When I heard that I was like, what? Huh? Really? Don't you have said management team to pass on that information for you? Does that really have to be the first thing that we hear? 

This unfortunate hashtag business makes yet another unwelcome appearance in the hook that MoRoots sings.

Teacher! Teacher! Teacher! Question though: What happens when five years from now Twitter is no more, what then?


                               Yeah...what she said.

Now, MoRoots, who has performed with Qwela and plays regularly at Jazzville in Bugolobi (#SoulDeepTuesday anyone?) is, I believe, one to watch but I also feel like she was totally misused on this song. The hook does nothing to compliment her voice with its negligible melody, hackneyed lyrics and a falsetto that she doesn't seem quite comfortable with. Which makes me wonder, just who was making all of those important decisions when they were back in the studio?

Which, in turn, brings me to the production.


         MoRoots (L) singing with Qwela

Aethan, who is one of Kampala's premiere hip-hop producers, and who previously worked with Ruyonga on the exciting "Blood, Smoke, Fire", is the hands behind these four minutes right here . Now, I get what he was going for (Something epic with a little soul, a little funk and a little bounce to it) I really do. Something like 'All of the Lights' by Kanye West for example. That kind of ish that when it plays it makes you want to get your King on. That kind of ish that when it plays it makes you want to put one finger in the air, throw your head back and get your rock n' roll on. Unfortunately for everyone involved, I just don't think he quite got there. Points for knowing what you want dude, it just kinda sucks that you didn't quite know how to get it.

Which is pretty much how I feel when it comes to Ruyonga's lyrics. Again, I get what he's going for but when homie continues to perpetuate metaphors and images that have been used and reused so many times that when you hear them again here they produce painful, birth giving groans and the desire to face palm yourself into a hospital bed, no matter the flow, it gets quite off-putting. And so when he says "My home country is only small in size" I'm not sure quite whether I want to believe him or not.

There's no denying the cat's talent and there's a reason why a homie has got everyone's attention but in the end I feel that this particular cut was more miss than hit.

Next time Ruuu, make me want to believe you.

And with that, I end this with a shooter.




                        BANG!