Pinehas Nakaziko
Windhoek-Namibian rapper, Ngaihape Mupurua, known as Nga-I, is working on getting international distribution deals for his music, making more music videos and taking his music to the people in terms of performances.
The rapper made headlines on social media with the release of his new music video, “Kurama”, recently. The video, which continues to attract more viewers on social media, stood at the time of penning this article this Tuesday at more more 5,000 viewers on YouTube, just a week after its release.
Nga-I says the video, produced by Willy-G and shot by Reggie Films, talks about daily life problems distracting a person from achieving his or her goals. “People like my new video and the response is very good, with almost everyone talking about it and sharing it on social media,” he says.
Nga-I has come out of nowhere to stake his claim as one of the leaders in the local hip-hop scene, with his self-created rap style, widely known as Ovi-trap. Explaining the Ovi-trap, Nga-I says it’s a fusion of enchanting Otjiherero vernacular lyrics, with what has become known as trap music.
“Trap music is a sub-genre of hip-hop that originated during the 1990s in the southern parts of the United States. It is typified by its ominous lyrics and sound that incorporate double or triple-time, with heavy kick drums,” says Nga-I.
In Namibia, Nga-I has gone one better, by mixing this emerging sub-genre with Otjiherero rap lyrics, while in the process carving out a niche for himself on the local scene.
Nga-I started his music in 2004, and has released up to 100 songs on Sound Cloud. He officially started with his music in 2008 when he officially released his first single, “Shame on Me” on some local radio stations. End of last year, he released his debut album, titled “Ovi-Trap” with 11 tracks. He says with the album, he wanted to introduce and present Namibian music to the African market. Nga-I’s Ovi-trap songs speak about his life, especially about him being a “farm boy” growing up in Windhoek. He tries to motivate young people, while also focusing on the fun elements of life, including partying.