The talented Mr. Riz Ventura aka King Bansah is back with his follow up to Chop n Hops Volume I.
He once described his niche as drug and porn rap, and this much hasn’t
changed. If you’re a skin flick conneisseur the songs’ titles will make
sense to you. Gotta love an artist who is this unashamedly forceful
about his image. SA rap has a tendency to seem like a neatly packaged,
bland offering from PR companies.You can’t call Riz Ventura boring, predictable or well-behaved thankfully. That’s not to say he’s a belligerent numpty. It’s very easy to dismiss him as not having a firm grip on reality, but therein lies the magic. You can’t always tell if he’s being sincere or truthful but in that trippy musical journey, there are weighty topics like domestic violence, love, alcohol abuse and cultural awareness.
This project is delivered in a style Riz Ventura describes as “lyrical flexing”. This almost boastful delivery serves as a vehicle for his unapologetic recounting of his somewhat toxic yet oddly understandable relationship with drugs and alcohol. Sex is one thing he doesn’t skimp on judging by the naming of songs such as Linda Lovelace, Bella Donna and Sophia Fiore; all of whom are/were adult film stars. Sex, along with drugs and alcohol is a recurring theme in his music. There’s also love – the expression of it and its redemptive and destructive qualities - a heady chemical cocktail like drugs. Linda Lovelace and Half & Half contain references to the coloured culture thus offering sprinklings of political commentary. B&T speaks about rap – how he feels towards it and how it has affected his life. Sophia Fiore the conclusion of Chops n Hops 2 ends the tape on a sombre note, describing the tumultuous relationship between his grandparents; domestic violence compounded by alcohol abuse. The best way I can make sense of Riz is as a brown Lord Byron with a Black Label.
Listen to Chops n Hops Volume 2 below:
