Check Out Tumi’s 2015 Verse Of The Year List

Tumi released his 2015 edition of his Verse Of The Year list. Tumi’s opinion is one of the most respected opinions in Hip Hop simply because he has done things African Hip Hop never imagined. Tumi’s pen game is world class and can absolutely not be doubted. Now that that’s said and done check out what Tumi had to say:

“Criteria is simple, released this year and it must be longer but no shorter than 8 bars. This list is based on my opinion, if you think I omitted somebody or didn’t follow a better process MAKE YOUR OWN LIST. And another thing, I don’t include myself in this list, mostly because I think if you following me you might already be a supporter of what I do so let’s give other children a chance but mainly cuz I am a fan or rapping and I want to hip you to some other dope shit.”

Tumi’s 2015 Verse Of The Year List

#TumiVOTY MEMORABLE MENTIONS.

10. BlackLez “Freedom Or Fame Remix”

Blacklez has become the underdog people’s champ. He has positioned himself in an alternative lane. Respectable and skilled, he has never really lit up the world with his rapping but he has always managed to stay in the conversation around the dope Lyricists. On the original Freedom or Fame he does a great job but it’s on the remix that he has a solid and memorable verse that outshines some of the best in the game. “Lesego, I’m necessary evil
I’m humble, break my name up
I’m less ego”

9. Morale “year on fire”

I haven’t seen much of Morale since the Zola featuring Ayamaah. He seemed to have missed a couple seasons and sometimes when you coming from a long hiatus you could sound out of touch and dated. I think he was clever to do a track with Reason and Maggz as his return cuz those two rappers are more in the classic mold of a rapper. There wasn’t much pressure on him to sound very current but his verse is string enough to stand out. “I take off like Amber Rose, dope flows overdose, OD comatose, OG on his oath”

8. Cassper Nyovest “Juice Back Remix”

Cassper Nyovest whines a lot. Cassper Nyovest wins a lot. He is limited but he is also the undisputed biggest rapper in Africa. His story has been an inspiration to witness. Nobody can honestly say he is the most skilled Mc in South Africa but nobody can say he isn’t. That’s amazing to me. All that said, Cassper is first and foremost a rapper and nowhere else did we see this manifest itself than with his beef with AKA. He broke the country let alone the Internet with Dust2Dust a scathing attack on his enemy’s character but for me it’s his verse on the Juice Back Remix where he shines. He brings great cadence and a well measured approach to his verse. “I mean these niggas were hella distance
Until they heard that mtn gave me seven figures
Now I am stunting in the back seat of a rolls royce like Hello Kitty”

7. Proverb “Nothing new” verse 2

Verb is a beast. He lives in most people’s top 3 lists (well those that matter) ?
His sound might suffer from a lack of nuanced production and his flow might be on the more monotonous side but there isn’t a better rapper than Verb in the country. If you tell him to Spit, he will mesmerize you 10 times out of 10. “I see yall eating, first of all
you found it open you don’t know who worked the doors,
But let’s eat, I don’t mind a search for more
You all my sons, my style gave birth to yours”

6. Gingerbread Man “Kwamkhize”

It is clear now that Trill is one of the best Lyricist in South Africa. Literally one hit away from being mentioned in the same breath as your AKA’S and Cassper he has suffered from a lack of exposure but one thing that has never been in question is his skill. Easily the best bar for bar rapper on this list. “alright alright I jump for the kill feet first, you Oscar P, need feet first”

5. K.O “Pasop”

There is no denying every time K.O spits there is bound to be a quotable and it’s going to be an overall memorable moment. On this posse cut he brings his signature cool laid back slow fast style that has made him Contender for SA’s best rapper. “Skhanda gawd, I’m the pinnacle
Kleva sfun ukwazi
Are you friend or foe
Cuz I’ll pull your card and you’ll get exposed
Mina ngzel igwap
What you in it for?
When I am with this dark skinned centerfold
The boy going hard in a foreign car
With a foreign broad no xenophobe”

4. AKA Composure verse one

I don’t think lazy is a word you can associate with Super Mega. He is one of the hardest working performers on the continent. Although there has always been a sense that he tends to dumb down or write down or even that he prefers to focus on other things associated with rap music. Like hooks, beats and overall production. That’s why when he decides to put pen to paper he is something to see/hear. He was magnificent on my intro to Return Of The King but when he reminded the whole continent that he is a beast of an Mc on Composure he set the whole country alight. Even creating a new singing type flow at that. “I think I should spit something we can build with,
I think we need change who got the till slips

3. YoungstaCPT “Way It Go”

The days of the Lyricist seem like they have all but left us in this new era of rap. Fans don’t seem to value lyricism too much these days, so it’s always refreshing when a young rapper can show you he has that bygone skill that has come to define mcing all these years. YoungstaCPT shows on Way It Go that there is still much to be said about a rapper with bars and flow. Here he deliberately shows off his skill by repping the true home of hip hop in South Africa. “I am El Fuego
Meaning im fire / burning you heavily / lyrically lighter
The greater creator they calling me Tyler
My past was odd / my future is brighter
Kaapstad naaier”

2. Nasty C Juice Back Remix

Not since Cassper has there been this much talk about a up amd coming rapper. If you take one listen to his Price City Mixtape you realise just how talented Junior is. He coulda had VOTY for his verse on Way It Go or the original Juice Back but for me it is his most recent verse for Juice Back Remix where he proves himself against established superstars Davido and Cassper. “I feel bad for being the one to school these niggas when my friends I trying to get to university”

1. Kid Xpasop

To me the perfect verse contains enough wit, flow and a level of difficulty that you can’t imagine anyone else saying it. Kid X is a marvel to listen to. He is unorthodox without alienating the listener so much that you can enjoy him and not have to know the technicalities of his genius. It’s no secret I love what the kid’s pen do but I was heart broken by the Mixtape though. “I am more 46664,
I’m money behind bars
Style is ice cold
Flow is in liquid form
Elami iverse ligqiba inkonzo”