Usimamane Releases “Slime” Following The Passing Of His Friend
Usimamane Releases “Slime” Following The Passing Of His Friend. South African rapper Usimamane has turned fresh grief into music, releasing a brand-new track titled “Slime” just hours after losing a close friend.
The Umlazi-bred rapper, whose real name is Omuhleumnguni Simamane, shared the news on social media, explaining that the song was created in the immediate aftermath of the loss. Rather than calling it a tribute, Usimamane described “Slime” as a record made in the style his late friend loved hearing from him.
“This is not a tribute, this the type of sound my boy loved from me,” he wrote. “He’s favourite songs were ‘Like That’ and ‘Pressure’. Since I can’t drop ‘Pressure’ I made this few hours ago. It’s out on YouTube.”
The message was brief, but its meaning was clear. Instead of stepping away from music to process the moment, Usimamane went straight into the studio and created something his friend would have connected with.
The choice makes “Slime” particularly personal. Usimamane pointed to “Like That”, one of the standout songs from his January 2026 EP G-Wagon Music: Baby Tai, as one of his friend’s favourites. With “Pressure” not available for release at the time, he channelled that same energy into a completely new record.
“Slime” therefore arrives without the conventional language often associated with mourning. There is no attempt to frame the song as a formal memorial. Instead, Usimamane has allowed the music to carry the emotion, keeping alive the sound and energy that meant something to the person he lost.
That approach also fits the rapper’s reputation for keeping things direct. Throughout his rise in South African hip-hop, Usimamane has built his identity around raw delivery, personal experiences and a willingness to let his music speak without excessive explanation.
His catalogue has continued to grow following the success of “Cheque”, the emotional weight of “Uvalo”, his G-Wagon Music: Baby Tai project and more recent releases such as “Ransom”. But “Slime” occupies a different emotional space, arriving while the loss is still painfully fresh.
For many artists, the studio becomes a place to process moments that are difficult to put into ordinary words. In Usimamane’s case, the response was immediate. He made the kind of song his friend enjoyed, in the same musical spirit that had connected them.
“Slime” is now available on YouTube, giving listeners an early glimpse into how Usimamane chose to respond to an intensely personal loss.
It may not be a tribute in the traditional sense, but for Usimamane, making the music his boy loved could be the most honest way of remembering him.
