Usimamane Explains Why Upcoming Album “Tai Lung” Had To Be More South African
Usimamane Explains Why Upcoming Album “Tai Lung” Had To Be More South African. Usimamane has opened up about the thinking behind his new project Tai Lung, describing it as a continuation and final version of the musical direction he introduced earlier this year.
Speaking to Hype Magazine, Usimamane explained that Tai Lung connects to the earlier tape while representing a more complete version of what he had initially set out to create. The rapper revealed that he had scrapped two versions of the project before arriving at the final version.
A major decision behind the final version was his desire to make the project more distinctly South African. Usimamane said he felt he was still too young to focus on international ambitions and wanted to use his sophomore album to establish himself in his home country first.
“I just feel like I’m still too young for all of that international whatever,” he said. “I just wanted to be South African, like with my second sophomore album.”
For Usimamane, the decision is about building his name at home before turning his attention to wider international opportunities.
“I just wanted to be, like, I don’t know, man, just be here for a little, make my name out here,” he explained.
Beyond its sound and identity, Tai Lung is also built around a central concept. Usimamane described betrayal as the key connection between the Tai Lung character and his own experiences as an artist and individual.
“Betrayal,” he said when asked about the relationship between the character and himself. “People flipping on him. They also flipped on me.”
The rapper added that the betrayal was not limited to people, saying he had experienced it through “a lot of things” in his own life.
That personal element becomes particularly evident throughout the project, with Usimamane addressing vulnerable experiences including a breakup and the loss of people close to him.
While putting those experiences into music can be difficult, he said he has become comfortable with being vulnerable. For Usimamane, honesty can sometimes feel uncomfortable because people are not always accustomed to hearing someone expose their truth so openly.
He argued that this discomfort can even become part of what connects with audiences, suggesting that the most uncomfortable or unexpected moments can sometimes be the ones that gain the most attention in hip-hop and amapiano.
“I just feel like my truth is so cringe to the point that I don’t think if anyone had to go through the same thing was going to be, I don’t know, comfortable saying or just laying everything on the track,” he said.
Musically, Usimamane was also intentional about balancing the project’s different sides. Known for his trap-oriented sound and street-focused identity, the rapper said Tai Lung does not abandon that side of his music in favour of vulnerability.
Instead, he structured the project into different sections, allowing the mood to shift depending on the story being told.
“You will see when it’s time to be serious. You will see when it’s time to trap, make fun, you know, have fun and all of that,” he explained.
The project also draws from his real-life experiences while making room for a spiritual dimension. Usimamane said Tai Lung ultimately reflects what people go through, while also being about “giving grace to the Lord.”
With Tai Lung, Usimamane is using his latest chapter to establish a stronger South African identity while giving listeners a closer look at the experiences behind the artist. Rather than rushing toward an international identity, he is choosing to build his name from home, with vulnerability, trap and personal storytelling all occupying their own space on the project.
