TAWANDA CHARI
IllyTheHost and Soduh Beats remind us that rap is still a writer's sport. ‘Good Raps Over A Cup Of Coffee’ exists simply because Illy wanted to make something he would never get tired of hearing.
On the album's interlude, IllyTheHost explains that the project is essentially a collection of rappers and musicians he genuinely enjoys listening to, all brought together over the warm, soulful production of Soduh Beats. That creative freedom is what makes the tape so compelling. There are no obvious attempts at manufacturing or forcing commercial records. Instead, Illy and Soduh Beats commit to an idea: make the music they love, and trust that there are listeners who love it too. I'm one of those listeners.
If your headphones are constantly playing spitters over slow, jazzy, boom bap instrumentals, this album feels like it was made specifically for you. My favourite rapper is Lupe Fiasco, so an album that lives somewhere between the spirit of Nas, Q-Tip, Stogie T and Rakim is always going to find its way into rotation.
One of my favourite verses comes from J-Style, who opens with, "It was all a dream." Yes, the same immortal opening line that introduced The Notorious B.I.G.'s Juicy back in 1994. It's a clever nod to hip-hop history before he settles into his own pocket, reminding listeners that lyricism often builds on the culture that came before it.
Naturally, the first record I revisited was Not A Stretch. There was only one reason—I wanted to hear RayKaz's verse . Zimbabwe's finest lyricist continues making an increasingly difficult argument to dismiss. Every guest on the album arrives ready to rap, but RayKaz somehow still finds a way to separate himself.
"A whisky shot vers'(us) a f**king Capri Sun / You need one thousand Aubreys just to sneak, son."
It's layered writing. The "versus" and "verse" wordplay arrives almost unnoticed on first listen, while the Aubrey reference flips Drake's government name into a punchline about needing overwhelming numbers just to compete.
Nobody is trying to chase the algorithm. Nobody is simplifying their pen to fit a playlist. The album embraces dense writing, internal rhyme schemes, references and layered metaphors because that's the point. It trusts listeners enough to catch things on the second or third spin.
Elsewhere, KHAEDA provides one of the tape's smoothest moments on Coffee and A Blunt. Her melodic performance glides effortlessly across the instrumental, offering a welcome contrast to the barrage of technical verses. The same feeling carries through Balanced Warmth, where Tasha HendrixX adds with elegance, while Peruvian Coffee sees K.Keed, ZuluMecca and Oriiginelle stitch together one of the project's strongest collaborative performances.
K.Keed's appearance lands even better given the noise last year after she turned down a freestyle on DJ Speedsta's five hip hop nights on 5FM. people were quick to question her as an emcee. This album quietly settles that argument. A radio freestyle is one skill. Making great records is another. On Wax, K.Keed sounds composed, deliberate, technically sharp. She's alright. Freestyle or not.
Ultimately, ‘Good Raps Over A Cup Of Coffee’ is exactly what its title promises. Good raps. Nothing more, nothing less.
Stream the album here: https://straus.to/l/illythehost-soduh-beats-good-raps-over-a-cup-of-co/
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