It’s been several months gone by since we lost a rare gem in the Cameroon music scene, one of the most complete artists to ever do it with a rare energy, electrifying performance, a strong vocal strength, poetic skill, and a whole vibe to seal that up. It’s often said vibes don’t lie and for sure he was an embodiment of talent and a creative craftsman. Will there ever be someone like Fhishofficial? The answer is NO! but will there ever be someone with similar attributes? YES! Because we have music artists inspired by the same music pattern already existing in the Cameroon music scene.
One thing you should know about Fhish’s artistry is that it was a self-created style borne from scratch, a connection to one’s inner self, he did music from within, cutting through an aura, a feeling, an experience and spirituality interwoven in his creative universe. He synced experiences, his connection to the soul, and then circumstances that define a contemporary society which he lived in: these lied central to his inspiration which predominantly played an upper hand in his music style.
Every music piece Fhish ever dropped had elements of “storytelling” he was a wordsmith when it came to employing the right lyrics, his wit game was lit an apt usage of the Cameroon patois which mostly evolved on “Camfranglais”
Camfranglais is 100% original to Cameroon and is a blend of both French and English languages cemented with sprinkles of pidgin English and Mboko. A typical Cameroonian can easily identify it because it constitutes a great deal of the “knowledge” [sabir in pidgin] and “slangs” youths employ in their daily means of informal communication. One could say his art was almost original as it made great use of Cameroonian expressions making it quite relatable in terms of the story retold and comprehension.
His music could easily penetrate communities and stay as an earworm because it understood the bases of unification, burrowing a bit of the spoken idioms from various ethnic groups and integrating on a single piece to make it a masterpiece. Camfranglais easily identified by its numerous slangs could, however, be overwhelmingly incomprehensible to a none indigene of the socio-cultural environment that created it or of borne Cameroonian origin, however, it remains of great vitality and still of relevance as it actively exists in informal communication.
Fhish understood this was a style he created and made the most of it, he simply added some extra flair to it like rhythms, melodies, and most especially the unique dance steps which played a pivotal role around his music style and universe.
How then do we define the type of music he did? According to the late artist he did “Cameroonian Afro beats” and another school of thought which constitute of music analysts and music knowledge savvy experts: he did more to that with the “Makossa vibe” but on a more fast tempo.Now how do you beat that? That was the unique selling proposition to his arts!
🔴Do Ego & Prido have what it takes in the continuity of the legacy?
Labeling Ego Pride and Yxng Prido as the “New Fhish” is not just about throwing these words because they sound motivating, appealing and harmless but there’s more to that! It’s beyond music but a lifestyle and these two need to understand it’s going to be a roller coaster ride.
When I talk about lifestyle I talk about the dressing and public appearance, the vibe, and most especially the connection Fhish had with the streets, it’s difficult telling a story if you haven’t lived it or experienced but you can get inspired from a story and rewrite yours but staying in context in which it was created for.
So how did this topic pop up? For sure it was after their freestyle videos went viral and were on almost every local media outlet and a few international music airing platforms. Were these two creating music to sound like Fhish? NO! They only made use of “trends and then the patois, the slangs that were making waves in our informal communications and expressions” at the point in time which blew up, but of course and the rhythm that accompanied it was heavily influenced by Makossa.
How did the public contribute to this? The role the public played was simple since they related to it and it sounded good, the vibe and mannerism of delivery sounded like something they had come across before, it was like a “DÉJÁ VUE” and the traces to that eventually stumbled back on Fhish’s artistry!
That’s a summary of what happened, the public helped align these artists with a music trajectory that had already been defined and has an audience ready to savor, however depending on the contents.
Fhish’s versatility as far as music is concerned is that he could easily deliver as a rapper, his verses sure did have punch lines and bars, his thesaurus and metaphor were almost too real to be on a song coupled with this energy!
It’s imperative to understand this new wave of “Fhish” possess these attributes and via their freestyle have proven to have a slight awareness of the style and what Fhish represented musically but still need to put on more work as far as lyricism and maturity is concerned to have full mastery. The unique selling proposition has been discovered now it’s all about exploiting it to the fullest. They are on a path of continuing the legacy but for a fact they need the public’s support while trying to get the right connection in exporting the music – mainstream and then agreeing to the commercial appeal.
Their first official song as a duo – NO BE LIE is now out and available for your viewing and listening.
Link 🔗: https://youtu.be/fdk7q6QZ3MEm