// Let's talk about the Zimbabwe Spoken Word Rockstar's latest poetry compilation //
Wassup wassup. I hope you are all well and counting your blessings in this winter season. I also hope that I'm not too late, but I'm sure it's still #MVPSeason for the fellow African poet who never disappoints when it comes to delivering this Art that we popularly know as Poetry. For this article, we'll be featuring a Zimbabwean Spoken Word Rock-star who goes by the name "SoProfound" who released his EP "Petals" earlier on this year - on the 1st of March to be exact. He then hosted The Petals (Live) Experience on the 8th of March in the capital city of Zimbabwe, which was sold out, and rumour has it that, IT WAS LIT! (and we're obviously not surprised).
The Petals EP was initially titled "Layer", and the idea was to come up with a body of work that was nonlinear but multi-dimensional in depth of content. Listening to Petals definitely feels like a fragmented body of work that's centred around the title piece "Petals", but the more one journeys with the poet, the pieces come together with the excessive use of continuous metaphors to tell similar stories with tragic endings. Those who are familiar with SoProfound's work will know that he is not any ordinary wordsmith, for he knows how to make use of metaphors in some of the most intricate ways. The EP touches on mental health, politics, African men and their struggle with masculinity, parenting and the many ills headlining today's society. Just like petals represent more than just aesthetics but continuity through pollination, so is this project. On the surface it all sounds like just plain stories but beneath are heavy layers that address a lot of ills in the societal chain (which is one of the many reasons you need to purchase and listen to the EP). Petals is SoProfound's second body of work, the first being a collection titled "Off Season - A Succinct of Honest Moments which was released in November 2016. The EP consists of 4 pieces created by SoProfound and scored by producer and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Chiweda. It was really difficult for me to choose my favourite poem/s, however "Sunday" and "The Awkward and Unexpected Ending" are the ones I think I like the most. Each poem carries it's own unique essence, and the poems manage to blend well with the instruments in spite of the EP feeling like a fragmented body of work. It's also very interesting how he manages to consistently engage on so many themes in the most subtle way.
Alright, enough of me talking about the EP, and it's time for you to buy the EP as well, and let me know what you think of it. A part of me wished that there were more tracks, but then again, it's an EP, so I think the 4 poems do justice in terms of meeting the main objectives of an EP (and leaving listeners wanting to hear more poetry). You can purchase "Petals" on iTunes or Google Play (and other major streaming platforms), and don't forget to drop a comment on what you think about the EP as a whole, as well as your favourite poem. In order to keep up to date with his events and performances, you can also check out and like his Facebook page - SoProfound ( or follow him on Twitter @thaprofoundone ) so that you're always in the loop with what's happening on his side. That's about it for now, but do subscribe to the Radioactive Blog to find out more and to stay in touch with dope creatives on this beautiful African continent. #StayBlessed - @2tukani
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