Thuto is the third studio album by South African recording artist and record producer Cassper Nyovest. A follow-up to his 2015 album Refiloe, Thuto was released on 5 May 2017 by his imprint Family Tree Records with support from Bridge Entertainment.[1]
| Thuto | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 5 May 2017 | |||
| Recorded | 2015–2017 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | Family Tree | |||
| Producer |
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| Cassper Nyovest chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Thuto | ||||
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Background and promotion
editCassper Nyovest described the project "his best work yet",[2] and claimed the album reached gold status on the first day of its release.[3] Upon the revealing of the tracklist, he revealed on the photo and video-sharing website Instagram that he named the album "Thuto" in dedication to his elder sister Thuto Phoolo, whose birthday coincided with the album's release date.[4][5] The album was supported by the single "Tito Mboweni",[6] and features vocal guest appearances from Tsepo Tshola, Black Thought, Nadia Nakai, Tshego, Goapele and Riky Rick. Its production was handled by Alie Keyz, Anatii, Gobbla, DJ Abza, Fenesse, Lae and Zero.[7] On 7 May 2017, he hosted the official CD launch at the Zone 6 Venue with notable artists present including Kwesta, Naak Musiq, Kid X, DJ Switch, K.O, DJ Vigilante and DJ Dimplez.[8][9]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| El Broide |   [10] |
| The Star |  [11] |
| Pulse Nigeria | [12] |
Thuto was released to widespread acclaim from various music websites and online outlets. Respected Nigerian music critic Joey Akan of Pulse Nigeria described the album as "a celebration of that power, and the offering of new music" and argues that the "album shows all the sides of Cassper Nyovest as South Africa’s leading Hip hop voice".[12] In the same vein, The Star's Davies Ndolo gave the album 3.5/5, writing "Cassper continues to grow into one of the deepest figures in modern hip hop and "Thuto" is the evidence of this. We can only hope his music will continue to make a significant mark in the industry".[11] Independent Online was impressed with the growth Cassper Nyovest has made lyrically since his last album and further observed that "The moment his voice cuts into the soulful melody of Confused, the opening track on Thuto, it’s evident that this is something we’ve haven't heard from him before.".[13] However, Phumlani Langa of South Africa Channel 24 was not impressed with the production and lyrical content of the project, writing: "The illest thing about this album is the stolen adlib “sha-sha!” That’s it, a whole record and the only quotable I recall is ... “sha-sha!".[14]
Track listing
editCredits adapted from the album's liner notes.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Confused" (featuring Goapele) | Alie Keyz | 5:14 | |
| 2. | "I Wasn't Ready For You" (featuring Tshego) |
| Keyz | 4:24 |
| 3. | "As Karma Would Have It (Interlude)(Performed by Riky Rick)" |
| Keyz | 1:04 |
| 4. | "Destiny" (featuring Goapele) |
|
| 6:41 |
| 5. | "Superman" (featuring Tsepo Tshola) |
|
| 5:41 |
| 6. | "Bentley Coupe" | Phoolo |
| 5:19 |
| 7. | "Nyuku" | Phoolo | Gobbla | 4:33 |
| 8. | "We Living Good" (featuring Tshego) |
|
| 5:30 |
| 9. | "Top Floor (LifeWasNeverTheSame)" |
|
| 2:18 |
| 10. | "Top Shayela" (featuring Nadia Nakai) |
|
| 4:43 |
| 11. | "Tito Mboweni" |
| 4:01 | |
| 12. | "Touch The Sky" |
|
| 4:08 |
| 13. | "Ng'yekeleni" (featuring Black Thought) |
|
| 3:33 |
| 14. | "Push Through The Pain" |
|
| 4:50 |
| 15. | "Baby Girl" |
|
| 4:20 |
| 16. | "Amen Hallelujah" |
|
| 4:05 |
Notes
- "Destiny" contains samples, interpolations and resung lyrics from "Destiny" by Malaika
- "Touch the Sky" contains a sample from "Touch The Sky" by Dennis Ferrer
- "Baby Girl" contains a sample from "Dilemma" by Nelly & Kelly Rowland
Certifications and sales
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa (RISA)[15] | Gold | 15,000* |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Edition(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | 5 May 2017[16] | Family Tree | Standard edition |
References
edit- ^ "Cassper Releases Thuto Album Track List". sahiphopmag.co.za. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ "Will you be at Cassper's album release party?". channel24.co.za. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- ^ "Cassper Nyovest's 'Thuto' Went Gold On The Day Of It's [sic] Release". sahiphopmag.co.za. 15 May 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ "Cassper dedicates upcoming album to his sister, Thuto". sabreakingnews.co.za. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ "Instagram post by Refiloe Phoolo 🇿🇦 • Mar 2, 2017 at 5:38pm UTC". Instagram. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ Mytvnews. "Cassper Nyovest announce new album 'Thuto' & drop new single 'Tito Mboweni' - My TV News". www.mytvnews.co.za. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ yomzansi. "Here are the Producers and Writers on Cassper's 'Thuto' album". YoMZansi : YMZ — The twalk in Culture. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ Madisa, Kgothatso. "'It was time to stop making music for sales and start making classics': Cassper Nyovest". Sowetan LIVE. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- ^ TshisaLIVE. "5 lit moments from Cassper's #Thuto launch". Times LIVE. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- ^ "Review: Cassper Nyovest – Thuto". El Broide. 7 May 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ a b Ndolo, Davies (13 May 2017). "Album Review: Cassper Nyovest's "Thuto"". The Star. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ a b Akan, Joey. "Pulse Album Review: Cassper Nyovest delivers on all his promises on "Thuto"". pulse.ng. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ Darangwa, Shingai (12 May 2017). "'Thuto' delivers on Cassper's potential". Independent Online. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ "CITY PRESS REVIEW: Cassper Nyovest Thuto". channel24.co.za. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ "South Africa certifications". Recording Industry of South Africa. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ "Thuto by Cassper Nyovest on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 29 May 2017.