Here's something to brighten up your afternoon: Cape Town-based Congolese artist Alec Lomami is premiering his new video on Dummy, and it's a visual feast of video game antics and sun-streaked, feel-good vibes. CLV is taken from Lomami's debut EP 'Mélancolie Joyeuse', which you can download for free here, and which is brimming with bouncy neon pop beats and, fittingly, melancholic and joyous raps in both French and English. Having caused a stir with lead single Kinshasa way back in 2011, Lomami went through a long period of self-reflection and personal upheaval (including losing two years' worth of music thanks to a crashed hard drive) before finally releasing the long-awaited EP in April this year – and we're so glad he got around to it. We caught up with the globe-roaming rapper and afro-pop producer to find out the inspiration behind the new visual and what Congolese artists he's feeling right now.
Hi, Alec! Could you introduce yourself to Dummy readers?
Bonjour! I'm Alec, I'm from DR Congo though I'm currently based in Cape Town. I'm just a everyday human being who tries to make make heartfelt pop songs.
Tell us about what this song means to you.
It's sort of a spin off of a Mike Jones song, Back Then. I'm reminiscing about people who over the years told me what I couldn't, and wouldn't do in my life. Not that I have attained great success, but with the little that I have accomplished it's funny to see those same people attempting to lay claims on your accomplishments. It's a story that many of us have experienced in some ways, hence the title CLV ( C'est La Vie).
How did you link up with director Tlhonepho Thobejane?
I've been friends with Toni for a while now, she was an editor at MTV Base Africa, and just recently started her own production company. So I gave her a few ideas for the video and she put her own spin on it… and voila! She definitely gets all the credits for the video.
Do you have any favourite parts of the video?
I really like the fight scene. Since Sammus, who is based in NY, couldn't be in the video we wanted to find a way incorporate her. She's a self-proclaimed video game nerd, so we thought having video game elements would be a good way to make her a part of it.
Want to shout out any other Congolese artists on the rise we should be looking out for?
Sure, definitely be on the look out out for Sammus and Badi Banx. They are both featured on the song and are great artists in their own right. Also Well$, a young Congolese American who I'm producing. I'll go as far as saying that he is definitely in the top five best rappers under 21 in my awesome opinion!
