Award-winning rapper YoungstaCPT and producer Shaney Jay have released the visuals for “Benni McCarthy”, the lead single off their second collaborative project “Suffer For Beauty”.
On “Benni McCarthy”, the Cape Town rapper shows his versatility as he dabbles in the catchy drill sound.
“I wrote the song ‘Benni McCarthy’ in 2022 around the time the news broke that he was going to be coaching with Manchester United.
“It was a magical moment for all Cape Townians and seeing him on the same field as Ronaldo who also returned to the football club. I wanted to capture that feeling of pride and patriotism in music,” explained YoungstaCPT.
Shot by Mzi Xander, the visuals show Hanover Park which is the birthplace of McCarthy, and also Athlone stadium which is a cultural landmark in the coloured community.
The video also captures McCarthy’s rise and successes in his football career.
“I included Ocean View, which was where I spent time living with my grandparents to draw from my early years, to showcase starting from humble beginnings and making dreams a reality.”
The visuals also pay respect to slain rapper AKA, who was gunned down earlier this year in Durban, with behind the scenes footage of their 2019 music video “Main Ous”, which was filmed close by to McCarthy's childhood home in Hanover Park.
“I never thought I’d look back on that experience now with such sadness, I wrote ‘Benni McCarthy’ in 2022, with that day in mind being that Kiernan (AKA) was a huge McCarthy fan and called him that day to show him that we were on his home ground,” reminisces YoungstaCPT about shooting “Main Ous”.
“It was such a powerful moment for me because I had brought these powerhouses together, from the street soldier to a music megastar to a football hero all at the same time,” he added.
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