This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on the 2011 South African House/ Kwaito song "Lento" by Professor featuring Speedy.
Part II of this series compiles selected comments from the discussion thread of Professor featuring Speedy's track "Lento". These selected comments are those which use African American vernacular English, or other ways to praise that song or that song's artists and/or music producers. In so doing, this compilation documents how widely this song has been positively received worldwide.
The use of African American Vernacular English in this YouTube discussion thread also documents the very strong and very wide influence African American Vernacular English has had and continues to have on informal communication worldwide. For the record, as of the date of this post's publication, no comment in that discussion thread was from a self-identified African American and only two comments that I can recall were from people living in the United States. One man wrote that he played this song in clubs (nightclubs) in the United States and one man with an Akan (Ghana or Ivory Coast) first and last name wrote that he lives in the state of Maryland and "met a Nairobi princess last spring who had this track on her PC".
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/11/2010-south-african-song-lento-by.html for Part I of this series. Part I provides information about South African performing artist Professor and showcases this video. Selected comments from the discussion thread of this video about this song's lyrics and explanations about a scene from this video are also included in this post.
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The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, linguistic, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Professor, Speedy, and all those who performed and produced this song and who produced and/or performed in this video. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Professor "Lento" ft Speedy
JusGorilla Published on Feb 18, 2011
Professor "Lento" ft Speedy South African House music video from Kalawa Jazmee by Gorilla Films
-snip-
Statistics for this YouTube video (as of November 3, 2017 at 8:15 PM EDT)
total number of views - 4,229,823
total likes (thumbs up) - 8K
total dislikes (thumbs down) - 404
Total number of comments - 1,013 Comments [8:15 PM EDT]
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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
Pancocojams Editor:
I gleaned these comments from the entire YouTube video discussion thread for Professor "Lento" ft Speedy (as of November 3, 2017 at 8:15 PM). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og5InvyyhYY (The artists are Professor featuring Speedy and the song title is "Lento".)
The comments below are selected, but representative examples of comments from that discussion thread that praise the song or the song's artists. The comments are given in chronological order based on their publishing date with the oldest dated (by year) comments given first, except for replies. These comments are numbered for referencing purposes only.
I've included brief explanations or definitions under these comments the first time that the non-standard English word or phrase is used. One comment is included which serves as explanation for the reply that includes an African American Vernacular English term.
2011
1. Patience Sibanda [question about a scene in the video]
"Ok great song mara i dnt get the vid!! Y did those guys take speedy's car was he hijacked ?!?!"
-snip-
This is the only scene from that YouTube video that commenters' commented about in that discussion thread. In that scene, Speedy's car was repossessed because of his failure to send in his monthly car payment.
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2. DJ YUNG MILLI
"I ain't gotta clue what they're saying in the song but DAMN!!!! the beat is on POINT!"
-snip-
"on point" = African American Vernacular English phrase for something that is done exactly right; something that is perfectly executed
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3. Lorris Subira
"Don't understand a SINGLE word but its a fly song still!"
-snip-
Fly" is an African American Vernacular English term that means "hip; being up to date with the latest (African American) fashions, slang dances, etc."
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4. avishkarP
"Professor is killing it!!!! What an artist!!"
-snip-
"killing it" = African American Vernacular English term meaning "doing something very well"
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5. emmanuelkhali
"this song mk sense die"
-snip-
This commenter probably means “He’s killing this song”. Read my comment about "killing me" after the entry for #29.
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6. Thekiso Emmanuel
"Wow killer huse nice"
-snip-
"killer huse" = "Killer House music", meaning an example of South African House music (genre) which is a killer (very good).
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7. TAMMY CLOETE
"tune!"
-snip-
"Tune!" (often written with expanded spelling such as "tuneeeee!") is a Caribbean (Jamaican ?) originated exclamation meaning that the record/song is very good. See #8 and #9 below.
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8. Lorato Simasiku
"tuuuuuneeeee!!!!!"
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9. Meshack Junior Mabure
"killerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr tuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuune"
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10. dvdshaya
"This track is off the chain.... professor agian, Yizo mzansi!!, thumbs up bafethu!!!"
-snip-
"Off the chain" is an African American Vernacular English phrase that means "very good". "Off the hook" is a closely related AAVE phrase.
According to Google search results for the no longer accessible website africanlanguages.com/south_africa/terms.htmlknonum, "Yizo Yizo" means "This is it", "This is reality", "That's the way it is". This phrase was used as the name of an African television talk show.
"Mzansi" is a colloquial name for South Africa.
According to Google search Zulu to English, "bafethu" ="magicians", "a person with magical powers"
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11. Monthi Solomon
"Dey cal him PRO 4 nthng...killa track"
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12. makhanya1000
"this is a HOT!!!! track, Mzansi rocks!!!!"
-snip-
Read my comments below about the word "Hot".
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13. nqomoyo
"Love n peace, iyangihlahlela lingoma! yo"
-snip-
Google translates from Zulu to English for "iyangihlahlela lingoma" = "he breaks me in song!"
I think "he breaks me in song" means the same thing as "He's killing that song".
-snip-
The "yo" at the end of this comment may be from African American Vernacular English. In the context of this sentence, "yo" may mean something like "dude" or "man".
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14. Ngambo Kabalata
"Hey guys what does lento mean..and what does Speedy say before lento?
Eish I miss home (Zambia) this must be a club banger. Missing JOZI too way too much.
Thank you muchos. Just watching the SAMAs streaming live. Professor's performance was FIRE!!!! everyone was on their feet. ONE LOVE!"
-snip-
Eish
from https://kateyredpcv.wordpress.com/about-katey-red/what-does-eish-even-mean/
"Eish (pronounced Eye-Sh or Eh-eesh) is an colloquial exclamation in South African slang (derived from Xhosa originally) with uses as diverse as the Rainbow Nation itself. It can indicate surprise, awe, shock, exasperation, excitement, or resignation (it is out of my control but I am going to make the most of this situation)"
"banger"= United Kingdom [?] originated term meaning "a very good song"
"Jozi" = nickname for Johannesburg, South Africa
"Fire" = African American Vernacular English term meaning some thing that is very good (i.e. very hot).
"One love" - unity exclamation lifted from Jamaican superstar Bob Marley's Reggae song with that title.
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15. Gorata Nkoborwane
"Ayobuur! What a gr8 performance by Speedy!"
-snip-
"gr8"= "great"
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16. vinceo0
"Freaking awesum!!!! ;)"
-snip-
In the context of this sentence, "freaking" is an American adverb that means "really".
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2012
17. Bocce007
"awesome song...!"
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18. Stacey Nyoni
"sweet.....i lke"
-snip-
In the context of this comment "sweet" means "very good".
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19. Ishuah Kariuki
"Best. Song. Ever"
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/10/african-american-children-teens-and.html for a pancocojams post about the contemporary linguistic custom of using of one period or more than one period within a sentence.
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20. Kobson Duarte
"Grande Musica .... im from luanda i like to much that song ....Grande Cenda Haaallllaaa...!!!!!"
-snip-
"I like to much that song." ("I like that song too much") in standard English: I really like that song (or, I like that song a lot).
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21. TrapGodLee
"This song is to much....my speakers are on fire...dang!!!!"
-snip-
In American linguistics, something that is "too much" is a negative. However, in this comment and in comment #20, the commenters are praising the song by saying that it is "too much". In the context of that usage, "too much" means something like "a lot and even more".
The African American term "The song is fire" doesn't mean that the song sets the speakers on fire. Instead, it means that the energy that the song produces is so electrifying that its like fire.
"Fire" is part of the African American Vernacular English "hot" family of adjectives/nouns. Other current or retired AAVE superlatives in the hot linguistic family are "smokin'", "cooking", "burning up", "dynamite", "lit", and "the bomb".
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22. Kagai Kagosh
"this is just to f -ing fly"
-snip-
This is how this comment was written in this discussion thread. "
"f-ing" is used as adverb that strengthens (intensifies) the meaning of the adjective "fly"
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23. Jesus Loves Us So Much.
"Hott Tunee!!"
-snip-
"Hot" = African American Vernacular English term meaning "very good".
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24. Super4la
"Dis joint has been jamming on NigeriAN radio stations. I had to come to youtube to search for it. Glad I found it. This track rocks. 1 luv from Nigeria"
-snip-
"This track rocks" = This song/record is very good (It's "swinging").
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25. generalromeo
"dat girl in 2.53 and 3.25 is da BOMB!!!!! Pure black beauty. i m in love with SA and i m not even from there"
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2013
26. Tarrentino T
"The beat is too too sick"
-snip-
"sick" = (or "ill") = very good
"too too sick"= very very sick (a high compliment)
I don't believe that "too" is used this way in African American Vernacular English.
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27. ustmusicmusic
"Wooooow....that bassline.....CHAI ! That BASSLINE......big up SA, loving your music x
Here's information about the Nigerian Pidgin term "Chai":
From https://anabagail.wordpress.com/2014/08/05/10-sexy-igbo-phrases-you-can-use-with-sample-usages/
"Chai, Chei, Choi
This trinity mean one and the same thing. This exclamation is used when you see something delightfully wonderful or as we say in Nigerian pidgin, something that is “sweeting you”. It can be seen as a direct translation of the English word “wow”."
"Big up" = Jamaican term that means "give yourself some well deserved praise"
"SA" = South Africa
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28. Andrew Kariuki
"This is deadliest S.A House track!"
-snip-
"deadliest" = very best; "Deadliest" is probably an extension of the African American Vernacular English term "killer" (as in something that is (or someone who is) very good.) I'm not sure if "deadliest" is used by African Americans in the United States.
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29. kebonyemang kutlo
"I dont wht it means but th guitars kills me!"
-snip-
"The guitars kill me" and comments such as "He kills me" which I've read on other YouTube discussion threads for contemporary African music videos are probably an accidental combination of the African American Vernacular English term "[something or someone is killing it" (meaning doing something very good" and the American idiom "You are killing me".
Here's some information about the "You are killing me" idiom:
From https://www.engvid.com/how-slang-is-made/
You are killing me means that you are making me laugh so much that I will die! It is an idiom and therefore not literal = I will not really die!"
and from https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090103153215AAVzdpV answered by streets on fire, 2008
"it could mean like if youre joking around, and someone would say that because youre being really funny.
or it could mean something bad usually, like stop doing what youre doing, its annoying. or something like that. depends on the situationnn."
-snip-
Addition November 4, 2017
I want to reiterate the statement that the idiom "[someone or something kills me" may mean that the person saying that is referring to something (or someone] saying something or doing something that is very annoying or irritating.
The African American English phrase "You really crack me up" may also have the same meaning as "You kill me" which are dependent how and when they are said. "Cracking a joke" means saying something that makes a person laugh. But someone "cracking you up" often means just the opposite.
Words and phrases can pick up different uses and meanings over time and among different populations. I just want to document the difference between this vernacular use of "Something [or someone] kills me" and the African American Vernacular English term "something or someone is killing [murdering, slaying] it.
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30. Fab Tshenolo
"Nyc song"
-snip-
"Nyc" = nice (very good). I'm not sure where "nyc" originated, but it is used in a lot of discussion threads for contemporary African music, including Nigerian Afrobeats. When I first came across this term I thought the commenters were abbreviating "New York City", but that abbreviation has nothing to do with that American city.
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31. linkiamazing
linkiamazing
"NICE !"
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32. chiya chansa
"the song is so good"
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33. S'fiso Mchunu
"This song never gets old."
-snip-
Although I didn't find it on this discussion thread, "evergreen" is a description for "songs that never get old" (songs that retain their high quality) that I've noticed on some YouTube discussion threads for contemporary African music. I don't think that African Americans use that term. Instead, I remember saying "That's a golden oldie", but that old term may have been retired and replaced with some other term/s.
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34. Tyson Ngubeni
"A while ago after a formal ball, the DJ brought this track on. Dance floor was going mad.
I have a friend, South African Italian guy... jamming to this song and he shouts: "What does this song mean!?" - he was loving it.
I danced for a second or two then I pretty much shouted back [over the music]
"Who gives us this thing!?"
(-_-)
What a night"
-snip-
In the context of this sentence, the English word "mad" means "very excited".
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2014
35. Kofi Senam
"Best SA track ever..instru is siiccckkk..ubani osnika Lento"
-snip-
Google translate from Zulu to English for "ubani osnika Lento" = "who gives this item". Commenters in that YouTube discussion thread translated "lento" as "thing".
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36. simba maramba
"classic tune right there!!"
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37. Itumeleng Mdlongwa
"eish this song yoo"
-snip-
The statement eish this song yoo" means that the commenter is giving high praises to this song.
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38. cletius mushaukwa
"coooollll"
-snip-
In the context of this comment, the African American Vernacular English term "cool" means that the commenter considers the song to be very good.
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39. Kgosietsile Woto
"Stil a killer tune! Love from Bots.."
-snip-
"killer track" = "killer" an African American Vernacular English term for a track (record) hat is very good.
"Bots" = African nation of Botswana
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40. Kevin Ogecha
"I call it the Qwaito Anthem.....Bigger, badder, illest....[Call me the Qwaito ambassador E.Africa] Kev"
-snip-
"Quaito" a form of contemporary South African dance music that is usually spelled as "Kwaito"
"baddest" = African American Vernacular English term meaning the very best
"illest" = African American Vernacular English term that is the same as "sickest" (very very good; the best)
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41. Michael Onsaga
"Am Kenyan and i have no idea what the songs about but ma'an its so dope!!! kudos to the crew behind all aspects"
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42. michael kirui
"That's the S@#T right there"
-snip-
This comment was spelled this way in the discussion thread. Something being "the sh&t" means that it is really essential, for real, authentic- all of these are highly valued descriptors in African American culture.
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2015
43. Mthoko Mkize
"One of the best songs of our time, Big up these boys. Still rocking it in the U.K. With my kids Mzansi for sho!"
-snip-
From http://www.southafricalogue.com/travel-tips/mzansi-fo-sho-what-exactly-does-this-mean.html
“Mzansi fo sho: What exactly does this mean.
Ok I am not exactly plugged into the latest Xhosa colloquialisms , but what on earth does “Mzanzi fo sho” mean?
This is the relaunched tag line and motto for SABC one, the national government “influenced” television channel. Every five and a half seconds you hear someone saying i“mzaaaansi fo sho hooooooo” and it would be polite of them to let us know what it means.
After a little research I have found out that Mzansi is slang for “The South” as in “Southern Africa”, so it is comparable to Easside, wesside pride in the US."...
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44. Chimz Kay
"the best house song ever made"
-snip-
Another commenter responded with the comment that "This is Kwaito". Another commenter then responded that "This is tribal house music"t Throughout this discussion thread some commenters called this song "House" and others called in "Kwaito".
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45. ernest moyo
"I am hooked to this masterpiece the video is sickkk"
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46. Nkosie sun
"yes they killed it"
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47. Shaz Shizzy
"Kenyan in the house this music is off the chain...I love it! translation please!!"
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48. Lundi Khova
"eish shuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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2016
49. A.D MLAY
"one of the baddest tunes from SA!THANKS professor for the dope beats"
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50. Charles Waith
"Professor i really love this one..its a mad mad tune"
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51. M-DEE MUDENDA
"the greatest tribal house track ever made...."
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52. James Suave
"When this came on, you knew that the party was going to be lit."
-snip-
"Lit" here means "full of energy". i.e. exciting, hot, the best. Read my comment after # __ about the "fire/hot" linguistic family of African American Vernacular English terms.
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53. boomie bossman
"I still remember when I played this song in Angola and everyone went crazy. Great Track"
-snip-
"went crazy" = got very excited, got hyped.
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54. Mfundo Thela
"Heavy K has mad skills..."
-snip-
Heavy D (the then 16 year old music producer of these beats) has really high level music skills.
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55. nana wirekoah
"love from ghana,all-time favourite though i dont understand a word
#powerofgoodmusic"
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56. Mutheu Ndeto
"Can't understand a thing....the beat goes really hard though in this one...love it!"
-snip-
"going hard" = African American Vernacular English term meaning "doing something to the fullest extent", "doing something really well". In AAVE, one opposite of "going hard" is "skating"- a negative term meaning "doing something or trying to do something with very minimal effort".
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2017
57. Shontelle Slim
"Eish this song....has that thing man ,2017 still love it
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58. Shantal Covington
"🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥!!!! Love it!!!😀😀"
-snip-
This commenter uses emojis for fire (flames) are used instead of the word "fire" and ends with two smiley face emojis.
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59. Cebolenkosi Khumalo
"still one of the best songs at Mzansi."
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60. Thabiso Mashiane
"Still the craziest jam"
-snip-
In the context of this comment, "craziest" is a positive descriptor.
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61. Bongs Nkosi
"Dope even today 07/04/2017"
-snip-
"Dope" is an African American Vernacular English term that means "very good."
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62. Thami Maimane
"Kick ass track even today..."
-snip-
"Kick ass" is an AAVE term that means "very good".
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63. Lolly Khumalo
"#Proffessor # speedy this beat is fire .... 👐👐👐👐👐👐👐👐"
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64. iV Official
"STILL JAMMING 🔥🔥🔥🔥"
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65. John Kock
"Playing it in 2017 - What a classic!!"
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66. G Thandeka Khwela
"One of the best songs ever done by Professor with the help of speedy. The man is super talented i wish he finds his way again uSpeedy."
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This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.
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