El Padre bares soul on new mixtape, NGFL
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday August 18, 2025 06:00
The project dropped on August 9, is now out on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube.
This is not just another rap project but a personal journal narrated in beats and bars. It is also a reflection of failed relationships, mental health battles, trauma, and the slow, necessary work of healing.
“I used to think being ‘nice’ meant you did not deserve a heartbreak, that if you treated others well, things would always go your way. But over time, I realised there is a big difference between being a nice guy and being a good guy. By the time I finished working on this mixtape, I had already started growing into the latter,” El Padre told Arts&Culture in an interview this week.
The tape leans heavily towards Hip-Hop, Rap, and R&B genres, as El Padre says they are the most honest way to deliver his story. But this is not polished, glossy rap but deliberate grit. The semi-mixed, raw sound is designed to feel like you are sitting in the front row of a live show, the rapper explained.
“I wanted that intimacy, that realness. Not a polished, over-produced product, something that feels like you are right there with me,” he said. In keeping with the personal nature of the work, features are almost non-existent. The only guest appearance comes from Don Nate, on a track that had been sitting around for some time, already complete with a hook.
Most of the production credit goes to Ocean Paak, while El Padre handled two tracks himself, Karma and Take Your Time When It Comes to Love. Each track, he says, is “a piece of my story. We always aim to make timeless music, and I believe there’s been growth in every project I have released, whether it is in terms of quality, content, cadence, or songwriting. I also know there’s still a lot of room for the music to reach more people, especially as I continue to grow in marketing and branding as an artist,” he said.
He expressed hope that people would relate, feel something, maybe even start healing. While NGFL is his truth, El Padre’s eyes are fixed on the bigger picture. “I truly believe the local rap scene is working hard. Something great is coming, you can feel it. Everyone is pushing themselves, going the extra mile to make the dream real. If a boy from Botswana can win an Olympic gold medal, then a boy from Botswana can win a Grammy. It’s only a matter of time,” he said.