Dreams can come true – Memories Preview

Artist: Freak and Kuccie

Project: Memories (Never fade) Album

Production: Team Blessed Hustle Entertainment

Links: Facebook -  https://www.facebook.com/mihla.mbambo.31

Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/dxtniggx_freak

Twitter -  https://twitter.com/DxtNiggx_Freak/s=08

‘Memories’ is set to be an 11 track album with 7 official tracks and 4 bonus ones for the enjoyment of their fans. ‘Memories’ is heavily inspired by real life experiences that the duo has gone through and some shared by friends. Each track has its own story which will all to connect to the overall theme of the album. 

“Dreams come true if you believe them.” That’s the message delivered in the album’s lead single 3am. It dropped on the 22nd of May and is available on their social media. The song is about the time and energy spent doing what they love, music. Utilizing the optimized time expenditure theory, they talk about how they would wake up at 3amm to put in work and find their way to success. Other tracks to lookout for in the tape include ‘Summer sun,’ ‘So long,’ ‘don’t beshy,’ ‘Ilobolo which features Purple’ and ‘These walls featuring Curtis Dee Rover.’

The album was set to release early June as part of their 2020 plans. One of these is to grow as a producer, that’s Freak’s side and to grow as a name brand, that’s Kuccie’s side. They also hope to work with big artists both locally and in South Africa where Freak’s partner, Teekay Mxoexic, is based. This album is set to open doors and unlock opportunities for them. Look out for more news and the album on their social media.

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Rise of an Arian – Aries EP Preview

Artist: CJ Flex

Project: Aries EP

Tags:  Facebook – Nkosie CJ

Twitter: @CKflex

Instagram: CJ_flex1

CJ Flex is a versatile musician from Bulawayo who is known for his witty grit and upfront approach to rap music. CJ also has been known in his circles as a battle rapper. Currently he is working on his EP titled ‘Aries’.

‘Aries’, being the name of his star sign, is an EP about Motivation, Hope and Love in the journey to establish himself as CJ Flex.  The project will comprise of 7 tracks that will show his diversity and versatility. CJ has worked with a range of artists from the likes of Lynden, of The Land of the Vale fame, RapThan, Easy TRT, Lentano, dancehall come up Judgement, and even the eloquent Chester The Poet. The music will vary through genres. Experimenting with afro pop, dancehall, underground flavor rap and of course modern day trap, CJ looks to entertain a varied audience but promises all one dope project.

Asked on is view of battle rap, CJ says it’s quite a good element and its very alive in Zimbabwe. He just wishes there was more funding to it so more and more kats can participate. CJ Flex is here to spread his dominance over both the new and old skools of hip hop bridging the gap with his fresh sound. Aries EP drops on the 10th of July 2020. Be on the lookout for news on the drop right here and on his social media links above.

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The importance of adding visuals to your music

Artist: The Shoemaker

Links: https://youtu.be/VNyS8qgqm4w

https://instagram.com/rm_shoemaker

When one decides to be an artist and live off it, the one thing that they aim for is maximum exposure. One needs to be seen in order to increase their chances. Some release audios with vivid artwork. Some do lyric videos. Some do live shows and record clips for upload. The best way really, is to  invest in getting videos done for your songs so that there is a story attached to what the listeners have already heard. This usually results in maximum exposure and makes it easier for fans to see and understand ones brand creating a chain reaction leading to more airplay, with all other factors considered

One artist who utilized this avenue to get ahead is the Shoemaker. Hailing from the town that holds one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Victoria Falls, he has been putting in work to make sure that he is seen and his work gets appreciated as far as possible. The Shoemaker released his album titled Arteries, Veins and Capillaries in 2019. The album contains 9 tracks and a bonus track, Sondela. https://audiomack.com/album/the-shoemaker/arteries-veins-&-capillaries

The video debuted on ZTV and proved very popular that it was even tagged as song of the week during  Valentine’s week that February. ‘In My Hood’ was the next video from the album to be done. The song is a hardcore trap song where The Shoemaker expressed his love for Victoria Falls. The song has done very well for him and went as far as being play listed on Africa’s major channels, Channel O and One Magic resulting in international viewership and exposure. 

The Shoemaker featured Hwange’s very own Ricky in the song ‘Sangalale.’ The track is an upbeat dance song performed in Nyanja and Ndebele and spent 15 weeks on the Breeze FM chart show. His latest video, shot in February 2020, is called ‘No mercy’ and has been the peak of all his social media posts. Released on the Zwigaba media page, the video amassed 15.7k views and has also been submitted to major music channels for airplay.https://www.facebook.com/950981951606625/posts/3022761531095313/?sfnsn=mo&d=n&vh=e

It’s not an entirely rosy journey even if you are putting in the hours and dishing out your best work. The Shoemaker expresses this in his single release, ‘These N***as.’ The video was shot to express grievances he has come across in the music industry. Despite a few rays of hope, he has had to contend with issues to with nepotism, favoritism when it comes to getting airplay, unfairness at award shows and unfair selections when it comes to performance line ups among other issues.

Despite challenges and rising costs of production, investing in visuals for your work is never a bad idea. You can follow The Shoemaker on his social media on the following links:

https://facebook.com/theshoemaker6

https://twitter.com/RMshoemaker

https://soundcloud.com/theshoemaker6

https://reverbnation.com/theshoemaker7

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"Panotinhira" another Kay Gee hit

Artist: Kay Gee 40 and Tension

Track: Panotinhira

Production: Mr Noxa (TMG Records)

Kay Gee 40 has been enjoying quite some airplay with his current hit track, “Jack Sparrow.” This has not made him slack at all. In fact he is back in the studio and cooking up what seems to be a banger with dancehall sensation, Tension. The song is entitled “Panotinhira” and will be released on the 1st of June 2020. Working with TMG Records and produced by Mr Noxa, whom he did his runaway hit track, “Sterek,” with, “Panotinhira” is set to be on major radio stations for the enjoyment of the masses. Kay Gee’s dream is to on everyone’s playlist and he is surely putting in the work. Look out for the track on 1 June on his social media:

YouTube: Kay Gee 40

Twitter: @kaygee40

Facebook: Kay Gee 40

Instagram: @kaygee40zw

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The Revelations by Stewie Le Savage

Artist: Stewie Le Savage

Track: The Revelations

Link:   YouTube: https://youtu.be/vD1ZgXn3Wt4

Stewie Le Savage is a spoken word and House music artist based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The track saw an Africa Day release and is available for streaming and download on all major online stores. The Revelations is a fusion of Spoken word and AmaPiano House and is to ask questions of the Christian community and how prepared they are for judgment day. Stewie ads this to his tracks on social commentary and helps people to evaluate their lives and how they are living and the hereafter after they die. The Revelations is a track that Stewie really wanted to deliver a message and fused all three major languages, Ndebele, English and Shona into it.

The track was produced by Shuza Drums and Tha Dawg with the video having done by Brintz Online. You can get a hold of Stewie Le Savage on his social media:

Instagram: @stewielesavage

Facebook: @stewielesavage

Twitter: StewieLeSavage

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Thain, Looking over "My City"

Artist: Thain from Kingsville

Track: My city

Release date: TBA

Links: Thain from Kingsville on all social media

Thain is a Hip Hop artist hailing from the city of thick queens and dope kings, Bulawayo. Thain recently moved to Harare to carry on his hustle, but still represents Bulawayo. As an affiliate to Kingsville Records, Thain is working his album as a follow up on an EP titled 409 he released in November 2019. For the EP he has also shot two videos that are yet to be released.

‘My city’ is a track where Thain expresses his feelings of missing home. He goes in about the grind and everyday life with hommies and how he will always represent Skies city no matter where the hustle takes him. Thain is clearly passionate about where he is from. He has also represented Kingsville in a recently released cypher, Hatcliffe Cypher Vol.1, which features the likes of Nicklaine, Chipman, Lil Pac and Trishae. Follow this link to watch it here.  https://youtu.be/cScLW3Zv5co

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Even Bosses Got Feelings preview

Artist: RapThan

Project: Even bosses got feelings [EBGF]

Twitter: @D_T_R_zw

When one talks of bosses, they refers to leaders, mavericks in the community. Bosses, as used by RapThan, are the big guys that lead their respective industry. They go through hell for their subordinates. They set examples of courage, strength and boldness to all who see them. This, however, does not mean they are not super human nor immune to physical, mental and emotional pain.

On the back drop of a heartbreak inflicted by the girl he thought was his beginning and end, his baby mama, RapThan produced this EP to share his story. He felt his friends and fans were not understanding how a person of his stature, being the leader of a label, could be so emotional and broken over a heartbreak. He has taken it upon himself to express his story and show that as much as he is a boss in his own right, he has feelings too.

The EP is set to feature industry riders like Rockie DoUb of the Monate Fela’ fame and award winner Floppy X of ‘Ngdakwe ngahamba ngeface’ fame. Three more tracks will be added to the compilation with a scheduled online release for early June. Winter is surely coming and will be bringing a lot of music with it. 

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Rulah ZW: Born in the Trap

Personality: Rulah ZW aka Shaun Edward

Role: Hip Hop influencer

The new millennium has seen new forms of the Hip Hop culture emerge. From skaters, to boppers and now we have personalities that represent the genre and are as much a part of it as any other aspect in the game. Rulah is one such personality. 

Born in the late 90s, Rulah was exposed to hip hop music early on with the main stream acts like 50 Cent, Eminem and Snoop Dogg. Now that he has found his footing with the current flow of rap music in trap and soul, Rulah has been following international acts from Bryson Tiller to Isiah Rashad and Dave East among the many he bumps to. This doesn’t mean he has no love for local flavor.

Rulah has a local top five of Zimbabwean rappers mostly from Bulawayo. Included in his list is the on fire Rockie DoUb, Excellence’s very own J. Garnet of the ‘Maleeh’ fame, Skiiny (DAV) also known for his graphic designing skills, Ashley Kempton and M-One who wrote the classic Holy_Mic track. Rulah says 2019 saw Excellence Music Records aiming for the skies as they produced an in-house mixtape, an EP for Martin Jona Tao, a series of singles by J. Garnet and KoKo and the rise of Club Excellence the blog site for promoting local artists and their works.

When asked what he sees as the future of Zim hip hop, he believes Bulawayo rap is the next big thing. He cited that there is a lot of talent in the city and various stables and movements have been putting the city on the map. Rulah says moves like having local radio stations playing Bulawayo artists has not only improved general quality of locally produced music but also increased the number of music available to the public so they also know what‘s going on with their local celebrities. He also mentioned that events like the Color Fest, Bigger than Hip Hop (BTHH) and the Annual August Rush (AAR) have helped put some artists on the map and have provided a platform for other artists to bloom and shine.

Rulah is a staunch believer in local talent and wishes to see all of them put in the work and hours so as to produce high quality music and videos and compete with international counterparts. Rulah encourages unity among artists and says the one way Bulawayo can rise is if artists work together to build the game and see them played internationally. Rulah is no hater and shares everybody’s links throughout his network freely. Get a hold of him on his social media

Instagram: RulahZW

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Umfazi Katshaywa: Promoting peace in the home

Artist: BleckHit

Track: Umfazi katshaywa

Album: The Advocate

Link: https://m.soundcloud.com/user-188344252/bleckhit-umfazi-katshaywa

#Qiniso_Rap

BleckHit, the Ndebele rap advocate gives us more of his new flavor, Qiniso rap with his single, “Umfazi katshaywa” extracted from his latest album, “The Advocate.” 

Acting as a social commentator, BleckHit here touches on an issue quite precedent in our local communities. Here he speaks to men encouraging them to treat their women, wives, mothers and daughters as precious goods. He describes them as flowers that beautify the world. With negative behavior that hurts and even kills women, men are in essence making the world an ugly place. How then should one expect respect and honor when all your partner knows is fear?

The outspoken BleckHit also speaks against child marriages exposing some religions and cultural rituals where people use young women as fortune trinkets, treatments or cures for life long illnesses and baby making machines. He encourages men to honor their vows and love their women as they would their own bodies. Gender based violence activism is very potent in Zimbabwe and can never preached enough. It is a good thing to see artists produce music with a positive message and get airplay.

The song is well produced. The instrumental has a feel of rap and dancehall to it making it easy to listen to. BleckHit did the entire song including the backing vocals and chorus. The track is currently topping the charts on Skyz Metro Fm and is enjoying good airplay. This is encouraging because it shows that not all entertainment and hip hop music making waves is about recreation, money and ‘hustling’.

I will take this opportunity also to discourage violence in the home and abuse of any kind. Be it physical, verbal, mental, economic or social. Both men and women, find better and humane means to communicate or express yourselves. We all need each other and the world is a better place when there is peace in the home.

DJ BlakAwt: Road to the Beat Tape

BlakAwt: Beat maker growing hip hop 

Artist: BlakAwt 

Trade: Beat maker/ Producer 

 

Hip Hop is a growing and vibing culture in Zimbabwe. Many artists have gained national and even regional fame.  The modern version of culture comprises of rappers, which encompasses battlers, freestylers and song makers, dancers, graphic designers, graffiti artists, videographers, DJs and beat makers. This article is about the latter. And a name that surfaces is DJ BlakAwt hailing from Mpopoma in Bulawayo. 

 

BlakAwt is a passionate and talented hip hop producer. He is one of the pioneers of gangster Ndebele rap, Mgiqika Cyphers with the late Don. He has been instrumental in inspiring the careers of many rappers from Mpopoma all the way to Emganwini. BlakAwt also produced the memorable track, ‘Twelve disciples of the Cypher’ produced at the former DOPE Studios and featured established kats like Cal_Vin and Floppy X. Lyricists like M-One, Mistar T, Kingson Mac and Psycho Tek  made graceful appearances among the star studded cast representing NK 9 and the Bulawayo culture as a whole. By means of this beat tape, he will be the first to bring Bulawao and Soweto together on one project.

 

BlakAwt, now based in South Africa, has initiated a movement to promote what he calls the most essential component to hip hop, whether underground or mainstream, Beat making. Without beats, most tracks would simply be poetry or lamentations. In this regard, he is putting together a Beat Tape to promote the art and trade of producers. He has put together a group of +35 beat makers, with room for growth, and as a collective will be putting out beat tapes on a regular so that beat makers get recognition, showcase their skills and be able to sell their works so as to make a living. 

 

The idea is to provide a platform for access to not only locally produced beats but to also highlight this as a viable business. Many artists and producers are short changed and under paid. BlakAwt hopes this initiative will see a boost in received revenue towards beat makers and the industry in Zimbabwe as a whole. 

 

The first of this movement will be launched May 2020. Look out for what the beasts in beats have to offer. Keep your pockets full because these producers are promising nothing but fire. 

 

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