From mabroke niggas anonzwisa hasha to I don’t wanna look rich the lyrical resemblance of Crooger’s growth not only as a rapper but a graduate of the street hustles is evident
The current crop of emcees seems to have grasped a bounce that relates more to the current socio-economic dynamics.
Of late, Crooger’s catalogue has been full of inspirational vibes that carry a lot of motivation.
Music transcends beyond the dancefloor and radio hits. Peer pressure is the latest track by the award-winning rapper which takes off the same ambition preached in his previous songs life iyi and musandiudziure.
Peer pressure is a message inspired by Shumba’s experiences with friends, neighborhood and the industry at large.
On many occasions Crooger has rapped more about being a lone-ranger whose only focus is on the guala – my only competition is the man in the mirror.
Peer pressure is a common phrase because we have been told about it on countless occasions – this internet age vanhu vakawanda varikurarama hupenyu huri fake is how Crooger relays it in the track.
Must also be acknowledged how the chanter continues to refine his wordplay. Crooger reminisces further to the day he came into life which may appear simple but a deeper appreciation of that symbol brings out remarkable relevance – pandakazvarwanaMAIvangundakazvarwandega.
The worthiness of the hustle is brought in question when he exclaims – lost the woman of my dreams wasn’t giving her the attention she needed.
The emotional provocation is an indicator of how life can be messy but one should never succumb to peer pressure nonetheless.
It has been indeed long overdue before we started acknowledging the motivation carried in Crooger’s music. That’s the lane!
Use the link croogermusic.com to uplift your morale and ignore the pressure from peers.
Mutorori by Kilamani is perfectly primed for the dance floor, yet tackling social issues as diverse as drug abuse, peddling the word of God, prostitution and witchcraft.
Born Clemence Kilamani Mamvura the Kwekwe-bred dancehall star sings his heart out in this new jam that is already enjoying massive rotation on national radio.
Emerging on the scene first in 2012 when he dropped his studio album titled Nyama Yenyama Yangu produced by Adelaide Hoodstar Sitandi, Kilamani hopes to continue on the same pedestal.
Working with certified hitmaker producer Dj Fydale has provided him with a different vibe to his style, although he has worked with other big-name producers such as T Man, Samcris, Cashlibs, and Alvan K.
“I was involved in music at a young age. I started singing in the church choir as well as the School choir,” said Kilamani
“I started creating my own songs at the age of 14 and I was inspired by Decibel.”
Like many of his peers from outside Harare, he bemoans the shunning of artists from the small cities by both promoters and radio stations.
“My musical journey has not been an easy road due to lack of funding and also most of the promoters focus on those who have bigger names already,” he said.
Zimbabwean born multi-talented Kumbie has joined forces with renowned Zimbabwean producer, Pro Sounds, in a power-packed Amapiano project.
The now China-based producer has worked on several projects with big names such as Garry Mapanzure, Stunner and Crooger.
This time his musical mastery has gone a notch higher. By combining a soulful voice with a vibrant rhythm, this track is set to work its magic right into the hearts of many during these troubled times of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Born Blessing Kumbirai Gandawa, the 24-year-old has shown a profound artistic flair in both the visual and performing arts.
Her passion for the arts is rooted in a deep Afro-centric culture that reflects much in her work that has connected with an amazingly diverse audience.
Through her passion for songwriting, Kumbie has joined forces with a renowned Zimbabwean producer, Pro Sounds in this beautiful track titled “Johnny Walker” which was released on the 8th of June 2020.
The Amapiano vibe is Pro Sound’s creation inspired by the trending South African beat that has thronged African musical stations. The track is coupled with an Afrojazz instrumentation, with an upbeat bass tempo.
Kumbie’s simple but arty sing-along lyrics that make such subtle references to the Johnny Walker whisky, add to the atmosphere of a great house party feel.
The coronavirus outbreak has brought on such a monotonous and dreary feel to the world at large through a daily life of routine due to quarantine.
There has been quite a lapse in the musical circles and the gap has been filled only in part by the hashtag type of entertainment through social media platforms.
“Johnny Walker” steps onto the scene at just the right time to open the floor to a fun dance challenge with the harsh #JohnnyWalkerChallenge.
This energetic dance routine choreographed by internationally recognized and multi-award-winning Zimbabwean choreographer, John Cole, is a spark of sunshine amidst the gloom of the period presently bombarding the world.
The dance challenge is open to all talented dancers!
Johnny Walker- Kumbie feat. Pro Sounds (Official Audio)
Outside of the bustle and hustle of Zimbabwe’s two big cities, Harare and Bulawayo are some of the country’s musical talents fighting for a piece of the showbiz pie.
It has become hard for a local musician to break onto the national mainstream without having to establish their careers in Harare or Bulawayo.
The landscape has presented little odds for upcoming artists to be heard whilst residing in small towns and outskirts.
We recently embarked on a case study of two contemporary recording artists from Manicaland, Nyanga, and Rusape and the article captures their career progression and challenges.
Cleopas Lamont Nzerombairi (23) aka DroCole aspires to make waves within hip hop whilst Fresh The Charmer is a versatile afro-fusion artist.
The hip hop culture is on an impressive widespread growth. Recently got in touch with an upcoming talented trapper from Juliasdale resort in Nyanga.
DroCole is a young emcee who has been hitting the booth for quite some time and has the bars which can fly him to the promised land.
“I have been making music since 2013, doing primarily Hip-hop/Rap and a bit of Trap. Recently I ventured into new sounds, trying out some Afro vibes, as well as R&B, infused Rap,” he said.
“I’ve worked with guys like Fun. F, Splits Loui, Quarzor, C. Bleech from Mutare and I’m currently working with London based Independent Record Label, Corp Music Group.”
He has recently added Energy as his latest track to a list of good performing projects in the past – “This song “The Energy” was inspired by my experiences centered on my teenage years,” explained Drocole.
The DroCole story is that of a young man going through depression and betrayal. A smooth transition between rap and melodic rhymes is displayed in the song. The song was recorded in Mutare at C. Bleech Music Studios.
Production was done by Atlanta producer, JNT Hitz Productions. DroCole is one of the youths determined to put the small towns on the map. He has cited funding as one of the major challenges in the industry and even finding a studio was a challenge at one point.
The 24-year-old is an afro-pop artist who is burning to break onto mainstream despite career-threatening challenges he outlined below.
In 2020 FTC dropped his debut album Love Or Portion which was distributed by RevampSA a stable he is signed to. Rure Rure which features Vicky Blues is a top upbeat track rightfully for the dancefloor.
The album’s theme song Love Or Portion again features a female voice in the name Helen and they have managed to produce a video. Mama, Around the world and Like I Do are some of the tracks on the maiden project.
FTC revealed, “basically my music is more about real life and true love. What l portray in my songs what couples expect in relationships versus reality and how to embrace it.
Rure Rure is a childhood love game which is relatable to most Zimbabweans.
“In this song i bring to you a couple who started as friends from a young age and eventually became inseparable,” he explains.
The singer’s fondness towards love stories is apparent in almost all the tracks.
FTC was quick to highlight challenges he is facing and it’s not a unique case but a reality amongst upcoming artists yet coming from outside of Harare.
His growth into becoming an afro-pop artist wasn’t well-received within his own community questioning his morality and family who were used to his voice leading choruses in church.
The whole transition became more difficult with financial hardships which emanate from the costs of recording music and marketing it.
But a defiant FTC would not give up, “I fund my career in many areas including booking recordings, videos, and transport despite getting support from Revamp.
The common challenge in most upcoming artists in the outskirts of Zimbabwe is that of lack of professional recording studios.
The two artists emphasized that Splits Loui is a reliable professional producer who can meet quality standards in Rusape.
Recently FTC traveled all the way to Bulawayo for a recording session and he said Bulawayo is his second home having established a relationship with Troy Larmain and Larrynx, producers in the City of Kings.
Amapiano Queen Sha Sha has broken new ground by becoming the first Zimbabwean artist to receive a BET Award nomination.
Sha Sha was nominated in the Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act together with Rema (Nigeria), Celeste (U.K.), Young T & Bugsey (U.K.), Hatik (France) and Stacy (France).
Sha Sha, real name Charmaine Mapimbiro, is a singer born and bred in Zimbabwe Mutare and is currently signed to record producer DJ Maphorisa.
She gained prominence as the mesmerising voice behind the current hit song Akulaleki by Samthing Soweto, Nge Thanda Wena by Mlindo The Vocalist, and Scorpion Kings’ song We Mama.
The 25-year-old is currently riding high with her current EP titled Blossom.
Burna Boy (Nigeria), Innoss’b (Drc), Sho Madjozi (South Africa) with battle with Dave (U.K.), Stormzy (U.K.), Ninho (France) and S.Pri Noir (France) for the Best International Act.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, BET announced on May 20 that it would move forward with airing the BET Awards on June 28.
The company’s release stated in part, “Using an array of innovative techniques and artist-generated content, the show will continue, allowing the audience to join in a celebration of black love, joy, pride and power with an all-star lineup.”
Here is the complete list of nominees for this year’s BET Awards:
ANDERSON .PAAK CHRIS BROWN JACQUEES KHALID THE WEEKND USHER
BEST GROUP
CHLOE X HALLE CITY GIRLS EARTHGANG GRISELDA JACKBOYS MIGOS
BEST COLLABORATION
CHRIS BROWN FT. DRAKE – NO GUIDANCE DJ KHALED FT. NIPSEY HUSSLE & JOHN LEGEND – HIGHER FUTURE FT. DRAKE – LIFE IS GOOD H.E.R. FT. YG – SLIDE MEGAN THEE STALLION FT. NICKI MINAJ & TY DOLLA $IGN – HOT GIRL SUMMER WALE FT. JEREMIH – ON CHILL
BEST MALE HIP HOP ARTIST
DABABY DRAKE FUTURE LIL BABY RODDY RICCH TRAVIS SCOTT
CHRIS BROWN FT. DRAKE – NO GUIDANCE DABABY – BOP DJ KHALED FT. NIPSEY HUSSLE & JOHN LEGEND – HIGHER DOJA CAT – SAY SO MEGAN THEE STALLION FT. NICKI MINAJ & TY DOLLA $IGN – HOT GIRL SUMMER RODDY RICCH – THE BOX
VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
BENNY BOOM COLE BENNETT DAVE MEYERS DIRECTOR X EIF RIVERA TEYANA “SPIKE TEE” TAYLOR
BEST NEW ARTIST
DANILEIGH LIL NAS X POP SMOKE RODDY RICCH SUMMER WALKER YBN CORDAE
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
CUZ I LOVE YOU – LIZZO FEVER – MEGAN THEE STALLION HOMECOMING: THE LIVE ALBUM – BEYONCÉ I USED TO KNOW HER – H.E.R. KIRK – DABABY PLEASE EXCUSE ME FOR BEING ANTISOCIAL – RODDY RICCH
DR. BOBBY JONES BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL AWARD
FRED HAMMOND – ALRIGHT JOHN P. KEE FT. ZACARDI CORTEZ – I MADE IT OUT KANYE WEST – FOLLOW GOD KIRK FRANKLIN – JUST FOR ME PJ MORTON FT. LE’ANDRIA JOHNSON & MARY MARY – ALL IN HIS PLAN THE CLARK SISTERS – VICTORY
BEST ACTRESS
ANGELA BASSETT CYNTHIA ERIVO ISSA RAE REGINA KING TRACEE ELLIS ROSS ZENDAYA
BEST ACTOR
BILLY PORTER EDDIE MURPHY FOREST WHITAKER JAMIE FOXX MICHAEL B. JORDAN OMARI HARDWICK
YOUNGSTARS AWARD
ALEX HIBBERT ASANTE BLACKK JAHI DI’ALLO WINSTON MARSAI MARTIN MILES BROWN STORM REID
BEST MOVIE
BAD BOYS FOR LIFE DOLEMITE IS MY NAME HARRIET HOMECOMING: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ JUST MERCY QUEEN & SLIM
SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
AJEÉ WILSON CLARESSA SHIELDS COCO GAUFF NAOMI OSAKA SERENA WILLIAMS SIMONE BILES
SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO KAWHI LEONARD LEBRON JAMES ODELL BECKHAM JR. PATRICK MAHOMES II STEPHEN CURRY
BET HER AWARD
ALICIA KEYS – UNDERDOG BEYONCÉ FT. BLUE IVY CARTER, WIZKID & SAINT JHN – BROWN SKIN GIRL CIARA FT. LUPITA NYONG’O, ESTER DEAN, CITY GIRLS & LA LA – MELANIN LAYTON GREENE – I CHOOSE LIZZO FT. MISSY ELLIOTT – TEMPO RAPSODY FT. PJ MORTON – AFENI
VIEWER’S CHOICE AWARD
CHRIS BROWN FT. DRAKE – NO GUIDANCE DABABY – BOP FUTURE FT. DRAKE – LIFE IS GOOD MEGAN THEE STALLION FT. NICKI MINAJ – HOT GIRL SUMMER RODDY RICCH – THE BOX THE WEEKND – HEARTLESS
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
BURNA BOY (NIGERIA) INNOSS’B (DRC) SHO MADJOZI (SOUTH AFRICA) DAVE (U.K.) STORMZY (U.K.) NINHO (FRANCE) S.PRI NOIR (FRANCE)
VIEWER’S CHOICE: BEST NEW INTERNATIONAL ACT
REMA (NIGERIA) SHA SHA (ZIMBABWE) CELESTE (U.K.) YOUNG T & BUGSEY (U.K.) HATIK (FRANCE) STACY (FRANCE)
The hip hop streets might be in for another battle as Natasha Muz seem to have taken hard shots aimed at Kikky BadAsss.
In her song ‘Chemaboss’ which premiered on the new Colour Vibes show by Nash TV, the hip hop singer chastises Kikky BadAss in a lyric.
The particular line which caught the attention of listeners, who believe it to be a jab at Kikky was on 3:22 when she sang ‘hanzi one..one.. pastage ringori dzungu chete’
This is in apparent reference to Kikky’sOne One song which dropped off Cymplex February 2019 WannaBe Riddim.
The irony of it is that a Hip Hop war is being fought on a Dancehall turf.. ‘Chemaboss’ by Natasha Muz is also a Jamal/No Limits dancehall production.
Kikky said this during the height of the Noble Stylz/GZE battle that illuminated the social media scene last month.
She tweeted; “@BlacperlZW is very relevant her pen game is lit lit . Can’t say the same for Phreshy .The other one didn’t win an award she was given an award with one song and a video that came out after submission against me with a whole EP and gigs to show for it #KubaMaAward”
@BlacperlZW is very relevant her pen game is lit lit . Can’t say the same for Phreshy .The other one didn’t win an award she was given an award with one song and a video that came out after submission against me with a whole EP and gigs to show for it #KubaMaAward🥺 https://t.co/0YGPBbWwWh
The two Best Female Hip Hop artists must have rubbed each other the wrong way or it’s just a fight for a Queendom.
Whatever the case, this a fight that Kikky will take on as she has been itching for a challenge after her provocation at the reigning Best Female Hip Hop artist Phreshy went unchallenged.
Is it Game On for another of the Noble Stylz/Gze kinda battle?
Stunner and Mudiwa’s “beef” origin is murky and shrouded in mystery, but their social media punches and sub bars in hit songs have been a source of entertainment for many over the years.
Fours years later the truce is broken and they are at each other’s throats again, but as they always do, they found each other again and have made peace for the umpteenth time.
But even among all the bickering, Mudiwa and Stunner share a bond that many were not aware of.
As revealed during the Chamhembe Story documentary interview last Sunday, Stunner shared how Mudiwa played a major role in his career but delivering his first hit record to Power FM. You can read about it on this link
During a live Instagram chat last night, the two shared with the world that they indeed share deep secrets not only about their careers but about life and family.
It turned out Mudiwa told Stunner of his separation from his wife.
In his words, Mudiwa said Stunner was one of the first people he told that he was now single and Stunner in true confidante fashion, kept the news to himself throughout their ‘beef’
Here are some of the things we discovered during the Instagram live chat
1. When Mudiwa was involved in an accident years back, he resolved that he was going to do Gospel music and the first person he told was Stunner at Sports Dinner. He said Stunner advised him to drop the English raps and switch to Vernacular.
2. Stunner alleges that Mudiwa took his red customised cap he had bought in the UK with his name’s inscription ‘Da Des’. Mudiwa however said Stunner gave him as a thank you gift. The cap is hanged amongst Mudiwa’s cap collection in his studio. Stunner hasn’t seen it in over 5 years. They joked about it and Mudiwa vowed that he was not going to return the cap
Mudiwa wearing the cap inscribed with Stunner’s name. This picture was taken by our Zimbuzz reporter in 2017 during a charity outreach program in Norton where Mudiwa was donating foodstuffs to the needy together with fellow singer Diana Samukange (in dreadlocks)
3. They both had a raw deal at the hands of the now-defunct hip-hop group Major Players and shared a vivid recollection of the events
Apparently Stunner was hired to dance for Major Players during a show at Andy Miller Hall and was given sneakers to wear..he was later made to take off the shoes in an embarrassing way just as he disembarked from the stage.
4. Stunner apologised for straying off the script during their Garamumba battle by instigating a freestyle battle
5. Mudiwa said he will never do an interview to explain what happened between himself and his wife.
6. Since it was Dyonne’s birthday, Mudiwa gave her a $50 present and capped it off by singing her a happy birthday song. (Apparantly Mudiwa has some great vocals)
The Urban Grooves movement remains one of the most impactful and golden eras in Zimbabwe’s urban music history.
During that period we witnessed two of the greatest albums to ever come out of the music industry — Chamhembe Volume 1 (2004) and Chamhembe Plus (2005).
Producers Tatenda Jenami a.k.a Take Fizzo (then known as Take 5ive) and the late Siphosenkosi Mkhuhlani a.k.a TBA were the creative minds behind the projects.
Many superstars were birthed from the Greendale based studios and amongst them is hip hop legend Stunner.
Radio personality and spoken word artist SoProfound teamed up with Tnash Creative Studio to produce a documentary titled the Chamhembe Story and rapper Stunner features in the first episode.
In the 5-part series SoProfound interviews the likes of Leonard Mapfumo, Roki, Take 5 and more.
In the docu, Stunner reveals a lot of exciting details on his rise to stardom and his entrance into the music industry.
Below we summarise a few of the points we learned from the interview, we won’t spoil it for you by exhausting everything because we want you to watch the Youtube Documentary.
What we learned
Archipelago Night Club, aka Archies has provided indelible memories for most of urban youths in Harare and Zimbabwe. ‘My life changed when i entered Archies,’ he said.
Before music, Stunner was a Motor Mechanic Student at Harare Polytechnic College.
A meeting at Harare’s phone shop in the early 2000s with a friend ushered him into the world of fashion and in turn music.
Stunner and his friend were designing urban fashion and selling it to their fellows at Club Archies.
Delani Makhalima had a Studio near the phone shop and Stunner would bump into stars like Roy and Royce and the others who featured in the 2002 Classic compilation titled The Future. He started selling his clothes to some of the guys
When Chamhembe was created he then followed his clients there and started supplying his wares to them.
The producers failed to pay him for his clothes and then asked to be recorded so as to settle the bill.
That is when he recorded his first hit song Rudo re Mari (He explains a funny story behind ExQ’s verse)
Stunner’s blowing up is linked to Mudiwa…He is the one he sent to collect the CD with Rudo rweMari from Chamhembe as well as delivering it to Power FM in Gweru (During that time Professor Jonathan Moyo had decentralised Zimbabwe’s radio stations)
And Stunner’s journey began..dig into this 1-hour interview and find out the rest of the events, from how the monster hit Team Hombe was created, What he learned from ExQ, how he met Trevor and assisted him to get onto the compilation, the formation of a rival label ‘Chigutiro’ the money issues that led to the collapse of Chamhembe and a whole lot more
After a tumultuous few days, dancehall singer Nutty O has reunited with his manager Byron Kabaira after the two managed to iron out their differences, Zimbuzz can exclusively reveal.
Although it was clear that the ‘departure’ had been influenced by events of Friday night in which Jah Prayzah’s official Facebook page streamed live a Nash TV performance that was happening at the same time as his stablemate Nutty O’s in a different gig.
This action saw a media backlash directed at the MTM frontman in which people accused him of ‘disrespecting’ and trying to ‘sabotage’ his protege.
Nutty O, threw in a fit and posted on his personal Facebook page that he was leaving MTM, he however quickly deleted the post.
This development left Nutty O without a manager and a record label, all happening inside 24hrs.
But it seems all has been resolved between Nutty O and his manager after Zimbuzz obtained an exclusive press statement chronicling and explaining the culmination of events from when the two started working together, the relationship with MTM and their current position
PRESS STATEMENT ON ABX STATE OF AFFAIRS
It has been a long weekend since the night of Friday June 5th. It is only befitting to pay particular attention at the events of that night as they are the Sarajevo moment that triggered a chain of events that sparked so much social media commotion.
Nutty O’s manager Byron Kabaira
It should be put on record that it is not the response from the public that influenced a lot of decisions happening over the weekend leading to the press statement issued by MTM yesterday; well, at least for me.
The following statement is issued as an official response to the following significant matters;
1. Was the official press statement issued by myself (in the capacity of ABX Manager) a unilateral decision? 2. Was Nutty O coerced to distance himself from the press statement issued? 3. Did I get fired as Nutty O’s manager and have we parted ways? 4. Is there any disgruntlement concerning how affairs were run at MTM?
All this will be answered in this narration of my journey as Nutty O’s manager since October 2016 and particularly my relationship with MTM.
My engagement with Carrington Simbarashe Chiwadzwa popularly known by music artist name Nutty O Di Bwoy spans over a period halfway between three and four years. It should be noted that the basis of my engagement with him was a result of my passion for music and motivated by my burning desire to see such a super talent as his earn some respectable milestones.
From the beginning, the vision was to create an exportable music super brand conforming to basic business principles, a feat I knew I could manage based on my experience as a business consultant and brand builder.
Our relationship has never been transactional or clout driven and so any allegations of me using Nutty O to get by are definitely misplaced. I wish to make it known that prior to Nutty O joining MTM, I personally had my share of skepticism emanating from the simple logical reason that our vision ethos of establishing a giant music brand would obviously clash with the fact that MTM was, at the time, headed by a fellow artist who also still held dreams of conquering some of the spaces we also wished to occupy.
However, after long hours of cogitation I later managed to switch on my strategic acumen and saw the opportunity for the positivity it held. With a contractual obligation of MTM handling music and video production, marketing and distribution as well as the inadvertent brand benefit of associating with some of the country’s biggest creatives this was a lot of what Nutty O needed at the time to release the wings of a ready to fly music artist.
With the ignition of the MTM affair and as events started to unfold with some of the duties not delivered over time and mounting pressure from public opinion on why Nutty O was not getting this or that I chose never to get phased by this owing to my strong focus on all the positive things we could extract out of our relationship.
All I know is that a begrudged heart is the Devil’s space and nothing progressive can stem from such a person so I maintained my position that the MTM arrangement had its benefits which needed to be cherished (my record is clear on every article I have had to comment on MTM and is accesible online).
As for the issue of collaborations, shows, and music videos, I never allowed that to blur my vision of what we could achieve. After all, one of the fundamental clauses within the MTM deal was that each artist was at liberty to maintain separate management that had a free mandate to grow their respective artist brand employing any means at their disposal.
I can proudly put it on record that under my management Nutty O managed to consolidate his existing fan base as well as grow a new one in many countries throughout Africa and some parts of the greater world needless to mention the Caribbeans with Jamaica being the biggest owing to his dancehall chanting prowess and a strategic funneling of leads.
The main milestone being his collaboration with superstar songstress Etana of Jamaica which went on to top worldwide reggae Billboard charts as well as the coveted Grammy awards nomination in 2018. The Nutty O brand has also managed to score great brand partnership milestones with some of the country’s leading corporates under my watch. We have done just fine given the resources at our disposal.
The events of June 5th and the precipitating spiral of events.
On the said day, Nutty O performed at the previously mentioned gig which was broadcast live on various social media platforms of the hosts as well as artist platforms including that of MTM stablemate, Jah Prayzah Facebook page.
After an act of what many believed to be sabotage, I dismissed it as ‘just another day’ and was ready to forge ahead with positivity. However, this seemed to have sparked a moment of emotional reaction where Nutty O posted a statement on his personal Facebook timeline suggesting that he was no longer interested in being a part of MTM.
It is on record that he then deleted the post 2 minutes later but screenshots of the post were already in circulation a few minutes later and I only got to learn of all this after people started sending me the screenshot while some were calling to find out if all was well.
I responded that I was only going to answer to this development after talking directly to Nutty O which i managed to do after half an hour as his phone line was engaged because of people also calling him to investigate the issue.
He expressed is disappointment about the way things had happened during his set perfomance and his agitation was enhanced by protracted similar acts of brand belittlement. I understood and asked him if he meant the statement despite bringing it down to which he responded that he was serious.
This was around midnight on the said day as we approached the early hours of Saturday. I chose to let it settle and called him on the morning, afternoon and evening of Saturday to make sure he had finally made up his mind to which he confirmed he had.
I briefed him on how we needed to make an official statement on this and began brainstorming with him on how the delivery was to be made: diplomatic and non-confrontational.
I penned the statement and kept it until 2am when i was sure he had really made up his mind and released it on his official artist page. Meanwhile, I had reached out to Keen Mushapaidze in the afternoon and made it clear that i was contacting him in his capacity as the senior manager within MTM and that I did not want him to discover our statement through social media.
I personally took time to thank him for everything that MTM had done for us as Ability Xtention (ABX). On the morning of Saturday June 6th I called Nutty O and told him that I had released the statement and by that time it was already trending and attracting media attention.
This was followed by his chastisement of the move saying he had wanted to find ‘another way to do this’. I was baffled by this development and maintained that we had agreed but he was of the notion of ‘going to talk to the guys first before anything’as he had already spoken to them on the phone as well.
I dismissed this as perhaps the pursuit of ‘political correctness’ and maintained that we had already agreed on this and in any case I had already observed protocol by contacting Mr. Mushapaidze, a development Nutty O was oblivious of at the time.
Following a protracted back and forth on the phone I allowed him the liberty to distance himself from the statement but on condition that I was resigning as his Manager. I was not willing to be entangled in a state of confusion. An hour later I was shocked to receive a video of him distancing himself from the statement and this was followed by my resignation which I did through a phone call.
The greatest shock followed when a press statement was released on Jah Prayzah Facebook page stating that he had decided to dissolve MTM with immediate effect and all artist contracts terminated.
This was a very trying development as many people turned to me asking me to reverse my decision on the resignation. A few hours later I got a call from Nutty O and we began to discuss all the events as necessitated by the latest events and assured him that I needed some time to reconsider if I could resume work with him. My passion for the ABX and Nutty O brand gave me a hard time thinking about everything that had happened.
Current Position
I wish to state that we have been in communication with Nutty O and both decided to iron out whatever differences that may have emanated from the above mentioned events with both parties taking time to accept where we could have gone wrong and especially what needs to be done in order to get back to work and keep chasing after our dreams as guided by the ABX vision.
After all, my job as Manager is simply to grow the brand but in an enabling environment. For now I feel we are ready to continue our journey perhaps just in a different world as the MTM depature is definitely a significant moment in his career.
I wish to thank all who had positive and constructive feedback throughout the course of this dramatic period and would love to say that your support has been a great source of strength.
I also wish to address all who support Nutty O and the whole ABX family all over the world and make it clear that WE ARE STILL ON A MISSION TO DELIVER THE VISION AND THE ABX DREAMS. Ability Xtention (ABX) can be simply defined as ‘THE NEVER ENDING PURSUIT OF GROWTH ‘ and we are here to make a mark on the global stage proudly carrying the Zimbabwean pride anywhere we go. Your continued support is greatly treasured.
I’m happy to announce that Nutty O is back in the studio and I, alongside the team, had the privilege to listen to a track that will be released any time soon. This song will surely warm up your winter.
I hope you are all keeping safe during this time of the Covid-19 pandemic and adhering to prescribed precautionary measures as advised by our health professionals.
Military Touch Movement founder and artist Jah Prayzah has made an announcement that he is cancelling all existing MTM contracts.
The move leaves Nutty O somewhat ‘stateless’ as the dancehall singer had earlier in the afternoon distanced himself from a statement made by his manager that he was leaving MTM.
In a statement, Jah Prayzah said he felt he had played his part by uplifting the talent and that they too were now in a position to groom other artists.
“I feel everyone who was involved in MTM is now in a position where they can now also take part in grooming and raising more talent out there,” he wrote.
“I have done my part in putting in the little resources I had at that time but do feel the artists have outgrown the label and though it is painful, I feel it is the right time to release them and also terminate all contracts that were in place,” he added.
Read the full statement below
When I started MTM, my dream was to have a movement that is driven solely by the ambition of the artists and producers involved in it. It has been 3 years since we began the journey and I can say it has been fruitful.
We have shared so many joys as a team and joys I will continue to cherish and celebrate. Like any other organisation we also did share our lows and again we went through these together.
Today we celebrate superstars who have been housed in MTM and that was part of the mission, for us all to grow together and celebrate our achievements together. I feel everyone who was involved in MTM is now in a position where they can now also take part in grooming and raising more talent out there.
I appreciate the trust that was given to me by these artists who are now brands and also for the privilege of working with legends like ExQ who have been in the game for so many years even before the start of my musical career. It is not an easy process to be able to trust putting your brand under someone else’s umbrella.
I would want to let the whole of Zimbabwe and other global music lovers who have been following our journey that it is now time I let these superstars go out there to concur the world in music and I have so much confidence in their ability to do so.
I have done my part in putting in the little resources I had at that time but do feel the artists have outgrown the label and though it is painful, I feel it is the right time to release them and also terminate all contracts that were in place. What is important is the growth of talent as opposed to any return on money put in, again I repeat this was a movement put in place to encourage growth and not for profit.
Under the same light I would like to categorically put it on record that until now and going forward, I do not have any amount of money that I collected from any of the artists who were involved in MTM.
I would, however, love to thank the producers, Tamuka and Rodney for the role they have played in helping me grow musically. They have played a very significant role and my music would not be where it is today if not for them. I can never thank them enough or in any way that would really show how much I appreciate their efforts.
I would like to applaud Tamuka on the start of Mushroom Media, a dream he has always had and he also took time to brief me about the project. I am proud that under MTM he has achieved what he always dreamt and dared to achieve.
I did personally give him my blessing and would like to make it known out there too that I fully endorse the start and growth of his projects and cannot wait to release my first song recorded at Mushroom media.
Having been subjected to so much abuse at some points in this journey, I have become really skeptical about recruiting new artists under MTM as this in many occurrences has tainted my brand.
The main objective, however, was not to get praise from helping artists achieve their dreams. I have decided, I will proceed with finding other artists from the grassroots and will put in my effort to ensure they are talked about and their music grows. For them it will also come a time when they will also have to go out and spread their own wings and not under any umbrella.
