"Music Wasn't My Number One Dream" Voltz JT Joins Nyasha Michelle

🇿🇼 Zimbabwean hip-hop artist  @Voltz_JT   joins Nyasha Michelle for an honest conversation about resilience, purpose and what it really takes to build a lasting career.

From revealing why music wasn't his first dream to explaining how switching to Shona transformed his career, Voltz opens up about overcoming setbacks, navigating depression and anxiety, and why one bad moment should never define your future.

This is a conversation about finding your lane, staying true to your values, and creating an impact that's bigger than yourself.

💬 Which moment from this conversation resonated with you the most? Let us know in the comments below.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all major streaming platforms.

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#WithNyashaMichelle #VoltzJT #Zimbabwe #ZimbabweMusic #AfricanPodcast #HipHop #ItsGivingZimbabwe #ShonaRap #musicindustry

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Music wasn't my my number one dream.

SPEAKER_02 0:02

People have chugged at you. Yeah, it happens.

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Depression, drugs, anxiety.

SPEAKER_02 0:07

It's such an uncomfortable experience.

SPEAKER_00 0:10

If something goes bad, it doesn't mean that you are bad. Doesn't mean that it's going to be bad the next time and the next time after. Yeah. And I've learned that the hard way.

SPEAKER_02 0:18

Your music and your raps, they touch on societal issues.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

Well, if I'm going to be making music, it at least has to have an impact. That's bigger than me.

SPEAKER_02 0:49

And this whole season, I have been bringing you the fire conversations with some of Zimbabwe's greatest. And yes, you heard it right. If this is your first time tuning into an episode of this podcast, currently we are in Zimbabwe doing a whole season from my very own motherland. And for those of you who've been following us throughout this period and also in previous seasons, thank you so much. I love you. Thank you so much. My Tab Masa. Don't forget to follow us. You know, you can find us on YouTube and also whatever podcast platforms that you go to. Oh, just all you need to do is just look for with Nyasha Michelle. And then you can also follow us on the socials, man. What you doing? Find us on uh uh TikTok, find us also on IG, my personal favorite, at with Nyasha Michelle, and you can also follow me at Nyasha Michelle underscore. Now, today I do have yet another exciting conversation with you, with someone who a lot of you love, and some of you even consider him to be koma, yeah, big brother. I'm gonna give you a little bit of a moment to think of who it is that I might be talking about. No? You got it? Of course, you already know I have Vault JT in the building.

SPEAKER_00 2:15

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:16

How do you think about it? What's up, what's up? Oh, nothing.

SPEAKER_00 2:19

I like the word you used, Mkuma.

SPEAKER_02 2:20

Mkuma, are you not?

SPEAKER_00 2:22

It's quite new. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:24

Do you know what actually? Because of course I research people before I do the interviews, right? I've been looking at socials, socials, videos that people have have posted of you and like some of your socials and stuff, and I've seen that some people call you that.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Mkuma voice.

SPEAKER_02 2:37

Does how does that make you feel? Well, people look at you like that.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Makes me feel like a big brother. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:47

Yeah. There's a there's a lot of weight on you, on you people as artists.

SPEAKER_00 2:51

Exactly, exactly. But I think we chose this path. So true. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:56

Yeah, that's that's very true. And I really want to find out more about your journey and the path and how it's been along the way. Before we get into that, though, I want to ask you a question. I ask everybody when they join me here. And it is what is one defining moment that set you on the path that you are on today?

SPEAKER_00 3:15

One defining moment. 2015. I was back in high school, and I was the artist of the of the school. Like people knew Volt's. I used to be called Volt's, not Volts Yeti. Okay. So people knew we have Voltz is a rapper, and he performs a lot at Prize Giving Days, at V Shows, what, what, what, what. And then I used to write uh my music in English. Right. I used to write uh my raps in English. And then so there I was on this uh V Show some other than this other day. And I'm performing in front of the whole school, and then I played this new song I had recorded on the holiday. Yeah, yeah. It was a remix of this um remember this popular song back in the day called Ooh by Young Ma.

SPEAKER_01 4:03

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:04

So I was remixing that, and I was putting in English bars and whatnot, whatnot, like I do every day. And then the whole school was quiet, like zero sound. Yeah, it was so awkward, it was it was painful, like I could feel it physically.

SPEAKER_02 4:21

Oh my gosh!

SPEAKER_00 4:22

Yeah, it was so heavy. And then I guess that was a defining moment for me because it changed how I do my music, and then from that day onwards, I stopped singing English, started writing my reps in Shawana, and people started understanding me more. So I feel like if that had not happened, I would have continued doing my reps in English, and maybe I wouldn't even made it.

SPEAKER_02 4:44

Wow, that is so interesting. Kudos to your school, exactly, and the way that they responded to you because I guess it allowed you to see what the people want, and that is very interesting.

SPEAKER_00 4:55

It wasn't pleasant, but yeah, it was necessary.

SPEAKER_02 4:57

Yeah, tell me about how you dealt with that as such an uncomfortable experience.

SPEAKER_00 5:05

Well, what can I say? I just swallowed it up and I guess I'm used to to wins and losses, especially in this industry. You know, when you go to shows, some shows don't go so well, some shows go well when you list a song, some songs do well, some songs don't do well. So I'm used to accepting defeat. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:30

And how do you if you're used to it, you've accepted the defeat, how do you not allow it to weigh you down?

SPEAKER_00 5:37

I don't know how I can explain it, but just not being able to let defeat define you. Um I think it's a thing in every industry.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:47

You need to let um you do not need to let defeat define you. Yeah. Because it's just an instance. If something goes bad, it doesn't mean good you are bad. Doesn't mean good it is going to be bad the next time and the next time after. Yeah. And I've learned that the hard way because man, takatombo can draw my cane triple stage.

SPEAKER_02 6:07

You what people have chucked cans, I guess.

SPEAKER_00 6:10

Yeah, it happens a lot in Zimbabwe. Ten people throw cans and then it's leven, it's 12, it's 20, it's 100.

SPEAKER_02 6:16

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 6:17

Even if you're doing well. So you get used to that random lifestyle.

SPEAKER_02 6:23

That's such an interesting thing. Does that indicate something about the Zim crowd? You don't think it's Zim?

SPEAKER_00 6:32

I don't think it's a Zim crowd. It's everywhere. Even in the States, it happens. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:37

And then as a okay, you're currently on stage and then people start throwing these cans. I really want to get into your mind and your brain as somebody who I think y'all have to really become mentally strong, particularly with the way that you're just the things that you've just described. So if that's when that's happening, how do you feel? And how do you continue with the confidence of your performance? Do you carry on or do you just like nah forget this? I'm out.

SPEAKER_00 6:59

I think it's a matter of judgment. Sometimes you continue, sometimes you don't. It depends on the whole situation. Yeah. But the whole moral of the story is just knowing that if people throw cans, it doesn't mean you are bad or you are shit or something like that. It's just a bad day.

SPEAKER_02 7:18

Yeah. No, I really like that because I feel like it gives me an insight into you and I want to get to know more of you. Um, deeper, and also how your mind and I guess what are the values that really ground you, what your foundations are. So let's start lights. You said earlier that your name was Volt, but then the JT came later. So when what inspired both names?

SPEAKER_00 7:42

So that instance I told you, that defining moment, that's when the JT came. Really? Because it was um it was now me trying to fuse my hip hop with Shona. So I made this Jecha trip brand. So Jecha means um, yes, it's dust, literally, but yeah, it's good.

SPEAKER_02 8:02

Oh, jecha is the hood.

SPEAKER_00 8:04

Oh, I didn't know that.

SPEAKER_02 8:05

Okay, I learned something new.

SPEAKER_00 8:07

Okay. So it's trip, yeah, good jecha. So it's jecha trip. So I became votes who does checha trip.

SPEAKER_01 8:14

I love that.

SPEAKER_00 8:15

And then that's when I started practicing my show, and I started listening to a lot of show now. I started listening to Anna Shingi Mao Mao, Anna Junior Brown, uh T Gones was a back in the day. And um Bana Shingi Timbo, those were the people I started listening to. And I I even stopped listening to the States hip-hop so that I can, you know, practice my shore. And then after that, yeah, JT became cemented.

SPEAKER_02 8:47

Why do you think that is so important for Zimbabwean musicians, particularly young Zimbabwean musicians, to be very connected to your culture and your language?

SPEAKER_00 8:57

Well, I mean, if you're going to to be communicating with Shona people, you need to do it in Shona. Plus, already there's always there's already when a little way in an Drake who can sing better English than you. So it doesn't make sense competing in on Arukumbeir because we already have a nasty sea in Africa.

SPEAKER_05 9:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:20

And we already have uh Kendrick Lama in the States. So even Ugarung in Zimbabwe, we'll we already know number one. But then Kendrick Lamaya can't come to me and say you can rap better than me in Shona. You understand? Plus there are better there are things you can express better in your in your mother tongue.

SPEAKER_02 9:40

So, what is one song of yours that you sing in Shona that you really put your heart and soul into, and there are some Shona bars in there that go deep beyond just being words?

SPEAKER_00 9:53

I have quite a lot of um deep songs.

SPEAKER_02 9:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:57

Because that's my whole strength. The deep songs, the social commentary, what what what. I don't think I have wheaty bars.

SPEAKER_02 10:04

What do you mean by that?

SPEAKER_00 10:06

Wheaty, like wheaty bars, the double antandras and stuff. I feel like my bars are a bit direct.

SPEAKER_01 10:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:15

Yeah, so I cannot say I have I have um bars, bars. I can say I I do rap about deep stuff. If you listen to my song Manguana, you listen to Koma Brian, if you listen to Shamwareango, there are no witty bars, just direct message.

SPEAKER_02 10:32

Yeah, because your your music and your raps, they touch on societal issues.

SPEAKER_00 10:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:38

And youth betterment, right? Why is that? Why do you have you decided that that is something you're gonna focus on with the music that you release?

SPEAKER_00 10:46

Well, if I'm going to be making music, it at least has to have an impact. That's bigger than me. Yeah. I guess that's it. Just trying to make an impact.

SPEAKER_02 10:57

What is one area within the youth, um, or one area that affects youth that you really want to continue to highlight? Especially the youth in Zimbabwe.

SPEAKER_00 11:06

Depression, drugs, anxiety, I feel like that's the pandemic in our generation. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:14

Yeah. Um, any thoughts on why that is something that has continued to because like so I live in the UK, right? And the things you've mentioned are very rampant there. And if someone is watching or listening and what you've mentioned, and they live maybe like even in Europe, certain parts of Europe or America or Canada, everyone relates to that. Yeah, right. Um, but there's different reasons for most of the countries, the nations, the cities. What is it that is causing young people in Zimbabwe to that of which that you know, to kind of get into that space and to really be struggling?

SPEAKER_00 11:50

Just living a sinful lifestyle. Like recently I've become a very spiritual person, and I've discovered, I've observed that you know, most of the pain in the world comes from you know, just disobedience, just not being spiritual, just living in the dark. And then um, obviously there's poverty, there's the economic, what what what not.

SPEAKER_02 12:15

Yeah, you know, yeah, yeah, but Zim people are tough, man. Like if I was saying to somebody, yo, like Zimbabwean people, they're such hustlers. Once I come home, I feel so inspired.

SPEAKER_00 12:26

It gets to a point where everybody breaks.

SPEAKER_02 12:30

Exactly. Yeah, yeah, because what that person was also saying, like, yeah, we are, but then at the end of the day, like yeah, you have no choice.

SPEAKER_00 12:36

Yeah, it gets to a point.

SPEAKER_02 12:38

Yeah. Um, I know there's a lot of young people who are gonna be like tuning into this who are inspired by you or are getting to know you for the first time. You mentioned earlier, okay, like just living a sinful life, and of course, you've discovered this more as you've explored your spirituality. What are some of those things that you view to be like, you know what? That's along the path that's gonna kind of lead into a darker space.

SPEAKER_00 13:00

I guess the easiest to do is drugs, especially in our industry. People just tend to drugs for whatever reason. Uh munagango de stress, drugs. Munagango fire, have to write my drugs. Munagango neat, I'm gonna write my drugs. Like everything seems like my drugs. Okay. You understand? But cooler down, go do my beers, and people are drinking. Munaga, you know, they're now dosing themselves in a cob syrup, codain, and whatnot, whatnot. And these days, this drug rate trend are myth, whatnot, dombo, chi-chi-chi.

SPEAKER_02 13:39

I heard about that.

SPEAKER_00 13:40

Yeah, so I feel like people are just turning to drugs for the silliest of reasons.

SPEAKER_02 13:45

Yeah, and like just to give clarity to those of you who maybe are like, oh, I can't understand what he's saying, because I hope that there's some of you who are watching and listening who are not suburban. You're essentially saying that what you've observed is like drugs is something that people have been turning to a lot. If a person's stressed, drugs. If they're happy, drugs. If you want a good time, drugs. If you want to sleep, drugs, drugs.

SPEAKER_00 14:07

But that's just if you want to work, drugs.

SPEAKER_02 14:10

That's just like uh a hectic thing. What do you do you ever see yourself as like an advocate, like a voice that goes beyond music? So like working maybe with like certain like local organizations or the government, etc., to try and like, you know, um uh I don't know, address the situation. Do you think there's a need for that? Or do you feel like your music does that already?

SPEAKER_00 14:31

No, no, there's definitely need for us to to to to to work with those organizations. Uh it's something we like to do. We worked uh with PSH once, uh Population Solutions for Health, whatnot. And uh it was EONY Drugs, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And what are the organizations? I don't remember. But we are trying to contact the people so that we can lead that movement.

SPEAKER_02 15:01

Yeah, lead the conversations because like the young people, essentially, you are a leader in your own ways. People are gonna listen to you.

SPEAKER_00 15:07

Yeah. And I have people listening. So obviously Nika Tawarajino, you know, they can take it serious, other than one way to normally say no to drugs, drugs are killing, uh, whatnot. But if I say drugs are actually a sin coming from me, because people obviously assume I use drugs because of the industry I am.

SPEAKER_02 15:29

So I like the fact that you sp you spoke about that. Like people assume that you um do drugs just because you're you're into so how do you navigate people's opinions of you and the way that they may just make conclusions about you as a person and your lifestyle just because you're in music?

SPEAKER_00 15:47

I feel like people are entitled to their opinions. And um I too have uh wrong opinions about about people, and that doesn't change anything about them. So even if people have wrong opinions about me, you cannot change anything. Yeah. Yeah. So if you're seeing me from afar, assuming I do drugs, well, it's okay. At least I do not do drugs. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:11

Yeah. And you're very vocal about it.

SPEAKER_00 16:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:14

And I like that. I wanna, it makes me even more intrigued to find out a bit more about you. So, like where you kind of started about getting with helping me get to know JT, right? Was um school. 15 years old, you're the performer of the school, right? Let's go be before that. Tell me about your upbringing, the type of person you are, and the family that you come from, and how if it influenced you also deciding to do music.

SPEAKER_00 16:37

I'm trying to pick out the musical influences from my childhood, but I couldn't find any.

SPEAKER_02 16:42

Do you think so then that means that it was innate? It it's it's in you. You didn't necessarily have to have someone. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:48

Yeah. But my childhood does have a lot to do with my my character. Okay. Obviously. Uh growing up in Qi Town obviously made me tough. Uh, but also moving out of Qi Town and uh doing my stuff elsewhere also made me have a clear vision of where I'm going. Because you know, you do not want to be trapped. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:13

Yeah. What's Cheatown like? Because you especially because you said it made you tough. Why?

SPEAKER_00 17:17

Well, because it's the ghetto. So all kinds of things happen there.

SPEAKER_02 17:23

You know, it's funny you said that. I was just about to ask you, what is one crazy thing that you witnessed or that you went through whilst growing up in the ghetto?

SPEAKER_00 17:32

Well, Cheetown is one of those neighbors that is crazy stories. Even if you read the media, you read the papers, it's always men from Chitungiza does this and that.

SPEAKER_02 17:43

That's so true. Now that you say that, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:47

Men from Chitungiza. So I've seen it all, I've seen it all from healers, from spiritual healers, from drug dealers, from robberies. Yeah, you know, I've seen and I've heard it all from Sheetown. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:01

Do you ever go back?

SPEAKER_00 18:02

I remember this uh this this headline I saw, I think last week was like uh Chitong with the sex workers offer a Christmas bonus or something. So you know it's I guess it's um it's a bit weird living in a neighborhood where you know, you know, 10 meters you have the shocks and the sex workers and stuff. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:32

So then when you moved from Chitungriza, what was it like for you? Was there also like a mindset shift in addition to that physical move?

SPEAKER_00 18:42

Well, I went to boarding school. So I did. Yeah, so I pretty much in high school.

SPEAKER_02 18:47

I'm good. I have so many questions for you because I went to day school. I think the people who went to to boarding school had the most fun, but I didn't think that when I was a kid. That's true.

SPEAKER_00 18:57

Yeah. So I went to boarding school, high school, so I pretty much moved from Qi Town at that stage, for more than then go back to Chi Town 30 days times three. That's three terms. So that's 90 days. Yeah, three months, a term, I'm in school. Of which is called San Yati Baptist High School. It's in San Yati, which is Kardoma, which is like 300 Ks away from me.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 19:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:25

That is far.

SPEAKER_00 19:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:27

Now, the question I've been wanting to ask since you said that you went to boarding school, what was the boarding school experience like for you?

SPEAKER_06 19:35

We'll be right back.

SPEAKER_02 19:38

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SPEAKER_00 20:37

Now, back to Michelle. That other question you asked about where I got the music influences. Was boarding school. But in a way, you could team boarding, everyone is their thing. That one, I know Tamba Bora.

SPEAKER_02 21:01

Yeah. Everybody's got their own different talents.

SPEAKER_00 21:03

Yeah. So uh I had none.

SPEAKER_02 21:06

Nah.

SPEAKER_00 21:07

Yeah, I had none. I never played sport. And even digital circuit, like being being a wheeze kid, like being a school kid. I used to be the I was the smartest kid in my primary. Wow. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:20

But then when I went to high school, it's a different ball game, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 21:27

When I went to high school, competition. So I ended up being, you know, I wasn't average, but you know, third place, fourth place. I mean I walk around, but nangandi rem top five.

SPEAKER_01 21:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:45

And so I I didn't have something that I was known for, except for chess. I was a good chess player. But you know, Murumafum on Kwekuni, there'll be other senior students who are better than you. Uh Plus, you know, at that age we were starting to grow in Satablo with a cool cool nanny. So being known for something nerdy like like chess wasn't the thing. That's when I picked up uh scrap. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:17

Oh, so you put you were like chess, no, I'm not gonna do that.

SPEAKER_00 22:20

Yeah, I put it on the side.

SPEAKER_02 22:21

Can you still play chess?

SPEAKER_00 22:22

Yeah, I do. I do even now.

SPEAKER_02 22:24

When I come back, you have to teach me. Like, I really want to learn chess because I think it's such a tactical um game. It's very good for people to know it. I've just been a bit I've learned all types of like games, brain games. I do the most whatever, whatever, dever. But chess is one I'm like, ah, I don't know if I can say yeah, chess is fine.

SPEAKER_00 22:43

Uh chess is fun plus it's mind stimulating. So yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:47

And then you went to uni as well. Did you go to uni at the University of Zimbabwe?

SPEAKER_00 22:50

Yeah, I went to what did you study? Uh electronics and telecoms.

SPEAKER_02 22:54

Oh my gosh, guys.

SPEAKER_00 22:55

Yeah, I almost forgot for the.

SPEAKER_02 23:00

So you did electronics and telecoms. Yeah. Um, is that because you knew you were pursuing that, or were you also doing music on the side, like I'm just gonna do this, go to what was tell. Do you just tell me your story about going to uni?

SPEAKER_00 23:12

At that time when I was in high school and when I was going to uni, music wasn't my my number one dream, obviously, because I had not made it yet. And it was a side, it was a hobby, right? My main career was engineering. Uh, I was influenced by my dad because he too is an engineer. So, yeah, um A level, knowing I want to do electronics in the uni. And then uh fast forward, uh I went to uni, and then that's when my music started getting bigger because now I had a bigger crowd. Yeah. Remember when I'm in high school, my fans are my schoolmates, and then now I'm carrying them over to use it, and I'm making new fans. But then the use it community is a bit bigger and it's more connected because you know people are coming from all parts of the country. That's when the whole thing started. So by the time I got to my final year, which was fourth year, that's when I blew up.

SPEAKER_02 24:20

Really? Yeah, what song blew you up?

SPEAKER_00 24:22

It was called These Days. Yeah, yeah, these days. So now that's when I had to make the decision to either finish school or just continue the music. So I decided to just finish school and then I continue the music.

SPEAKER_02 24:34

Wise man, I love that. I mean, and no, you know, judgment to those who don't, but honestly, like I like that because I I'm such a stickler for education. Okay, like I I love education, I think it's great to pursue your passion, but then it's always really good to um get those qualifications because in addition to being a musician, you can also add other things, and even if you don't do that, it's um you know something to fall back on. But why did you decide good you're gonna finish your education and not um quit to do music full-time?

SPEAKER_00 25:10

Well, because it was possible for me to do both at the time, yeah. Yeah, so I I did not see why not. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 25:20

Then tell me a little bit about your first song, the one that you that blew you up. How did you feel about it? Um, did it kind of like open your eyes as well to like the possibilities of what was possible for you and what was coming?

SPEAKER_00 25:32

So people who know me know that I I had um what can I call it? A mini blowing up. Yeah. A blowing up sort of before these days. I had this song called uh Masine, which made waves when I was still at Juzet. Uh and then after that, things were a bit low, and then I came with these days. So that for me was another lesson. What I did, how I reacted to my song Blowing Up Masine, taught me how to react when these days blow up. Okay. So if I had blown up like these days by time in my scene, maybe I wouldn't even be here. Because naturally a different character. I remember I was I was I was big-headed, I was proud, timey actually. And the worst thing is I thought Kudz would be normal because of the whole hip-hop thing, you know. So if I had responded, how I responded by my sin, but these days, uh it would have been a different story. Just like the same same thing the Panaka performer English at my former school. If I hadn't done that and I just proceeded with my career, because remember, it took me from 20, from that time, from 2016 to 2021 to master five years. Yeah, to master that Shona, Shona item. So if I had started later, maybe I wouldn't have mastered it.

SPEAKER_02 27:07

And you know, that leads me to want to know more about, especially because of the fact that you've mentioned how from the first song you learnt. Yeah. So you dealt with the blow up of the second song differently. What are some of the inner battles, right? Because I really want this to also be a conversation where your fans in particular, they come away with it feeling like, oh, yo, I really have learned Mukoma a bit more. I've learned about him beyond music. What are some of the inner battles that you experienced that you that have also shaped the man that you are, that they see that, you know, especially when they're singing the lyrics back to you on stage?

SPEAKER_00 27:42

From that Mascini phase, what happened is um I had made waves, right? And then I kind of slowed down because I didn't have that um that uh formula of releasing songs consistently. So I would release uh a song and then release late after six months because I was still in school, and the money I was using for even recording and shooting videos was my pocket money from school. So I didn't take it as a serious career. But then I was placed at a point where I was supposed to take it serious because I was now making it. So I could not handle it. So now people know me, but they do not know me. You understand? So they meet me and they're playing my song, but they do not know the face. Or they meet me and maybe they remember, ah, you know, do I have a song? Yeah. Last year, ah, okay, but what happened to that? Because many times nobody's a song. So that used to hurt me a lot. You know, dancing to live up to my potential.

SPEAKER_02 28:49

Okay, you weren't living up to your potential.

SPEAKER_00 28:51

Yeah, I wasn't. Yeah. So I guess it was with that energy in the sage, but these days, would as soon as I get a second chance, I'm not going to waste it.

SPEAKER_02 29:01

What's the message behind these days?

SPEAKER_00 29:03

Well, it's one of those songs. And my message I can't message was um was social media, just my babies, uh, fully grown babies, wanted anything to get famous. Like I was just uh I was just attacking those uh attention-seeking media people.

SPEAKER_02 29:27

Yeah. And when it speaking of attention seeking, in my observation of you, you have a really specific way that you deal with um the industry. Because the industry is beyond you making music, drop something, people love it, and you go, right? There is then people who feel like they know you, people who want to uh contribute to narratives, people who will speak and all this stuff, and like, and those things sometimes, particularly in when it comes to this, your industry in particular, sometimes those controversial things are the things that trend a lot more, um, especially when other artists as well come and they they people have different personalities. So, how have you dwelt dealt with that part of the industry? People chatting, rumors, even certain artists coming and speaking things, and we don't have to go into it. But like, for example, Holy Ten has said some things. How have you navigated that? And what does that show in terms of who you've decided to be as a person and as an artist?

SPEAKER_06 30:28

We'll be right back.

SPEAKER_02 30:31

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SPEAKER_00 31:10

Now, back to the show. I choose the things to trend with. Because some of those, some of these trends, they do not um they do not feed my business.

SPEAKER_01 31:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:21

You understand? So if I trend because I made a good song, that's good for business. But if I trend because I'm I'm I'm involved in a in a social media conflict or online, whatnot, whatnot, it does nothing to my numbers or anything. It's just entertainment. I think I read something about um about entertainment. Our people are entertained either way. Whether you're doing good or you are actually falling.

SPEAKER_05 31:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:52

The crowd is always entertained. So if you make a fool out of yourself, you will trend. People will be entertained. But then you go to Bamawan. You understand?

SPEAKER_01 32:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:05

So I guess people do not know how to distinguish that. All those notifications, those clicks, those um ringtones, you know, after maybe you said something and your phone is blowing up. It does not always uh translate to money. It does not always translate to to um to die advance, also. You understand? Yeah. So as long as one is a platform, for example, Pana, but we are on a podcast and obviously there's people who are going to watch it. I can say something and it's not a trend I'm gonna because I have a platform.

SPEAKER_01 32:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:43

So people now abuse that platform because maybe I can say something and people respond. But remember with social media, people come up every day.

SPEAKER_05 32:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:54

Saying all kinds of shit. Auntie. But TikTok, we get my videos to one and wonder. Yeah. And nowadays, celebrities are coming up every now and then. We also die over news, we ask what I over news, but people trained and then manong four. It just goes. Sarah is different from when I could try to build a long-lasting brand.

SPEAKER_02 33:19

Yeah. And with the long-lasting brand also comes with the money, like you were just mentioning, yeah?

SPEAKER_00 33:26

Yeah, that's the thing, because every business, if you calculate as well as JT business from the shows, from the streams, from our corporate deals, we've rigged in say $10,000 for uh for a year. That means if it's 10 years, taught multiplier. You see. It's becoming a mean of 10,000 by 10 easy.

SPEAKER_02 33:55

10,000 by 10. 100,000. Okay, 100,000. Sticking to that subject of money though. Actually, it doesn't have to be money, it's the industry. I've had a few musicians um in this season sit in the same seat that you are in. And what I want to gain more off, firstly, as an you know, a consumer of music, um, is what the industry is like, the music industry in Zimbabwe is like. What has been your experience? We're going to tap into the positives because I'm not just focusing, I'm not with this question, I'm not just focusing on the negatives, but what I want to do is also um maybe be a spark for conversations, which I think we should be having more of. Uh, constructive conversations, celebrate the good, but also look at ways that maybe our industry could improve. And one of the reasons why I want to do that is because, like, you know, you know, I'm I'm a journalist, right? So I'm a media professional. And a lot of the times we are the ones that people come to when they're coming from wherever with their artists, and like, hey, um, we're coming to London. Please can you interview my artist? Or, you know, I'm the artist, I'm coming to London. Can you interview me for whatever platform or for your podcast, etc.? And that's great. That's part and part of it. But also sometimes we then get not as many of that from Zimbabwean artists. And sometimes, as well, Zimbabwean artists, um they um, yeah, they come, they perform, and they're gone. So, what I want to get more is a deeper understanding of the Zimbabwean music industry because I believe it's got like hella potential, and it's already like it's growing because of people like yourself. So let's focus first on what your lived experience has been or what you've observed. What are the things that could improve in the Zimbabwean music industry?

SPEAKER_00 35:44

Well, first, I can say the quality of everything.

SPEAKER_02 35:48

That is something that everybody's been saying.

SPEAKER_00 35:51

Yeah, the quality of all the artists have said that, the quality of the music, um the quality of the videos. Of course, we are doing well, but you know, as you see it's really hard to compare nobody's other countries, right? So um the quality of even the events, for example, the the event we had yesterday. Okay, yes, they tried. Like I said, the setup, younger.

SPEAKER_01 36:28

Yeah, you said it was quite good, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:30

But the sound, I mean, it wasn't a witigar was going off, on and off, on and off, and thousands of junior spraggers were made up stage, waiting for the sound to go on. And I remember there was a whole lot of chaos per stage, even when I wanted to perform, but I'm gonna go to the house, that sort of thing, just quit on a big event.

SPEAKER_02 36:55

Okay, the sort of things that should not be happening at a big event. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:59

So for the consumers who are watching our performances, and of course they enjoy the music, they know the song, so they can sing along, but they can hear the mic, it's a bad mic, it's a bad sound system, and you know, all those feedbacks and whatnot and whatnot. It's like we are shortchanging the people for their money. And then the other thing you mentioned about sim artists coming in, performing, and then going. I personally speaking for myself and other artists, uh the industry has sort of lost hope in going international. Wow, yeah. So sometimes it feels pointless to even try.

SPEAKER_02 37:48

Why why has it lost hope?

SPEAKER_00 37:50

Well, a lot of factors, actually, a lot of factors are in play. Niniya window international. Some of them are beyond our control. Okay. But if you ask me what's my plan of going international, to be honest, maybe in the future I will have one. But for now, I do not have a plan. My plan is still figuring out how to maintain my brand locally. Yeah. Yeah. And we've tried um doing international features with MT, with Maccazi, but there's something, something holding us back, which is beyond our control, like I said. So it's not us slacking. Got it. Yeah, yeah. And then some of the other challenges are just exposure. Some artists don't even know they're supposed to contact you guys and look for interviews, like you said. Some artists don't even know the importance of these media runs and whatnot, whatnot. I guess it's just the size of the industry because bigger industries, like in the states, artists are media trained. They go to, you know, people who train them. They even, you know, it's like every artist in the states knows how to dance because they have to dance on stage, they do these choreographies and whatnot, whatnot. So I guess it's different from we are different from them because of the scale. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:24

Is there ever time, is there ever a time that you ever thought about quitting music?

SPEAKER_00 39:29

Quitting music, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_02 39:31

Never. No matter how hardcore it gets, you're like, nah, I'm in this to death.

SPEAKER_00 39:36

Music has become, I can say, an integral part of my personality. So I do not think of quitting anytime soon. Because Voss GT is music, is Vos GT. Volse GT is Lati, Coslat is Voss GT, and that whole triangle has music in it. So maybe Canada quitter music, I'll be going back to that 2015 guy who was looking for a was looking for a niche, yeah, niche item so that it can be different from others. Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. I've already found my my corner. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:19

You know, before I ask you the next question, which essentially is gonna be what are the positives that we should be really celebrating and shouting on top of the mountains about the Zim music industry, because I personally think they are positives. I do actually want to talk to the listeners and those who are um watching. If you're in the music industry and you have some type of influence or you have something that you can add to it, I just put them on unnecessary comments. Like I legit, this is like something that I want to hopefully um garner positive change. Please, you know, let's talk. Or talk to those in the music industry because they're people who have influence. Something that surprises me that you've said is the fact that some artists don't know that they should be doing press runs. That makes no sense to me. You can't be going to a country abroad or even doing something trying to promote a particular product of yourselves or your a project, and you don't think, oh, hey, the team let's who are the journalists that we know, which are the programs that we need to get on. You know, you don't have to go to the same ones all um all the time. Um, and then also being media trained. Yeah, I believe our people need to be a lot more media trained because my personal conviction is the fact that Zim music is very good. You guys are very versatile, there is a lot of culture in it. There's something that we can be like, oh, okay, okay, okay, okay. But then there's really, really good that is capable to be on that international level. So to hear from you saying that some people actually have kind of given up on that is a bit sad. Um, and now I want to take it more to the positive spin, like I said, like what do you feel are the positive things though that we should celebrate about the Zim music industry?

SPEAKER_00 42:05

The fact that um the majority of the artists running the show are actually youth like my age and younger. It's a positive. At least things are in place in that area, because you know, we would hate an industry where the youth bring in that energy. Yeah, and we have artists coming every year. From the time I blew up in a blink foe, same floor, a whole lot of hip-hop artists. You know, Genesis was no push industry forward because it's it's competition one, collaboration, at least we're learning from them. We are creating new sounds because of them. So now hip-hop artists can open that trap dance or uh trap dancing wave. Stuff like that, nowhere because more people are coming in the industry. Okay. So if you just stay the same, like my days, um I remember we had that situation close to close to that lockdown 2020.

SPEAKER_01 43:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:23

I remember the industry was just stagnant. Yeah. Pangabas naga movement. Pangab, like we had just my artist wow and media changer, music, yeah, to boa.

SPEAKER_04 43:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:34

Because Tango was what my artist attached my 90s, and it's a music is it. But you know, after lockdown, my new voices wana walitan. Pakao wana voice GT, pakaway wanan wanan wanan. That was a defining moment for the industry because usually you ticked out some streams, nine. Most streams are those youths.

SPEAKER_02 43:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:58

So, you know, my youth are. My youth. Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_02 44:01

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's true. So then if uh if there is someone um who's tuned into this interview and they're a musician, they are up and coming or they're quite established, but their money is not coming into the pocket. What would your advice be in terms of them um actually making their music something that's lucrative that actually pays?

SPEAKER_00 44:21

There's this problem we had Nimazim artists time and at our before before lockdown. Artists didn't have knowledge of my streams, neni nini.

SPEAKER_05 44:32

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_00 44:33

I didn't even even know YouTube in Obama and Spotify in Obama.

SPEAKER_02 44:38

So they didn't know that they could monetize.

SPEAKER_00 44:40

Yeah. I remember in that time, I was actually looking for someone who can upload my music on those platforms for free. I could even pay them to upload and get nothing because I didn't even know.

SPEAKER_02 44:55

What?

SPEAKER_00 44:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:57

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 44:57

Yeah, it's ego. It's very good. So far, and they now realize they made thousands of dollars from their music and it went to someone else. It's sad. It's sad. But when an artist knows that as you accumulate the years in your career, you're also accumulating my streams as passive income. You know, it's great knowledge. I think I think so. Yeah, people know, but you get money through shows, anima, anima brand deals. But that thing about realities and whatnot, yeah, that's that's that's a big one. Because artists, most artists even now don't even know, but they need to own their distribution and control everything. Yeah. Or maybe, maybe one of what you say is a marriage, but it's actually a lot of money. Nobody wants streams.

SPEAKER_01 45:53

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 45:55

Okay. Well, if you're watching or listening, I hope that you found something a little bit useful there. Um, I want to take it back to you, right?

SPEAKER_00 46:04

Especially I hate this thing in it game industry. People give away songs.

SPEAKER_02 46:10

People give away their songs.

SPEAKER_00 46:12

Yeah, people give away songs, which you find song, yeah, artists, etc., on this page. Oh my god. And their page is uh few songs, fewer songs than the other page, and and and and then so then how would an artist navigate that?

SPEAKER_02 46:31

Because sometimes maybe they, for whatever reason, I don't know why they would do that, but I can imagine it could be like maybe they feel like that artist is more established, they can get exposure, they've got more more um of a following.

SPEAKER_00 46:43

Like it's not a thing about artists to artists. Yeah. What I'm talking about is maybe a media house.

SPEAKER_04 46:49

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 46:50

Uploading real music on their channel, maybe because you want exposure, but how? Because when the song does blow up like you intend to, yeah. Uh if fortunately the song blows up, it means the money comes directly to you. But then it's a song by channel. Then if it blows up, yeah, when they're the ones who are gonna get the money. So it's it's it's better who invested in owning your content and uploading it yourself than go it a giveaway. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:27

Okay. So we've spoken a lot about music and you've definitely given a lot of the insight into how you've been navigating your brand. Yeah. But I do want to know a bit more about you offstage. Who are you offstage? Who are you when the cameras are off? Who are you when you are in the space by yourself, or maybe even just interacting with some your very close, close loved ones?

SPEAKER_00 47:50

I think uh one thing about me is I've managed to stay the same, uh, the same character from Volse JT to Uncle Slati is pretty much the same person. So I do not go through a lot of changes. I do not take off an armor or anything. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 48:08

So vault is not like an alter ego or anything like that.

SPEAKER_00 48:12

Yeah, I'm still Volse GT even if I'm at family gatherings. I'm still Uncle Slati even if I'm on stage.

SPEAKER_02 48:19

Do your family members fan girl you?

SPEAKER_00 48:22

Yeah, all the time.

SPEAKER_02 48:24

How do you navigate that?

SPEAKER_00 48:26

All the time. Every time I'm at uh family gatherings, there's always pictures and there's always video calls. Talk to my guy, he likes your music, talk to my friend, what, what, what, what, what. And I actually have a section dedicated for pictures. Seriously, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 48:44

What in your house?

SPEAKER_00 48:45

No, not in my house. Oh, when I go to a family. When you go to gatherings, I know that I'm going to spend uh 30 minutes or so taking pictures. And then Papa Chas went at the end of cheetah life, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:57

Okay, now I can enjoy and I can eat a little bit of bread.

SPEAKER_00 49:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 49:01

Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00 49:02

And people like to talk about music a lot, which is something I do not like. Um, I'm in your space. Let's talk about other things.

SPEAKER_01 49:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:13

So people be like, ah, my bro. Ah, so thanks, Mdara. Ah, I'm not going to say thanks like 10 times. Thanks, Mdara. Ah, so that thanks, Mdara. Ah, so no Dioji. When I am voice duty on stage, right. I'm at work, then yes, you can come with all the praises, nene, nene, nene, because we are in that mode.

SPEAKER_01 49:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:41

But when I'm sitting with you, it's very questionable. Because I'm I'm in my space.

SPEAKER_02 49:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:49

Then just treat me like a regular person. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 49:53

Okay. Well, family, you heard him. Just treat him like a regular person. Yeah. Um, okay, it's been so interesting getting an insight into you. I do want to ask you a random fact. What is your favorite meat to eat?

SPEAKER_00 50:08

Meat?

SPEAKER_02 50:08

Yeah. Do you eat meat?

SPEAKER_00 50:10

Yeah, a lot. Yeah?

SPEAKER_02 50:12

Your typical Zimbabwean. What's your favorite meat? That's a favorite treat.

SPEAKER_00 50:17

Well, because I have everyday food, like chicken, I eat chicken almost every day.

SPEAKER_05 50:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:23

But then it's not my favorite because. But I feel like you know jairiga. Yeah. You get used to it. All of us. And it's easier to consume every day. So that's the tricky question. I guess my favorite meat is the one I eat every day. Chicken. Even though I take it for granted because I get it every day.

SPEAKER_02 50:42

That's true.

SPEAKER_00 50:43

Yeah. True. I must be chicken, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:45

You want to know something random I tried yesterday. Rabbit.

SPEAKER_00 50:50

Rabbit.

SPEAKER_02 50:51

I ate rabbit yesterday.

SPEAKER_01 50:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:56

You know, I just remembered. I actually planned on on going uh on this uh to this spot that serves rabbit.

SPEAKER_01 51:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 51:07

I should have done it a year ago before I got baptized because you can't eat rabbit in your church.

SPEAKER_02 51:17

Why?

SPEAKER_00 51:18

I guess there's a lot of things I could have just ate.

SPEAKER_02 51:24

Now it's like, oh gosh. Well, I can tell you what it tastes like.

SPEAKER_03 51:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:28

Legit, listen, I know people say this about all other weird meats, right? Like, legit. For me, rabbit tastes like chicken. It tastes like roadrunner chicken. It tastes like, you know, because it's quite hard. I couldn't even finish it because I was just like, you know, and I'm one of those people that really I'm not a fan of like struggling with my food. I ate it and I thought, okay, cool. And I also wanted to, because me, I like to try new things. It wasn't just chicken stew. It was like um, it wasn't just rabbit stew, it was like rabbit with uh peanut butter. Rabbit peanut butter stew.

SPEAKER_00 52:00

What about pork? Do you like pork?

SPEAKER_02 52:02

I don't like pork. I think it's so listen, I think pork is disgusting because of the animal itself. A pig is really nasty and what it eats and and its habits. But every now and then I can, you know, like enjoy it. And I see why people like pork. Um, but like there's a time when I was living in America and I had, I didn't have a lot, I wasn't driving for a bit. And so I did not have a car to go to the supermarket. So the only place I could go to shop was like this organic place, right? At first I was like, yo, this is so expensive. But after a few months, I got used to it. And they just used to always serve like the best things, organic stuff. They had pork and whatever, but then I stopped. I wasn't really having that. Then when I came back home to the UK, I had pork one time. Yo, that thing made me sick. Sick, sick. And I realized I hadn't even had it for like three years. And so I don't really have a habit for it. Well, I don't really have a thingy for it.

SPEAKER_00 52:56

I am one of those people who never got sick of pork. Uh, pork was like the hardest, the most difficult thing I had to let go.

SPEAKER_01 53:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 53:07

Yeah, after I I got on this what, what, what, what spiritual journey. And I remember church and destroy poke.

SPEAKER_01 53:20

So you're on your way to church and you're eating some pork. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 53:25

But I used to argue, could what's wrong with pork? So you know, if you had came to Zim last year and had this podcast, I would have told you pork is my favorite.

SPEAKER_02 53:36

Yeah. But now it's just chicken. So, what is the reason that you can't eat like rabbit, pork, and all that?

SPEAKER_00 53:44

What I learned is um when the world was created, Adam and Eve, Eden, they were not supposed to eat meat at all. They were supposed to eat fruits and veggies. Uh, and then after that came the falling, the sinning, uh, and then after that came the flood, so all the plants were destroyed. So now people are allowed to eat meat just to supplement for the plants. So meat was never the original plan. It was never our food to consume. So God allowed us to eat meat because of the flood. And then the reason why meat was not consumed is because of uh health reasons, because it's another living organism, you know, consumers, you know. And it is all those other stuff. Disgusting, what what? Yeah, yeah. Even beef can be disgusting. That's if can eat diseased or whatnot, because animals can be diseased and you cannot even tell. Yeah. That's why we are allowed to eat certain meats, because at least they are guaranteed to have uh lesser chances of health hazards. Ah so if we go to an uh pork, an uh rabbit, like you said, I guess at control.

SPEAKER_01 55:11

Got it.

SPEAKER_00 55:12

Yeah, so uh diet, I don't think diet is linked to to the spirit uh directly. No, no, no. I think it's about uh health. So affecting your health is actually sinning against your body. So premarital sex.

SPEAKER_02 55:34

You be you believe eating pork is the same as having premarital sex in terms of sins.

SPEAKER_00 55:40

Because you're saying because they say there is sinning against your body and then sinning against God. So we have sins against God, like worshiping idols, uh, maybe not observing the Sabbath. Uh, like you are actually offending God directly, and then sinning against your body now. You are sinning against God, but through your body. So you are hurting your body and then offending God. So taking drugs, you know, you are sinning against your body because you're affecting your health, and then eating um prohibited foods. Wow. Because you know, you might get sick. And people do not realize our bodies are not actually ours. We were given them to fulfill our purposes. So slowing yourself down, uh, because you staff, and it's cough, obese oxa kwanza go. Oxa kwanza go.

SPEAKER_01 56:35

Yeah, that's greed essentially.

SPEAKER_00 56:36

Yeah, yeah. So I guess in good concept you do not have to live for yourself because you have a greater purpose. So if you fail to meet that purpose, wow. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 56:50

So do you believe it is wrong for people to um engage in premarital sex?

SPEAKER_00 56:56

Very, very obvious question, okay. It's obvious. But then but um from the way you say it, um at some point, that's what I'd say wrong. I guess I guess the world has become dark to that extent that we actually do wrong things, she's totally correct.

SPEAKER_02 57:20

Okay, so at some point you didn't think it was wrong.

SPEAKER_00 57:22

Yeah, at some point I thought cheating was wrong. Okay, like having sex with another person who's not your girlfriend. Yeah, yeah. And those are wrong. But actually, having sex with your girlfriend is actually wrong. Yeah. And it's a thing, you could just normalize when the moon wear it's become normal. Like if you date, you have sex and all that kind of stuff. But it's wrong. And she knows if you break one, you break all of them.

SPEAKER_01 57:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 57:53

So if you have premature sex, wow. Okay, so you mean like the money, I'm gonna swung one in a bigger, but to God, it's still the same.

SPEAKER_02 58:08

So then how do you as a young man, as a young artist in the public eye navigate that, ensuring that you pursue that purity and continue to walk uh according to what you you believe God wants you to walk according to, and also resist the temptation? Because I can imagine the girls be throwing themselves at you.

SPEAKER_00 58:30

It's difficult, especially industry, yeah. It's difficult because that's and also the surrounding industry actually. Yeah, like it's what we thrive on. You see, from the music, worldly music, it thrives on my drugs, yeah, yeah, that's just a fact, yeah. Yeah, so me being a musician wants to stay off that means my options are limited. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 59:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 59:02

So I can only open a song and let's twirk, let's do this and that. And even in any god of a song, it will push that force, you know, I need to think of another idea.

SPEAKER_02 59:14

Oh wow. So you even essentially what is that? It's disciplined your mind. Yeah, you discipline your mind to be like, all right, cool. I think I might think of this song, it's got these narratives that I don't condone. And I think it's cool, but uh uh no, I'm I'm gonna completely change and think of something else.

SPEAKER_00 59:32

Even in even listening to like music I used to listen to, yeah. That I've actually cut off among my artists and I tell that.

SPEAKER_05 59:41

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 59:41

So nowadays I just listen to to hip-hop so that I know the trends and then I know you know, wave like Jorogumbo Famba saying. But after I started listening to music, yes, and I tell you from the 2015 era and I would I was still finding myself in GGG, I then learned that my perspective, my character was shaped off of that music. Most of Genus and I live on as a young youth, as a young adult, Dijikura nini neni nini came from the music I listened to. So if I was to drink beer with the guys who never scan, it's because the Rajin So she prays were any song I listened to.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:29

Got it. So the music that you were listening to.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:30

Yeah, it didn't just come to my mind naturally with, ah, you know what? Saturday we go to the club and we do this is because I I heard a song that was talking about.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:40

So the music was very influential, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:42

So that's why in Digitri would control the music, yeah. In my listeners.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:48

Oh, give me a high fire. I love that. I really love that because musicians, there's a lot of people who are very influential in the world. Uh, musicians are among that. If you ask me personally, I think musicians are towards the top in terms of um being very influential. And I think that's also one of the reasons why I really wanted to sit with quite a number of you key musicians who I believe are literally shaping culture in Zimbabwe and being very influential. And also discussing what I think um should be improved within the industry because I think it is a key industry that should be invested in a lot more. And what better way to find out what are some of those spots that need to be improved in the music industry than to hear from those who are in it, but also at the same time, celebrating how far it has come. Guys, a couple of years ago, maybe 10, you know, seven years ago, someone said to me, yo, like, give me some bluff of an artist, maybe even longer than that. Like, I would struggle, I would struggle to one, find them, um, and find a good um, what's it called, um, music video, for example. Some could be double, but then when I look at the video, I'm like, yo, nah, this is gonna embarrass. I don't want to embarrass my people, you know. But now I'm extremely proud of like where where people like yourself have gone to and how far you have come. And I believe you know that you guys haven't even reached the limit. You know, it's gonna carry on going, and hopefully you're gonna become international. I'm I'm I'm betting on that. I'm betting on that that's happening because the world needs to hear some Babuan music, including Vault JT's music. Yeah, man. So I want to ask you a question, which is as we round up, we have a segment called Pass the Mic. And in Pass the Mic, the previous guest leaves a question for the next guest. So before you leave your question, you're gonna answer a question from Sean. He was yeah, Sean, he was the the previous guest here, of course, another artist. Um, and his question for you is what should we do for artists to not compete against each other, but work together and share stages together?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:05

That's a good question. I think healthy competition is always um needed in the industry. First of all, competition helps us grow. I became false JT because I was trying to be better than everyone who was around me.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:24

Perfect. And then also collaborations, yes, they are a pillar of the industry. Well, there's a difference between competition and beef. So I would speak against beef, but then I do not speak against competition. I actually uphold competition because we need that. So when I start from the time I blew up, and you know, time these days song, yeah. So if you if you put out a song, you ata my views, uh 10,000, 8,000, and then if you push up to 100,000, then you're certified with ah, I have a hit. You see time yet how age is an actual master doing a million every song they make. Because the industry is growing bigger.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:22

So that is needed. But push that bar forward. Okay. So that you come back and push it even further. So that's time these days, you know, to song to end up a YouTube turn on the 70,000. You know, but ah, it's close to being a hit, and then you end up 100,000. Ah, now it's a hit. But then with the growth of the industry, we attracted more numbers in the music, and we are learning from those people. So um, competition.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:55

Okay, healthy competition.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:57

Yeah, and then collaboration.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:00

I feel like most of my Zimbabwean collaborations are done because people just want to collaborate.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:05

Got it.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:06

Yeah. So I've had more a lot of artists which are my projects. And for me, to me, saying no is one of the hardest things I can do. So usually, even to the personal challenge, if I'm told, yo, folks, I need you, got, work out, work out, work out. And I know I cannot be there. I wouldn't know. Understand? Even it is all that one easy. Oh, so where I'm getting it is where I'm getting it is I've had to say no to my artist like a wander. Because then you want to, yes, you want a collaboration, and yes, you are popping, but so mean you make a sense. You understand? So I end up in usually what I do is kind of sponsor no. So it's also no creator to my refraps, me industry because when when I got a bit of a collaboration, I'm gonna feel on gay you know, wasaic. Oh, right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:13

If you refuse a collaboration, they're gonna feel some type of way.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:16

But I feel like Panyema collaborations it plays with people's egos. But my artist, when someone says no to a collaboration, it's not because you say any ego, or you're better than you. Sometimes the song is we don't.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:35

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:35

Not good, of course. But that combination is so I feel like my artists and fan of no sometimes.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:46

Yeah. Learn to say no.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:48

Yeah, among my collaborations. Because a bunch of music additions were, ah, pass ongoes quite vest, but Papa should do Nyasha David. Pasong is quo quous, but Papa should do bling four. You understand?

SPEAKER_02 1:07:00

Got it. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:02

Alright. Now you get to pass the mic to my next guest. What question do you want to ask them?

SPEAKER_00 1:07:08

So when Sean asked the question, he did not know that you were gonna be the next guest. Right, right, right. So I do not get to know the guest.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:18

If the guest comes before you leave, yeah, you get to know. But no.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:22

What do you think Zimbabwean artists need to do to go international?

SPEAKER_02 1:07:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:28

I like that. I like that.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:30

And I'm going to watch that episode because I really need to know the answer.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:34

Yeah, you should definitely watch because I think the person is quite an interesting individual, and I would really be open to finding out their perspective from it because um they've reached international stardom. The very last thing I want to ask you, Vault, is a question under the segment It's Giving Zimbabwe. Uh, essentially, what we're doing is we're retaking that narrative because I saw some videos online and you'd hear someone say it's giving Zimbabwe, but then what they were showing wasn't as positive. And I want people like yourself and myself, of course, Zimbabweans, to be taking back that narrative and telling the people out there what Zimbabwe really is about. So, your it's giving Zimbabwe question vault is as a young creative, what part of Zimbabwean culture inspires your sound, style, or mindset the most?

SPEAKER_00 1:08:31

Hip hop is not originally from Zimbabwe, so I cannot speak on my sound, but I can speak on my mindset. When we were growing up, uh I think the value that was most preached to us by our elders was respect. So you would respect uh mom's next door, some moms wago. So mwana next door, even if we should respect my wago, you cannot then go and um and shout at moms upon next door. Right. Because moms are new, I shouldn't go finding. It means a grandma, we could say marain. Yeah, because address grandma wang. So even if you know uh a lot of disrespect, especially to young people. So Panishman says you know what, this is not making sense. Of course, Morumu Numkuru anyway, but just because Morumu Numkuru, I'm going to respect you because Magafana would then. Okay. Yes, so respect. I feel like Genesis was also no impact a lot of Zimbabweans, especially in Nini in the industry. Um, if someone is older than me, recently uh Anzan Stana came out uh bashing a lot of people parties, hey, what what on stage Stana is probably the same age named wrong so nyangwe say nyangwe in that words you were saying it's hard for me because you know to kinda start so I can beef all it, but I cannot beef children. I can just swallow my ways because taking the music away, they're older than you, so you respect them. Yeah, so I feel like a lot of Zimbabwean artists come. That's why country we see now that oh serious beef thing, you still don't shoot and anyway because uh beef is not the thing. I used to I don't praise, of course. But I'm telling you, a beef are a sale.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:13

Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:16

And to every artist that will do tell it at this item.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:20

If you try to get um if you try to get clicks, if you try to get attention in a beef, it's a it's a it's a it's a fast pain fuel because it gets you nowhere. Because the crowd no one got this square, this square, Baba next in the Baboago, Maya said mayo. Yeah. So if they see you beefying one or older than you, it is going to look wrong to them.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:50

And that is a perfect way, yeah. Perfect place for us to end this conversation with Vault JT. I've learned so much about you. Um, and I hope you guys who've tuned in have also learned a thing or two. Um, Voltz, I know you got already your people who already follow you. But if there's anybody who wants to, you know, discover your music, wants to follow you on social media because they've just discovered you today, just tell them over there where they can find you.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:23

VostJT Music on all platforms, VostjT Music, Instagram, VostJT, Facebook, VosJT. I think my platforms, and it's a one. Yeah, not that hard. Animal blue checks, so just force JT Nga Budai. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:37

Keep the brand consistent. All right, guys. Thank you so much for tuning into this episode of With Nyasha Michelle. And again, we have so much more in store for you in this special season that we are recording here in Harare, Zimbabwe. It is all about this beautiful southern African nation. Thank you so much for tuning in. Um, you can follow us at with nyasha Michelle, and you can follow me at Nyasha Michelle underscore. And do not forget to like, share, subscribe, and just continue to support. I'll see you guys next time.