Yo! It was lit and dope.

The recently held Rise of Zim Hip Hop live event lived up to the billing. This was probably one of the first and first of its kind strictly hip hop event that brought together some of the freshest and dopest hip hop talent from Zimbabwe. A cocktail of MCs, Djs, beatboxers spiced up by two refreshing hosts comedian Ray Vines and Ruva.

By Plot Mhako, Earground

Hosted by Zvigaba Foundation and Mukukuzvi events with support from FoodIcon and Zimpapers TV Network, the livestream concert was headlined by hip hop queens Kikky Bada$$, Tashamiswa,  Natasha Muz, and their male. counterparts Crooger, Probeatz, Union 5, asaph, Tanto Wavie, Beav Vity, award winning Ti Gonzi, R Peels and DjAce FRVR.

Every artist on the lineup put up some real effort in their delivery, however some stole the limeline than others. Tashamiswa brought the biggest surprise for the day. The girl can spit bars of fire and has got the groove and vibe. Not to be outdone were the other two female MCS, Kikky and NatashaMuz. Whoever made the selection of artists knew what they were doing. The acts had so much energy and sassy.

The decision to have female artists well represented was a very noble one. We need more of this.

Ti Gonzi gave a spirited performance proving why he deserved the accolades he received last year and early 2020. The trio of R Peels, Tanto Wavie, Crooger also impressed. Union 5 …… now i see what MR Eazi had noticed for him to include the rapper-cum-beatboxer into his Empawa project. The boy is wow! His combination with celebrated beatboxer and also an MC, Probeatz was magical.  That creative chemistry is what we have for long been craving for. The beatbox set could have been longer though!

Asaph came through with a lively set.  I loved it.

What i found strikingly intriguing is how the organisers managed to put together hip hop heads in one space, some that have had some beef going on. The move was well thought and signified the unity of purpose which is needed for the culture to move forward.

 

In the past local hip hop was frowned upon and never getting primetime on national platforms and corporate support but the recent event which happened a week after the One House concert and the raging Gze and Noble Stylez beef has propelled Zim Hip Hop on the mainstream.

Overall, the event was a great success. The sound, lighting, visuals were on point. Everything flowed from one act to the other. However there is room for improvement especially from the artists. The hip hop sector has for long been crying for corporate investment and support and the support from Zvigaba and their associates can not go to waste. Hip Hop heads, dont lose this! Do away with lip-syncing and rehearse your acts and bring that A-game. Its possible!

I caught up with the organisers of the event to get their feedback on the outcome of the event and what the future holds.

“The Zvigaba Foundation is very pleased with the outcome. This was the first Hiphop event to ever be broadcast live from Zimbabwe and the public response so far has been generally positive. The event was able to show the talent, energy and lyricism we have in Zimbabwe Hiphop culture despite adverse conditions. Many artists were discovered for the first time, highlighting a great need for investment and development of art and youth culture programs in Zimbabwe. We would like to thank ZTN for allowing us to use their platform to have these young voices heard.” the official said in a statement.

Is this the end or we are going to see another strictly hip hop show.

Zvigaba said, “I think the obvious next step is “Rise of Zimhiphop Part 2”. We have already started talking with some big Zimhiphop artists who are ready to participate. However, our goal is to also showcase new talent. We think the next show will be bigger with better sponsorships and we are very excited about the project”

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