Don’t hijack our music, HolyTen tells CCC

Don’t hijack our music, HolyTen tells CCC

Nevanji Munyaradzi Chiondegwa

Hip-hop artist HolyTen, who recently had a collaboration with Zimdancehall chanter Winky D on his new album Eureka has made an impassioned plea to political activists, journalists and lawyers not to politicise his work.

This came after political activist cum-journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, Nelson Chamisa, Fadzayi Mahere and Stanley Gama among others had taken turns to push a drive to give a political slant to Ibotso, a song in which HolyTen collaborated with the self-styled Gaffa President.

Hopewell Chin’ono had said, “This new Winky D song called Ibotso is slapping harder than any stuff produced in 2022. It is a collaboration with Holy 10. The song talks about looter who steal public funds using political power, and use the police for brutality with the help of spies.”

In a tweet fired off early yesterday morning, the highly agitated young singer who fancies himself, “Treasure from Zimbabwe, Leader of the Youth, Speaker of the Truth” flatly and roundly denied this interpretation of his collaboration saying, “Activists, journalists, lawyers – Split opinions will not do any good for a brand that’s trying to serve & save everyone so help me by not acting like I’ve picked a side. Do not politicize a project that I’ve considered a mere honor to be a part of. I regret it now honestly.”

The Speaker of Truth clarified that his focus was not political at all as he was against drug peddlers and drugs saying, “It’s actually the truth that I want spoken. My war is with the jazzman, please let me fight guka. Those with degrees know the proper ways of solving these political disputes. 1 Corinthians 12:11 – we have different gifts.”

He said that he prefers to be the meeting point were after people have opposed each other and differed, his music and that of other artists becomes the meeting point for the differing views and all appreciate the work.

Stanley Gama, Chamisa and Mahere and even highly respected journalist Brezhnev Mahlaba had all taken turns to add their political intepretation of the song leading the young artist to ask, saying, “Is it fair? Since the people I’m trying to help use the same drugs, why can’t they also listen to the same artist. My career can’t be divided by political opinions I’m really here for everyone.”