Zubz is a Southern African Rapper, born in Kasama, Zambia. He relocated to Harare, Zimbabwe with his family, it was while growing up in Harare that he fell in love with Hip Hop and became an active contributor to the culture through school variety shows.
Who or what got you into Hip hop and Poetry?
My earliest memory of creative writing and storytelling with wordplay was when I was about 7. I used to write award-winning, short fiction stories and poetry in primary school. I would read a lot ( and I mean a hell of a lot) of books on science fiction and fantasy as well as poetry. By the end of my primary school years I had won regional writing competitions and the highest poetry honours at school. So by the the time I started hearing hip hop on the radio and falling in love with the culture in my early high school years, I had already been enchanted by wordplay, storytelling and rhythm. While I know a lot of this was inherited from my forebears and from past lives, I think my English teachers, early authors and even early childhood television had a huge hand in introducing me to the art of wordplay.
What’s the first song that made a lot of people Love or Know Zubz More?
The first Zubz song played on SA radio must have been in 2002, I believe, track called The Origins featuring a lady I had formed a duo with named Hope Chisenga, a Zambian from Botswana. Bad Boy T played that for the first time on YFM and I remember how it changed people’s view of me from being a battle MC from the streets to an actual artist who could write dope songs. But it was only when we did Family of One from the Expressions compilation that I think people across the country began to recognise and connect with me as Zubz, the Hip Hop artist in Jo’burg.
I remember sitting in Gabi Le Roux’s studio (who was a Kwaito producer at the time) and hearing his views on why he enjoyed my use of the family metaphor as SA social commentary. By the time my debut album dropped in 2004, a huge cohort of music lovers had gotten to hear and know me because of that song.
What is the Difference Between SA hip hop compared to other African Countries?
In our formative era (the early 2000s) African Hip Hop and SA Hip Hop were very similar; very US influenced in the sound and slang. The rest of the continent had a much more socio-political, social struggle slant to it content-wise, while SA Hip Hop brought vibes to the landscape, with more interpersonal themes like love, partying and success. Over the years, as Hip Hop on the continent developed its own region specific flavour and began straying from the US-heavy influence, SA hip hop became pretty dominant in its aspirational quality as the rest of the continent added more vibes and dance to their approach to the genre, straying away from the political leaning. Nowadays, SA Hip Hop seems like its become very similar to the rest of the continent again (and the rest of the world, I feel) in terms of the sound scapes, while maintaining a uniquely SA flavour with the slang and swag.
Would you Say SA Hip hop is slowly losing the touch of street freestyles rap battles and focusing on commercial hip hop or everything is balanced?
The commercial allure of hip hop is nowhere near as influential as it used to be, so I would say it’s pretty balanced. From what I can tell, there isn’t a real “commercial” vs “street” vibe anymore in the hip hop landscape. The emphasis now seems to be on defining ‘characters’ as opposed to sounds. Everything seems like it overlaps into each other, including the new-school vs the old-school leaning. I believe this is because the modern-day custodians of hip hop culture are much more appreciative of the old school even as they create new joints. There is more of an openness to, and acceptance of, style, era or even genre, by the modern hip hop artist and I love this about them. Literally, they go from tweaking out and slurry one minute, to boom-bap and lyrical the next. It’s fascinating to watch! Even the audiences seem to be in lock-step with this energy, having no real regard for rules and limitations, only focussed on a “live and let express” type of mentality. I don’t even think there are even any standards of skills-levels to compare cats to each other against anymore, as we aren’t in an “apples to apples” comparison game anymore: every fruit in the basket in different and unique. It’s pretty incredible to see in realtime.
In 2024 you were Celebrated on Back to the City Festival for your Iconic Album “Listener’s Digest”… What did that Mean to You?
That acknowledgement meant a lot to me. To be alive and able to receive those flowers, even as many of my peers aren’t able to do the same, is no small thing. I shared that moment on stage with Amu (whom I consider one of my own influences, not just a peer) as well as young Shabzi Madallion ( I consider him my nephew). So to represent that 20 years’ worth of an album with an intergenerational presence of artists on stage that I love and call my family really was an awesome moment for me. I hadn’t experienced hearing “Handiende” being sung back at me by a thousand people at once in a few years, so to celebrate that moment with people who have been as touched by the music as me was a big deal. We also shared a once-in-a-lifetime rendition of Heavy 8 I won’t ever forget. I’m grateful to the BTTC family for making that happen with me.
What are you Expecting to See on this Year’s Back to the City Festival?
I expect the usual solid representation of both legends and mavericks as well as trailblazers, with up and coming artists given a massive stage to shine as well. I expect to feel more of that raw hip hop energy we all connect with, not just in Africa but the world over. I also expect to learn even more about the game! Every time BTTC happens, we all seem to leave having learnt a ton about our favourite artists, new artists and even ourselves! It’s always a trip. Oh, and of course the reunion with my fellow OGs. Some of them I only get to see once a year, so it’s a privelage I don’t take lightly.
Zubz The Last Letta… What’s the Story Behind This Stage name?
Well ‘Zubz’ evolved from “Ndabs” (Ndabaningi is my full first name) and I have been called that since I was a kid. I remember for one of the poetry competitions we spoke about earlier, we had to come up with nom-de-plumes for our pieces and not use our real names; I called myself “Lub Dubs” (I thought I was being clever cos I was writing from the heart and when it beats, it goes ‘lub-dub-lub-dub’)! The ‘Last Letta” part is really just because Zubz begins and ends with a “Z”,….alpha and omega, type thing. My aka “The Golden Mic Holder” was literally because I would perform with my golden microphone everywhere I rapped, and it represented ‘annointing’ like the song “Legend of The Golden Mic” from my debut album. Names are crazy like that. You can almost write a whole thesis on artist names and monikers, especially after a multidecade career.
Who can you say is the Best Rapper in Africa and why?
Of course this is always subjective so the only criteria is “because I said so” which doesn’t really hold up to much scrutiny, right. But my answer to this generally stays consistently Tumi (Stogie T). For me, he fits that title perfectly, “Best” cos he’s an incredibly gifted writer and performer, “Rapper” because he truly understands and respects the artform, and “Africa” because he has carried the continent on his back across the world so many times and has done us proud every single time. Few others (Jabba, Reggie Rockstone etc) can also be said to do the same.
What can we expect from Zubz next?
More music, for sure, I don’t believe musicians are even capable of retirement. These days most of my fun with the power of the spoken word happens at the intersection of Art and Tech, so that’s where I’m at for the foreseeable.
Shout Outs to?
All your folks, the consumers of these Rap Type joints you put out as well as your whole team that creates them with you. We are all united by our love for a thing Africans created and Americans popularised and the globe owns; hip hop culture. Shout out to you!
