Listen Africa! meets Masimba, the 20-year-old Zimbabwean rapper

Masimba has been making music seriously since 2018, but it’s been a craft of his for about five years - he was inspired by his older brother.

Stage name

MaSimba 

Age

20

Who is Pineapple Sati?

I am

Background

I’ve been making music seriously since 2018 but it’s been a craft of mine for five years or so. I was inspired by my older brother (@yp.img on Instagram). I used to watch him rap and make music when I was in primary school and to me that was the coolest thing.

He is the most creative person I’ve met in this lifetime and he also put me on to people who inspired. Which basically sets up the scene for the background of my creative style as an artist. 

What is your style of music?

It’s poetry on mostly hip hop instrumentals in my opinion. It’s always based on a message so it’s conversational, in that, I hope to create a internal dialogue for any listeners.

This all sounds very unnecessarily deep, I’m fully aware, but if you listen you’ll understand what I mean. I’m inspired by J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Dave, Jon Bellion and Frank Ocean.

How many projects do you have?

Three projects and multiple singles. Maybe Tomorrow is the most recent, available on all streaming platforms.

What inspires you?

I believe everyone has an inner drive that seeks to chase their God-given passion on earth. My drive is naturally inclined in creating, more specifically creating music so that has been my biggest inspiration. Most of my song ideas are created organically from a dope sequence of lyrics randomly popping into my head. 

Biggest win yet?

I hate to be that guy but discovering who I am as an artist and as a person. My biggest win has been multiple L’s funny enough, but they’ve all brought me to a space where I’m fully comfortable in my skin and with who I am.

What inspired ‘Maybe Tomorrow’?

Maybe tomorrow is inspired by a set of verses in the book of Ecclesiastes in Bible. The section speaks about how there is a time for everything. It goes on to describe how certain feelings will come as a result of you being human, no matter how much you try avoid.

This is similar to the concept of Maybe Tomorrow which depicts different times of the day (Sunrise, Midday, Sunset and Midnight). The songs each express different emotions felt within the human experience.

And similar to how we can’t stop time and we’re forced to move on the different stages of the day, we should just accept these feelings and what’s happening. And if we mess up, we’ll try again and maybe tomorrow it’ll work out better

What does making music mean to you?

Making music means helping others. I write conscious  music because I’m generally a philosophical thinker and I engage in a lot of philosophical conversations with my friends.

I love learning the secrets of our mind and soul or history and it’s patterns. I try to share that in my music to help people bring to conscious what they’ve probably notice subconsciously.

To let them know, they’re not alone and they’ll get through whatever they’re going through. Maybe to give them advice that I’ve learned as well along the way. Subconsciously, I think I also make the music for a future version of me as well. Who needs to be told to love people better or to let go of the ones that hurt you or to not try to fit in. 

How receptive are listeners to your sound?

People who listen to me know and tell me that I have a crazy amount of potential and I accredit that to God. I know I’ll make it one day for sure but I’m honestly not in a rush. Had I made it two years ago, I wouldn’t have learned so much about myself and forced myself to grow. I’m enjoying the journey and I’m not in a rush. I’m moving with God’s pace.

What makes you happy with the music?

First and foremost, the feeling of making a song or body of work is extremely fulfilling for me. Secondly, when people reach out to me to tell me that it impacted them or that they appreciated the lyricism in the music, that feeling is pretty gratifying too. 

What’s one thing you’d never do/become as an artist?

Be disingenuous or do things to pursue clout or fame instead of being authentic and doing things to pursue influence and self happiness

Social Media:

MaSimba_Zw on Instagram and Twitter 

MaSimba Dihwa on YouTube 

Here are the song on the Listen Africa! Playlist on Apple Music, YouTube Music, Audiomack, Deezer and Boomplay;

AFRO&B

1. Cracker Mallo ft Fireboy DML - Wickedest Whyne

2. Keziri & Koel - Shimmer 

3. Tome, King Promise - Magical Fruits 

4. Deena Ade - I Want You To Change My Mind 

5. Chillz ft Mayorkun - Grateful

Afropop

6. Afroshop - Long Time Ago 

7. King Promise - Sisa 

8. Twitch 4eva - Daada

9. Peruzzi - Lagbaja 

10. Wendy Shay & Kelvyn Boy - ODO

Rap

11. Sarkodie - CEO Flow

12. Nasty C - Palm Trees 

13. Kirani Ayat - Tuesday 2nd June

14. Popsnotthefather -  On&On

15. Benzeman x Murasta - Paka Permit 

Alternative

16. Kemena Music - Ibadan 

17. Kwam 1 - Awade 

18. Swsh - Come With Me

19. Worlasi - Nukata 

20. Just A Band - Probably For Lovers 

16. #ListenAfricaExtra - Here are additional bits of content from the past week;

    1. You can watch Buzz Discoveries with Headies nominee, Hotyce below;

    2. You can read Motolani Alake’s interview with Temi Gomez, about how to manage a BBNaija contestant from the real world HERE.

    3. Here are the best 15 Nigerian producer-artist combos since ‘99.

    4. Read a review of Chyme's EP, Acknowledgement HERE.

    5. Fu’ad Lawal, Editor-In-Chief at Zikoko starts a newsletter, Vistanium.

    6. Veteran Culture Journalist, Ayomide Tayo launched the first installment of his newsletter, Naija Times.You can also get his podcast, 234 Essential HERE.

    7. Veteran Journalist and Tech professional, Chiagoziem Onyekwena also manages GetDotAfrica, a weekly newsletter on happenings in African Tech.

    8. Nigerian writer and political commentator, Ayo Adio started a newsletter, Beyond The News.

    9. Davido Adeleke, Head of Communication at Eko Atlantic started Communique, a newsletter.

    10. Veteran Nigerian Journalist and Director of Marketing at OPay, Osagie Alonge is back with a new podcast titled, A Music In Time.

        You can get the playlist on all five streaming platforms HERE.

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        Shoot us an email for playlist inclusion or a feature: curatealisten@gmail.com