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Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter

EVERYBODY who is able to speak can sing but standing out as an artiste is the other side of the coin that many would rather not talk about. This is because there are a lot of things that musicians do to be recognised as some of the greats the sector has ever seen.

Some take the infamous notoriety route, some prefer to lyrically keep it clean, some form groups and lean on each other while some “fake it until they make it”, but for all, the end goal is to be head and shoulders above others.

So, is it possible for creatives to be successful without corporate endorsements and record deals? Can a creative climb the success ladder on their own?

In recent history, Bulawayo creatives have raised their hands, joining forces with corporates to strengthen their brands and this has resulted in the ascent of Madlela Skhobokhobo and hip-hop poster boy, Asaph.

Madlela Skhobokhobo has been the face of many corporate brands and that has helped him gain artistic mileage.
He is the ambassador of Precision Toyota Parts and Accessories, Global Water Drillers and Ekhaya food outlets. In the past, he was the face of NetOne, Zapalala and Oasis Furniture.

Joining the bandwagon has been funny man, Ankela Zex, who is Umthwakazi Funerals’ brand ambassador.
Last year, Asaph signed with Def Jam Records and commenting on his record deal with the stable, he said that the deal is levitating him.

“Basically, I’m officially a Def Jam artiste now so all my recordings, videos and shows will be handled by the label and the team that they’ve built around me. It’s like putting a jetpack on my back shooting me straight to the stars,” said Asaph.

A lot of artistes said it’s possible to make it to the big time without corporate help but for female rapper, Swazy, it is necessary to be endorsed by corporate brands since they “complement my brand.”

Swazy

She is endorsed by local clothing brand All Imperial and she thinks it’s a great idea for artistes to work hand in glove with corporations.

“The endorsement complemented my brand. Swazy is a hip-hop artiste with swag and All imperial is a ‘swag-ful’ clothing brand. So, whenever I go on stage and I am wearing All imperial it has helped bring about that image to the masses. Wearing their merchandise has helped audiences get to know Swazy a little bit better.

“It’s important for creatives to maintain civil relationships with the corporate world because we need them to assist us with growing our brands and vice-versa. The industry is an ecosystem and we need each other to fully function and reach our potential,” she said.

Asaph

Likewise, All Imperial’s co-CEO Panashe Dylan Madziyauswa echoed Swazy, saying working with her has been a breath of fresh air.

“Working with Swazy has been really amazing. It has taught us more about the rap culture in Bulawayo and also how street wear and hip hop complement each other, she is really one of Bulawayo’s finest upcoming artistes and has a great personality as well.

The reason we chose to work with her was because she embodies the values of our brand which are Royalty and confidence with her style of rap and her personality and what she has been striving for as an artiste,” he said.

The local music sector seems to be a tough one as evidenced by a number of creatives who are finding it hard to make ends meet. — Follow on Twitter @eMKlass_49