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Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter

THE need to flex bars, metaphors and exhibit rhymes has been a trigger for many rappers, but for Chief Capone (born Tony Chihota) the rap game became his thing, thanks to a heartbreak when he was in his teens.

In conversation with Saturday Leisure, the one half of rap duo A-Peace-of-Ebony spoke of his ascent in the rap game, authorship career and his narrating stint which has made him the man he is today.

“Betrayal and heartbreak were my initial triggers when I wrote my first rhyme in Grade Six when I was eleven years old.

I got dumped by two girls who were best friends and I had a thing with them. When they dumped me, I wrote my first rap which was about ‘unfaithful women’ who betray one. After that, I went to Russia for five years and came back and became close to The Hitman, Hosea Singende who was with then Radio 3 (now Power FM Zimbabwe).

“He was one of the pioneers of the station and had the first hip-hop show called, ‘The Raptivity Jam’ which was the first of its kind in Zimbabwe in 1991. I started hanging out with him and carried his records around when he played at different venues. I guess he knew I could rap and one night, he put me on the spotlight and announced that I was a ‘Russian rapper’ and I had no choice but to deliver. I started rapping and people loved it. At that point in time, it dawned on me that I could really do this and I was born for this, “ he said.

From “Tony” to “Russian rapper” to Chief Capone, Chihote’s hip hop journey was carved and no rear view mirror was in sight. His eyes were set on the prize.

The rap game is synonymous with notoriety and infamy, which, in turn, destroys careers even before they take flight. For Chief Capone, it has been more than three decades, a feat he attributes to the love of the music.

“I have been able to survive many years in the game because of the love of the music and the camaraderie that comes with it. My partner, Herbert Schwamborn aka Metaphysics from A-Peace-of-Ebony has been my life-long friend for over 30 years. Making music with him has kept me in the game and the other various friends that I’ve met through the music business have made me creative, fulfilling and so much fun.

Longevity has been part of that whole experience, “ said Chief Capone. Chief Capone and Metaphysics have been able to release only two albums, “From The Native Tongue (1992) and Pioneers (2022) and three singles, H-town, Temptation and Don’t Slow It Down.

“It has been quite a long time since we released our two albums and it’s down to managerial contractual problems and also, the transition from teenage hood to adulthood saw us evolve in different ways as each of us went their own way in search of their identity. We ended up in different parts of the world and did different projects.

“Metaphysics ended up with Sohne Mannheims, an award-winning German pop band while I was busy on other projects. We are back now, celebrating our 30th anniversary and to do a tribute for our late sister, Chiwoniso Maraire who we met when we were doing our second song in the studio. She blew us away in a freestyle cypher and after that, A-Peace-of-Ebony was born, “ he said.

Chiwoniso Maraire

Besides rhymes, bars and metaphors, Chief Capone has tried his hand on the authorship side of things, penning the first Zimbabwean hip hop autobiography, “The Beginning.” He also directed and narrated it.

Given a chance, Chief Capone would collaborate on a project with the Under Pressure hitmaker, nascent rapper Saintfloew, Mr ABX, Nutty O, the Harare-bound “Boss” Rick Ross and Buju Banton with whom the group has been in constant contact with since his visit to Zimbabwe in the 1990s.

The group has dabbled on Pro G’s SUMMERTIME 16s Remix with Begotten Sun and Munetsi and after this, the duo will be working on an Afro beat, hip-hop song with Chengeto Brown. This will be the start of a massive collaboration drive A-Peace-of-Ebony will be engaging in soon. – @eMKlass_49.