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Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Correspondent

THE Zimbabwe Hip-Hop National Society (ZHNS) which is behind the Vaccine album that featured artistes from the country’s 10 provinces is set to be officially launched next month.

The society was set up to help form structures for hip hop musicians across the country.

ZHNS secretary, Sebastian Black said the forthcoming launch where members will be unveiled comes after the association was registered under the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ).

“The Zimbabwe Hip-Hop National Society is now a registered body under NACZ and is being launched this coming July. More will be revealed at the launch, but before then, the steering committee will begin a communications programme that should cover the whole hip-Hop sector.

“ZHNS is a trade association for the hip-hop industry. Because the industry has emerged as powerful in Zimbabwe, we saw the great need to form this trade association,” said Black.

He said the registration process was successful due to the members’ commitment and unity.

“It all began with an extensive discussion that had players from all provinces. They gathered and the outcome was glorious as people got to chat about how to make the industry more effective and efficient.”

Of major concern, Black said is the lack of acceptance of the genre locally.

“From research, it was concluded that even those (hip hop artistes) who’re doing well aren’t as well off as other artistes in other genres or their counterparts in other countries. This makes it important for this industry to be more coordinated.

“Realising this need, members decided to prove how responsible they were as artistes to the environment they operate in as they worked on an album to fight the Covid-19 pandemic which they named ‘The Vaccine’,” said Black.

From Bulawayo, members include GTL, uSmokey Joint, YAMATO, Cruza Hemzy, iiSSy Molly, Kuly and Phana while those from Matabeleland South are T Ron Sparta, Jori Mahlang, Jae Parblo and Lil Tash.

Basically, Black said ZHNS seeks to help establish a favourable operating environment, provide a forum for discussion on non-competitive issues and provide information to assist its members in conducting their business.

“We can assure hip-hop artistes across the nation that when we’re done setting up the industry, it will be totally embedded in all communities in a way that it’ll be so hard to undo. We’ll even witness more players joining the industry, even from other genres, because this is brand new and the greatest thing around. Hip-hop is the number one genre in Zimbabwe and the most paying, believe that,” said Black. – @mthabisi_mthire