‘I am not going to be underground for long’

Peter Matika, Showbiz Reporter
Changamire Hip-Hop Awards 2021 best underground artiste of the year, King Dube has boldly declared that he has what it takes to be recognised as a mainstream rapper.

He said he was confident that his versatility and game-changing lyrics will soon propel him to dizzy heights.

Dube, who has been an underground rapper for a while, said he will no longer be an underground artiste as he wants to claim his rightful place.

Following the release of his The Rebirth album earlier this year, King Dube was nominated and selected as the Best Underground Artist of the year by Changamire Festival which was held recently.

“It feels good to be nominated as the Best Underground Artiste of the Year. Its progression but honestly, I’m aiming for bigger accolades as I’m not going to be underground for long,” said Dube.

Born Andrew Mhlengi Dube, King Dube was born in Tokyo, Japan and at the age of seven, he relocated to Canada from Zimbabwe. He grew up in a place called Halifax, Nova Scotia, an Atlantic Ocean port in eastern Canada, the provincial capital of Nova Scotia. The province has a rich African Canadian history.

At the age of 16, King Dube moved to Toronto, Ontario where at the age of 17, he was forced to drop out of school because his mother, a single parent could not afford the fees.

“I decided to drop out of school and try hustling so I could take care of myself and my family. At the age of 18, I was out living on my own.

This is also when I decided to start rapping.

“My inspiration to make music came from the environment I grew up in — Halifax. It was a ghetto rich in African-Canadian history and that’s where my love for Hip Hop and RnB started,” said King Dube.

He said it was the ghetto environment that nurtured authentic hip-hop because he was living among drug dealers, pimps and prostitutes.

“Sadly, some of these people ended up being who we looked up to because they were the only successful black people you would see,” said King Dube.

He said this exposure influenced his music as he raps about a lot of diverse issues such as love, hate, betrayal, trauma, poverty, racism, happiness, determination, money, power, respect, violence, loyalty and royalty among many others issues.

“I try to use my music to paint a picture of my life and as such ninety percent of the music I create is full of facts and stories that can be recalled,” he said.

One of his most painful stories that he sings about is that of his brother, Thabang Tshabalala who was shot and killed by police in Halifax.

Following Tshabalala’s death, King decided to grow dreadlocks which he did not cut until The Rebirth’s release making the album quite sentimental.

King Dube, who returned to Zimbabwe two years ago, said he decided to explore Zimbabwe’s music industry. He spent a year working on understanding the music scene while also working on The Rebirth.

King Dube who has since established a record label in Harare, DMM Records with an aim of signing African acts, hopes to see it grow as his aim is to be the next Sony or Universal Records. So far, he has collaborated with Ti Gonzi, Kikky BadA$$ and Emperor Fusion.