Zimbabwean music
is on another level l tell yah. I am so totally in love with our music right
now. From hip-hop to dancehall every genre is on steroids.
This artiste that we are profiling today is a house-hold name
and you cannot talk about Zimbabwean music and not mention him. His hustle is
insane and his lyrics so on point.
It is none other than Tehn Diamond, an award winning hip-hop
artiste who is one of the best rappers in the country.
So Tehn Diamond when did your music career start?
Professionally, I'd have to say my career started in 2008 with
the release of my first mix tape, #SOTG1 - Higher Learning. Creatively, my
career started in 2006, when I started writing raps consistently. Both those
moments considered though, I'd have to say that from a financial perspective .
. . my career only just kicked off this year, not because I wasn't making money
before . . . but because I wasn't treating that money the way a good
entrepreneur would. I was still just a rapper, with rapper thoughts and rapper
goals. Get paid, get to partying. Repeat.
How
has the journey been so far? The negative and positive sides of being a
musician?
The journey's been amazing so far. I've been fortunate enough to
meet tonnes and tonnes of incredible people along the way. I've made friends
who've become like family, I've enjoyed the love & support of my growing
fan base. I've travelled; I've made good money & even better music. More
than anything I've gotten to really explore who I am, and what I believe in along
the way. It's been one of the most incredible growth experiences for me. For
me, that's all the positives. I've probably missed a whole lot of them.
The only negative would be that once this journey is over, I
don't get to do it all again. Other than that, I just try to stay with my eyes
on the prize and my heart happily on my sleeve.
Your
song Happy has over 36 000 You Tube views and it received a lot of air play on
Channel O, does this mean your music is doing well outside of Zimbabwe?
Not necessarily. It just means that there's still a whole lot
more work to do. There's videos out there clocking millions of views, I could
never look at a few thousand and think I'm really making a dent. I mean, it's a
great start, but the mission is to always be improving and building upon the
foundations we've already set. I see that 36 000 and I see a challenge, one
that I feel we're going to be able to surpass easily.
What
are you currently working on?
My goals for the year. To make inroads into the regional market
with the release of my debut solo album, The Perfect Tehn. To generate revenue
of $100 000 through my label & media company, I. Am. Tehn. | Media &
Marketing. And to successfully host a sold out local hip-hop show at The HICC
in December. That's where my heart, mind & soul are at these days. Those
three goals.
Mind you, aside from that , I'm starring in a feature film. But
that's more of a childhood dream being realised, finally. I won't say too much
on it just yet, but expect to be surprised.
Ok, so a lot of ladies
would love to know
the answer to this one:
are you in a
relationship?
Yes I am.
I have several role models really, or rather, mentors. The most
prominent ones for me being, Fela Kuti, Steve Jobs, Shawn Carter & my
father. My father more than anybody else has equipped me with a good grounding
in hard-work and just basic common sense. Traits I never fully grasped or
applied until I really started listening to the old man's wisdom, he's my hero.
Between the constant love & motivation from my mother, and his hard-hitting
truths . . . I don't believe failure can even be an option. I was raised by
these two angels, to raise hell until we reach heaven. I'm ever grateful.
If
you had the chance to do it all over again, would you still choose the music
industry or another profession?
Music was never something I chose, music has always been who I
am. So if I did it all over again, and didn't do music, that person wouldn't
me. Not anymore, not without the music.
To
a young artist struggling to get into the industry what advice or tips would
you give them?
Never give up. Always be growing. Always be learning. Ask
questions. Make moves. Never give up.
Twitter:@TehnDiamond
Pics courtesy online
God Is Love
Twitter: @EmmaNxumalo
