The Sunday News
Peter Matika, Senior Life Reporter
JUST when you thought it was safe to turn on your radio, Bulawayo’s underground hip-hop has just let loose yet another phenomenal rapper — Maestro IV.
Born Melusi Nyathi, Maestro dropped his red-hot album — Married to the Game — in August last year and it promises to be 2017’s biggest rap album.
After listening to his latest project called Top JITA 2.0 — Married to the Game, it is safe to say that Bulawayo hip-hop has matured.
With this album being his second, after his debut 16-track album titled Spaza Weekend released in 2015, Maestro IV is definitely out to change the game and could challenge even the country’s biggest hip-hop names, as he is setting a pace comparable to none.
“My music tells a story about me to the world,” he says.” It talks about my life, which is a cross section of other people,” he adds.
With many artistes coming up releasing fresh beats, Maestro IV assures he is not a fly-by-night and is here to stay, hence the name of his album.
His ability to easily throw punchlines, while carefully mixing them with rhymes is his best talent.
“I have performed at the Shoko Festival, and the Bigger than Hip-Hop show to mention a few. I have even managed to collaborate with a couple of big names such as POY, Munetsi from Harare, an artiste from South Africa and many others,” said Maestro IV reminiscing of how he ventured into the industry.
He began throwing bars and rhymes while he was still young, as he says he took after his late father who was a musician.
“I grew up in a musical background, my late father Jerry Nyathi also known as JB was a musician,” he said.
Maestro IV writes, records, produces and basically does his own music, as he said he runs his own studio.
He is the CEO and Founder of CMG, Chilliaphonia Music Group.
Talking about his debut project, which featured the hit track Majaivana Back and a few other hot singles, such as Holy Grail, Maestro IV said he earned at least 12 000 downloads in the first days of its release.
“It wasn’t for sale, it was a free project and people liked it,” he said.
Hisalbum however, comes in two packages, the standard version which is the album and is going for $4 and there is the gold version which contains all the 23 tracks plus a Top JITA cap and earphones.
“There has never been a better time to be a musician than now. People now appreciate local content than before and 2017 will be my year. I see myself growing locally and internationally,” he said.
With many of his tracks playing on local stations, Maestro IV says he is seeking to forge international relations with artistes.
“I have done a couple of videos as it is for my latest album and fans should expect them to drop anytime soon,” he said, saying that he was inspired by the environment he lives in, especially by the youths.
@peterkmatika
