The Sunday News
Sithatshisiwe Gwaza, Sunday Life Reporter
WHEN the late Cal_Vin first started getting national attention, it was after Cassper Nyovest, South Africa’s hottest rapper at the time, liked one of his songs and requested to feature on a remix of it.
A cosign, as it is known in the world of hip-hop, can go a long way in boosting a career and this was exactly what happened to the Luveve boy. Now Clifford “Cliff Jeans” Phiri is eyeing a similar boost after another South African music heavyweight, Khuli Chana expressed interest in featuring in his song, Story Yiso after he heard it on ZiFM.
Cliff Jeans, whose music journey began in 2012 when he begun producing and promoting his music own music, believes he might have caught his big break.
“Khuli Chana had an interview on Zi FM and my joint Stori Yiso played. He loved it and thought it was a hit, and that’s why he asked if he could work with me”, stressed Cliff.
When he heard the song during his interview, Khuli Chana gave a nod to Cliff Jeans’ craftsmanship and immediately asked to put a verse on a reworked version of the song.
While nothing has been realised from the proposed collaboration as of yet, the rapper said he was confident it would see the light of day soon as all good things take time to come to fruition.
Many have said that the rapper is one of the disciples of the late Cal_vin, who he worked with before his untimely passing last year. However, he still credits his hardworking mother for his career.
“My path has always been God, mum and obviously the streets, and my mother’s struggle made me the Cliff Jeans you all know today. I used to see her hustle and as soon as I started connecting that to hip-hop, it all made sense.
“People think the late Cal_Vin gave me the inspiration and motivation to do music, however, that is not entirely correct as the credit goes to my mother, God and the streets I grew up in,” he said.
Nonetheless he told Sunday Life that he understands the source of such talk as the light that Calvin shed on him made a significant difference in his career as people started to admire him after their song together.
As one that does not bask in accolades, Cliff Jeans says making music for people is his biggest achievement, as no award can match the feeling of satisfaction he gets from doing so.
“Although I was awarded the Matabeleland North award it didn’t feel like success but actually felt and feels like motivation for me to do my works,” he mentioned.
As one of the young voices in hip-hop today, the rapper believes that he is not just making records, but he is painting a picture of history as it happens. The Bulawayo rising star said he expects a great song and if possible, more tracks from the collaboration with Khuli Chana.
“Once the best is set to play, good music for people is a guaranteed product and I believe nothing moves the hearts of the people than good music,” he said.
