Staff Writer
Zimbabwean hip-hop artiste – GZE — has dropped first single Hondo NeRudo off his debut solo album simply titled Chekera.
The new single — Hondo NeRudo speaks volumes of the current state of affairs in Zimbabwe.
The sobering and poignant Hondo NeRudo also features lines that discuss the mental health issues plaguing youths who are gravitating toward substance abuse in staggering amounts.
GZE’s subjects include hunger, poverty and mental health issues and these are the problems bedeviling Zimbabwean society today.
He sings: Tarisa Brooks, hona Matapi, “if you want to see the proof crossa njani, politics, religion, massacre tactics, skiri yekukonzera panic zvitire controlla mamasses”.
These are the somber lines hat veteran rapper GZE opens his lead single from Chekera.
Using his witty wordplay and skills as the street’s disciple, GZE paints a vivid picture of the struggles that ordinary Zimbabweans confront with on a daily basis.
Born Resilience Chekere, GZE began his career in the early 2000s as part of the Urban Grooves trio aptly titled 3rinity (Trinity).
The group comprised of GZE, Vito and Andrew Msonzah. His deep raspy voice and impressive penchant for using Zimbabwean street language and marrying it with complex metaphors have earned him a dedicated cult following amongst a wide swathe of Hip Hop fans.
Melding Hip Hop with a number of genres such as R&B, Rock and the burgeoning Urban Grooves sound, they quickly captured the attention of culture.
This culminated in the group’s song Jesa being featured on the cult classic Chamhembe Plus compilation album. This song was also part of their critically acclaimed debut album Ini Iye, Naye that also featured hits such as Wadiwa Wepamoyo and Nditore.
As a savvy businessman GZE released these singles and various mixtapes independently, they sold thousands of copies via a mobile money platform.
In 2021 he released the single and video for Muchinjikwa which speaks to the social issues plaguing Zimbabwe today.
Now in 2022 GZE is preparing for the release of his debut solo album Chekera via his new management and label Point Black Africa.
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