Love or hate him, gospel rapper Mudiwa “Hood” Mutandwa has become synonymous with success in the not-so-popular genre after scooping four golden plaques at the recently-held Zim Hip-hop Awards (ZHHA).
By Kennedy Nyavaya
The awards, namely Best Hip Hop Hustle, Video of the (year for Slayin), Best Gospel Artist and Best Dressed, were an addition to his already crowded awards cabinet characterised by mostly business-inclined gongs.
Bragging about his education, elegance and achievements has attracted scorn to the Slayin singer who, however, appears unfazed by it.
Responding to questions sent to him by The Standard Style, Mudiwa said the extensive reproach provoked him to work harder.
“If you do not want criticism, do nothing, say nothing and be nothing. My critics motivate me so much and most people will be hating [sic] but I welcome them, God is in charge,” he said, attributing some of his exploits to his academic footing.
“Being educated has helped me a lot. I have a very clean and marketable brand. I believe it comes down to wise decisions I have made in the past and God’s grace.”
However, his career has also had its downs, with last year marking some of the most embarrassing moments for him when he was lambasted by musician Trevor Dongo for receiving an award on his behalf before going on to break Jah Prayzah’s award at the Style Oracle Fashion Awards.
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“Everything that happened has shaped me into the Mudiwa I have become, and believe you me, am so happy with me and where I am,” he reflected.
Apart from the braggadocio, the rapper views himself as a preacher whose lyrics are inspired by the Holy Spirit.
“It is God, I have no other way to explain it. Clean is very important but how one can maintain is God’s doing,” he said, adding that preaching has been a source of his achievements.
“Lately, we [gospel rappers] get treated with a lot of respect and are getting invites everywhere in Zimbabwe. well, the secret is just to follow and preach the true gospel!”
Largely regarded as a pioneer of rap in the gospel sect, Mudiwa is confident that the future will be as fruitful for him as 2017 has been.
“I will release another album next year and I want to do a few collabos with international artists and create a music empire that actually helps upcoming artist,” he said.
