The Chronicle
Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter
THE evolution of hip-hop music has seen a lot of artistes with potential rising to the occasion.
One of the nascent talents to emerge in Bulawayo is Sparks 45 who is readying the launch of his album next month.
Sparks 45 (real name Tanaka Leeroy Moyo) has vowed to change the face of local hip hop with his soon-to-be-released album, “I don’t know you.”
Sparks 45’s love for music was evident at an early age as he used to listen to a lot of West Life.
He says that’s the reason why most of his melodies are emotional and soulful.
At the tender age of ten, Sparks started writing his music.
At that time, he wanted to be a rapper, one would even say fantasised about it, so he started rapping but it wasn’t serious.
In high school that’s when he entered a real studio.
Sparks continued rapping but the money for studio time wasn’t enough.
“At times, I would get the money but I never liked how my songs were mixed and mastered. I wasn’t feeling the beats as well, ” he said.
After that, he began mixing his songs but the sound was not that good.
“I was patient with what I was doing and I became better with time. GTi always gave me some tutorials from youtube so that I could learn and it helped me more, ” said Sparks 45.
He later met up with Uno X.O who introduced him to a different hip hop sound, the trap sound, and it changed him creatively.
“I remember this other time Uno telling me to start making beats but I didn’t want to cause I had tried making beats a few years ago and the end product was not so good. So, I continued as a mixing engineer. I then decided to stop rapping because I wasn’t part of everyone’s Top 5. I didn’t want to be just a rapper. I wanted more, ” he said.
So, eventually, he stopped rapping altogether and just stuck with mixing vocals only. To him, being a mixing engineer made him feel basic.
“I then decided to make beats because I wanted to be so relevant and make sense to almost everyone.
“I was patient and I became better with time. I’m more of an emotional producer than a wave or trends man. Some artistes do emotional music because of what they go through. It’s the same with me. Instead of singing or rapping, I then put my feelings on the beats, ” said the rapper.
So far, the young rapper has worked with artistes like Uno xo, Boynino, Asaph, RPeels, Crisswiss, The dot, M.U.S.E, GTI, Lee McHoney, Indigo Saint, Kinah The Music, Lord Skeelz, Seven Mzistozz, J Dumza, JellyfromtheB, BDY and Brucella to name a few.
On the EP, Sparks 45 collaborated with the late Cal_Vin, RPeels, JellyfromtheB, Asaph, BDY, CushTheKid and Lee McHoney.
Sparks, no stranger to pressure and working with the best has also produced culture clash cyphers as well as Zim hip-hop awards cyphers.
Sparks 45 is also involved in a project called Her story. This girl child empowerment drive is set to benefit 30 female artistes and Sparks 45 will produce songs for them. – @eMKlass_49
Article Source: The Chronicle