• There is good music that addresses the politics of the day reflecting people’s feelings towards a political system.

    During the second Chimurenga, the Late Comrade Chinx held the gun and the mic to see to it that Zimbabwe got liberated. There were groups such as the Light Machine Gun which played a huge role in the same time.

    Equally instrumental during that time is Chimurenga music icon Dr Thomas Mapfumo who got more vocal post-Independence denouncing corruption bleeding the economy of Zimbabwe with hard hitting songs. These songs which were quasi-treasonous forced him into exile in United States of America. In an atmosphere appearing like a new sense of hope, Dr Mapfumo returned home after 14 years in exile to perform for Zimbabweans and could not retract his zero tolerance to corruption.

    In 2017, when Jah Prayzah was about to launch the album Kutonga kwaro, there were accurate forewarnings that Emmerson Mnangagwa was to rule the nation of Zimbabwe. The ‘prophets’ renamed the album to Kutonga kwaro Garwe referring to ED.

    Inasmuch as the Uzumba bred singer denied the song having political undertones, he was proved wrong as in 2017, the overtures were overwhelming.

    Kutonga kwaro was the theme song of the march to dislodge Robert Mugabe in November. The incumbent President is known for his dance moves of slow flapping his hands like wings whenever this song is played.

    Let’s not talk much of talented Zimdancehall chanter Soul Jah Love, he sings for his supper and to save his face. Whoever is in leadership ie Zanu PF, deserves a praise and worship song from him or her. He once praised former President Robert Mugabe and wife Grace only to change goalposts towards ED after the coup.

    As these aforementioned songs and musicians are just lopsided either way, an explosive track was just about a due pregnancy of twins. Fighting twins though.

    The duet of Noble Styles born Prince Noble Butawu and Blacperl whose real name is Chiedza Maswera was not periphrastic, beating about the bush evading political persecution by hiding behind the finger of creativity over politics. I listened to the song when it was released having as much impact then.

    After Ma Election unlike the bubblegum music with Zhing Zhong expiry dates stand the test of time as it is still as relevant as day of release. It still appeals to the current economic meltdown as before.

    More than two months after release given the prevailing economic ‘cholera’ with symptoms like panic buying, rapid increase of prices of basic commodities, shortage of fuel and medicine coupled with heinous pricing of medicine, a revisit of the song makes it more impactful. Enough of the political jingles Zimbabweans longed for a song that depicts the emotions of people towards politics of the day. Lest we forget that Hip Hop was birthed as a subculture to challenge the social and political systems in America.

    Check the song here

    Emotions were indeed on overdrive in the run up to the elections where political protagonists namely Zanu PF and MDC Alliance had to outdo each other through the ballot. The overdrive has transcended even After Elections.

    Forget about scenarios where one singer drops a track then another trails or catches up with a reply. While hardcore Hip hop was largely a radical movement against an unfavorable political situation, the beautiful arrangement of the song is the balance of giving one another the right to reply instantly. One supports the status quo while the other rebukes it.

    The song takes a background where both rappers conjoin creativity and political affiliation.

    Both artists express their political association on social media where Noble bluntly supported Zanu PF tipping it to win as Blacperl on the other hand yearned to see MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa win the much coveted leadership.

    The song After MaElections was in every sense of the word prophetic. Following the 2008 and 2013 Elections were pregnant with rigging claims leading to Zanu PF’s clenched fist hold to power, all signs were tilted to them winning again. However, like a coin, with the popularity and confidence garnered by Chamisa, the winner could come from either side.

    In the song, Noble’s renewed support of Zanu PF once led by the tyrannical nonagenarian to be under the helm of a septuagenarian, shows unflinching conviction that it would win. He cites its tears of experience, the support by elderly. He opens up the song.

    “Party yangu inoziva all the tricks in politics nemadhara anewisdom. (My party knows all the tricks in politics with its elderly wisdom.),” he chants and mocks Chamisa’s promises of better infrastructure. “: Bullet trains spaghetti roads party yako ndeyekurota (Bullet trains, spaghetti roads, your party has too much fantasies.)”

    In the song he maintains his unwavering support for this party citing some unpopular programs such as Indigenisation, land reform. He also notes the 1980 independence and having War Veterans by their side.

    Reflecting political situation which is all about having the last laugh, Blacperl hedges up her game with counterpunches to Noble’ bars.

    Interestingly, her sentiments in After Elections released before the Elections still hold water up to this day.

    “Economy haigadzirwe nekuti pasi nemhanduuu (The Economy cannot be fixed with slogans as Down with our enemies),” she mimicks one of ED’s famous slogans.

    Like a handicapper trying to predict the winner of an event, when ED was declared the winner it seemed Noble had won the rap and political battle packaged in the song. The victory was to be buttressed by the Constitutional Court hearing where figures were disregarded as fictitious.

    Noble’s mettle was to be tested in time whether he killed it or not. The current situation where Noble’s chalk (Betting word for a favorite in the game) is grasping at straws taxing the poor to recoup monies lost in the past, allocating forex to allay fuel crisis, confiscating retail licenses from those raising prices ridiculously, reneging on the union of RTGS and US$ to separate the two, the 2 percent surcharge to mention but the few which affects everyone leaving no sacred cow.

    The economy is bleeding profusely. Blood is oozing everywhere with the splatter sprayed on Chamisa’s supporters and ED’s fanatics and loyalists alike.

    Who has the last laugh? Is the question. Feeling cheated twice by Zanu PF which controls the ConCourt and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission were MDC Alliance supporters. This anger reached a boiling point where they developed a wait and see approach on Zanu PF. The approach was to find out how even after appointing a famed financial technocrat holding a colourful curriculum vitae christened Professor Mthuli Ncube as the economic messiah. The Minister of Finance and Economic Development. He is the author of the unpopular austerity measures. Barely hundred days into office, Zimbabwe’s economy looks dim and dull with him at the helm despite the bright resume. This leaves him more the bomboclat than the technocrat he is assumed to be.

    Back to the song, Blacperl as a Chamisa supporter laughs the longest as she has some solace of telling Noble that his party is clueless as it does not know how to end bank queues.

    “…maBank Queues achiriko hapana chachinja (Nothing has changed (in the New Dispensation for we still see bank queues,)”she says.

    More so, the Zanu PF supporters represented by Noble must feel betrayed for straying their vote into the wild for nothing promised has materialized as promised. Worse yet, the situation has escalated from worse to worst.

    After all is said and done, Zimbabweans resonate with reverberations as Blacperl that, “Party yangu ndiyo answer nyika inoda shanduko (My Party is the answer for the nation needs change.)”

    And for that, she soaked, washed, and rinsed dry, Prince Noble Styles. She takes the crown!!! Hail Up Blacperl with the King Status!