Headed To The Top - Nyanga Based Rapper DroCole Explains The Impact of the Internet in his Journey, and on New EP

By Takudzwa Kadzura 

Gone should be the days and time when we name-dropped a few individuals as the face of hip hop. I guess it is time to break the bread and appreciate all clusters. DroCole is a rapper based in Juliasdale, Nyanga, a resort town that is famous for its mystical mountains and rather low temperatures, complementing the beauty of nature.

However, Nyanga is an interesting case study of distorted development if one is to consider its rich resources against a business centre without much vibrancy. The absence of an active commercial industry is indicated by this particular story where 23-year-old rapper Cleopas Lamont Nzerombairi (DroCole) relies on recording studios far away from home. With such obstacles, he brings to table an intriguing story of wonder and hope, which we feel deeply indebted not to pay attention to.

The EP was recorded in Mutare by C. Bleech. Production was done by JNT Hitz Productions from Atlanta and it was released under Corp Music Records (CMG) limited, an independent label based in London UK. We discussed with DroCole about the EP [Headed To The Top] and how he managed to facilitate its release as a product of many different hands on board.

He says, “This EP was inspired by real life situations that I went through in finding my path. While each song varies in tempo and tone, they all point back to one universal theme. Ultimately, 'Headed to the Top' serves as motivation and inspiration with a bit of storytelling along the lines”. 

The 4 track project opens with Real Recognize Real where the lad acknowledges the presence of the team and fans behind the craft. He raps his heartfelt obituary for the niggas who faced their demise in the struggle, and vows that it is time for the real ones to reap.

Asked how he managed to connect with Atlanta, United Kingdom and Mutare, Drocole opened up, “I connected with the producer (Atlanta) back in 2018 soon after dropping my debut mixtape. He hit me up on IG, said he liked what I was doing. Sent me a beat, we made a song called Make It then we decided to do an EP, it took some time but we made it happen. As for London, it’s the same thing. They liked what I was doing and we started working. The internet makes it all possible to connect with people from different parts of the world”

Lonely Road is a track in which he lays the truth about his personal journey. There are lessons, losses and wins in a lonesome rap journey the artiste has endured. For someone who hails from a small town his would predictably be a tough ride but he cements his resilience born out of solitary escapades.

Internet innovation has bailed DroCole out from a predicament that has devoured a lot of talent in this country. He owes much of these strides to his online presence where an audience is not determined by geographical location – sent a text they won’t ignore me they listen to my story but in real life nobody seems to care about my feelings…on my own in the freezing cold.

DroCole added, “I am actively looking for ways to get the work out there. I've just made it available on all music platforms including YouTube and Soundcloud for easy access.  Also, I'm reaching out to blogs and radio. This is something I'll be doing for the next 3 months or so. The producer is also in touch with some industry people in Atlanta and we're hoping things go well. As for the label, they are going to provide for a video shoot. Hopefully that will get the project some attention.

DroCole’s outstanding ability is how he manages to capture emotion in a way that exposes his inner-self, mostly character depiction through deeply articulated lyricism and how he is unapologetic about his truth. He racks in elements of his spirituality and rhetoric about the puzzle called life. We adore the fact he is staying grounded and holding firmly to a vision that is most likely to gain a fan in every rap music listener.

You can listen to Headed To The Top EP by DroCole via this Spotify link.