By Takudzwa Hillary Chiwanza
It
is reasonably safe to assert that most followers of Zimbabwe’s urban culture
and its attendant urban music terrains are familiar with ZimDancehall artist Silent
Killer (real name Jimmy Mudereri), but are not sufficiently conversant with his
music. And that is acceptable because not all can religiously follow specific
strands of music genres at any given time.
The
only fundamental problem arises when, without due knowledge of a certain
artist’s position as gleaned from their works, certain quarters of the industry
and the population write off such an artist’s name and brand everything they do
as inconsequential, without meaning, and “bad”.
Silent
Killer’s Resilience
Bearing
unshakeable resilience, Silent Killer has valiantly fought to keep his
reputation intact, despite countless attempts apparently aimed at wiping out
his enduring relevance as a ZimDancehall stalwart. Armoured with an enviable
militant tone and attitude, Silent Killer, who now calls himself Ngwere
Yemulonyeni, now seems immune to such
negativity – but even still, he does not take these issues lightly.
He
always stands his ground. Resolutely. And boldly proclaims his purpose
whenever he gets the chance – i.e., to keep making timeless ZimDancehall tunes
without hesitation; to keep the culture vibrant. While warding off the vultures.
The
Rise of ‘Ngirozi Yehondo’ – the ‘Instrumental Serial Killer’
Silent Killer had always been active in Zimbabwe’s urban musical landscape, with a low
profile. But his countrywide breakthrough came with his 2016 smash hit, Locker
Mastreets; and this earned him priceless limelight not only within the
ZimDancehall circles but the generality of Zimbabwean music at large.
With
his credibility flowing from his Mbare background in Harare – which he still
fiercely reps to this day – and the support of Chillspot Recordz, Silent
Killer stamped his presence in the ZimDancehall arena (circa 2016 to 2017) with
other hit songs that include Type Yemadhanzi, Birwai,
Bad Like I, Handichaba, Dick, Vabva kuWestern, etc. It was
looking good for him. And he basked in such newfound goodwill.
Intent
on maintaining such unrivalled status as an authoritative Zimdancehall chanter,
Silent Killer engendered a raw, hardcore, militant type of dancehall that had
been missing for some time. His was a new way of doing things, unapologetically
for that matter. Silent Killer proved his grit through countless freestyles
that are scattered in the terrains of YouTube algorithms. His rise was
complemented with other sizzling talents that include Blot, Dobba Don, Boom Beto, Hwindi
President, and others.
A
New Unorthodox Style in ZimDancehall – An Intelligent Creative Genius
This
was conflated with a profound acknowledgement of Christian spirituality – his
alter egos being Ngirozi Yehondo [Angel of War], Mikairi [the
biblical angel Michael], and Mwana Muparadzi [prodigal son]. He has
never deviated from such lyrical fury. And the name Silent Killer was animated with the monikers ‘Instrumental
Serial Killer’, and Rijinari to which he continuously gives
consummate expression.
Silent
Killer – from his formative stages till now – embodies the essence of dancehall
culture in its entirety, giving it an unorthodox Zimbabwean feel; the spirit of
Mbare’s garrisons. He proudly proclaims raw self-expression devoid of
self-censorship; always ready for war; engenders explicit lyrical content
bordering on graphic details of street shenanigans, substance use, sexual
proclivities, police disses, and ghetto youth emancipation. Even if it does not
immediately occur to him, Silent Killer is easily an ideologically-driven super intelligent creative
genius.
For
instance, he always shows an understanding of global socio-economic and
political dynamics, exemplified by referencing Lebanese civil wars (1975-1990) and
using the military word garrison in alluding to how low-income urban ghettos
mirror war-like conditions of existence in the song Locker Mastreets. He
regularly mentions Iraq and Iran in reference to lyrical wars with other
competitors – noting how the fighting is in Iraq while Iran largely sponsors
such proxy wars.
But
more importantly, his use of urban street slang or lingua franca, as well as ceaselessly devising new slang words (thus expanding the continuum of
post-colonial language conflations that mark urban cities in Africa) prove his
creative intelligence. By employing heavy reference to urban street talk, he
represents the youth’s counter-narratives as far as challenging
intergenerational conflicts is concerned.
Silent
Killer’s songs fortify his status as ZimDancehall’s smasher of conventions; he
is not afraid with experimenting new styles that make him feel “true to the
culture” in an environment where commercialization of art by elite interests
rears its ugly head, resulting in the exploitation of several artistes.
Popularity
Wanes, Reputation Dips, and the Demonization Starts
Circa
2018-2019, it was undoubtedly evident that Silent Killer had become an
independent artist. And this is where polarization in ZimDancehall became
palpable, up to now. In many freestyles, interviews, and songs, Silent Killer
alleges that Chillspot Records’ DJ Fantan and Levelz exploited his success
flowing from the hit songs mentioned above. This was the same time that
Chillspot was accused of sabotaging Blot’s career.
In
an interview with DJ Mbale, Silent Killer alleged that Fantan and Levelz had
used revenues due to them (and other artists under Chillspot at the time) for
their enrichment, further stating that they used such money to buy themselves
cars and other material items.
In
that interview Silent Killer sides with Blot, and insinuates that he took this
to heart. He alleged that Chillspot Records swore to destroy the careers of
artists who rebelled against Chillspot. And Silent Killer found himself in that
storm. It seems his beef with Chillspot is an unending one.
After
his breakaway from Mbare’s successfully established recording house/label, he
began charting his way, but without discarding the persona that had brought him
renown while under Chillspot. In 2018, he enjoyed substantial collaborative
success, featuring with artists that include Hwindi President (Kune Vanhu
Vane Mari Dzavo), Soul Jah Love (Dzika Ngirozi Sauro Adzika), Jnr
Brown (Vaskana Vekwedu), among others.
He
remained loyal to his militant style,
carving a niche of dedicated fans that could however not match the huge
fanbase he had enjoyed earlier. This was also at a time when ZimDancehall lost
its lustre as a pervasive and ubiquitous mainstream genre, a divergence from
the success it enjoyed in 2013-2016.
But
Chillspot introduced a refreshing crop of artists including Enzo Ishall,
Bazooker, Uncle Epatan, Boss Pumacol, and later on the likes of Hwinza, Ndunge
Yut, among others. Also, artists such as Soul Jah Love, Dobba Don, Kinnah,
Hwindi President, Blot, etc. were being cancelled due to lack of appealing
commercial success. Artists such as Seh Calaz and Killer T capitalized on the
commercial success that came with their fame and thus escaped the labels
applied to the likes of Silent Killer, Soul Jah Love, Dobba Don, etc.
What
is incontrovertible is that Silent Killer’s reputation was maligned following
the decision to take an independent path. But he kept releasing music. Those
who ceased following ZimDancehall, or who followed the commercialized versions
of it, might have easily said that the Angel of War was finished. Together with
his close associates such as Hwindi President and Soul Jah Love.
Bad
Influence
In
2019, Silent Killer did the expected – he released a song called Guka
Makafella in allusion to the rising prevalence of crystal meth use at the
time. This was at a time when many were attributing the downfall of
ZimDancehall stalwarts such as Soul Jah Love and Dobba Don to substance abuse;
and here was Silent Killer, boldly preaching meth to Zimbabwe’s youth! (Notwithstanding
that Dashocca in 2018 had released a song called Guccamakafela). At this
point, his dogmatic self-righteousness was getting intense. And it has remained
like that. But he had cemented his villainy status in ZimDancehall. But beyond
the veil of such drug talk, against the conventions of civil society, lies a
super intelligent artist whose conviction in moral uprightness is unwavering.
The
Industry’s Villain – A Dogmatic Lone Ranger
In
2020, Silent Killer’s status as ZimDancehall’s nemesis was fortified. With the
pandemic taking its toll on livelihoods and the arts industry, no one was
spared. But Silent Killer’s notoriety proliferated exponentially. He attacked
all versions of commercialized ZimDancehall – releasing a diss song, Bird News (nhau dzeshiri), at artists
who rose to fame via Chillspot (Enzo Ishall, Bazooker, Hwinza, et al.),
suggesting that these artists were disrespecting him. From 2020 till now, he
has found a music production haven through DJ Inno and Infinity Beatz (Rare
Musik).
Silent
Killer’s 2020 songs symbolized an ostracized artist who mounted spirited
counter-narratives – and his infamous Ghettocrown King interview further led to
people maligning his name and reputation. In that interview, he appeared to be intoxicated,
ostensibly on meth and marijuana, with Ghettocrown inquisitive about Silent
Killer’s substance use (in reference to meth).
His
response was an emphatic “Yes!” – he unapologetically stated that he
uses meth, saying “madrugs arikuvaka” (he mentioned the 2019 song Gukamakafella
produced at Bigg Dogg Ent) before directing the conversation back to his
music, where he immediately took his dogmatic self-righteousness. He asserted
that he is morally upright, reads a lot, studies the Bible (referencing the
Jonah story, which is now one of the central motifs in his recent catalogues),
and saying that he fights “holy wars” – that he represents good over
evil.
And
when one closely listens to his music, he is vindicated in assuming this
moralistic stance. As 2020 approached its end, he released a scathing diss
towards Passion Java, accusing him of being a misdirected, exploitative culture
vulture. In 2021, Passion Java linked with Silent Killer, first through
freestyle sessions, and later assisting Silent Killer with the video for the
hit song Mulundukwa – the video was posted on Passion Java’s YouTube
channel.
2021
– Silent Killer Releases Hondokondo Shiri Album
Just
as 2021 commenced, ZimDancehall and the rest of Zimbabwe’s arts industry was
plunged in a sorrowful, melancholic abyss following the passing on of Soul Jah
Love. Tributes poured in, and Seh Calaz – whose artistic fortunes in terms of
financial gain and public goodwill were diametrically opposed to Soul Jah Love
– organized for Yala Nation and DKT Records to produce a riddim in honour of Ngwendeza,
which many ZimDancehall artists hopped onto and gave their condolence messages
to the late revolutionary.
But
immediately after this, Silent Killer launched a lyrical onslaught targeted at
Seh Calaz, starting a Silent Killer-Seh Calaz beef. Many thought these were
gimmicks to recover waning popularity and profits, but as Silent Killer kept
dishing diss after diss, without a reply from Seh Calaz, it was evident that
this ran deeper. And from Silent Killer’s moralistic stance, it was evident
this was a serious issue he took to heart. Just as the Chillspot controversy.
And Silent Killer thrives on lyrical battles. This was a matter of principle.
 |
| A snapshot of Zimdancehall's Silent Killer from Mulundukwa video, whose audio version was produced by Oskid. |
Silent
Killer voiced his condolence message on the Yala Nation-DKT riddim –
respectfully acknowledging Tawanda’s contributions with the late Soul Jah Love
in that song, Musara Pavana (the song seems to have been a Blot and Jah
Master diss as well. Later in the year, Blot and Silent Killer became close
allies in the face of industry vilification).
In
Musara Pavana, Silent Killer beautifully honours Soul Jah Love, and says that
in terms of genuine dancehall principles, being one of the people who
stood by Sauro’s name and reputation when the whole country had disowned
him, he is the rightful artist to carry on Soul Jah Love’s artistic legacy
– the true Musara pavana.
The
disses at Seh Calaz came through tracks such as Zuva Rekugova Nhaka – in
which he assumes a new persona “mudhandi wemabhanditi ari musara pavana”
in which he alleges that Seh Calaz, industry figures, and family members were
covetous of inheriting material property left behind by Soul Jah Love.
His
central theme was that Seh Calaz wanted to inherit Jah Love’s musical legacies
when his solidarity with the late stalwart in his last days had dipped, he
alleged that Seh Calaz cannot be the king of the game simply because such a
vacuum had been created, “Mugoverei hondo kuna Yala, Yala boss halla...Hapana
mudzimu waSauro haungamukire pamuri”.
The
disses at Seh Calaz kept pouring – with songs such as Maiti Hondo Yapera,
Mabororo, Dumbujena – all produced by DJ Inno – until this
finally culminated into Hondokondo Shiri album, a project devoted
to “disciplining” Seh Calaz and all other industry figures who had
discredited Silent Killer as insignificant, and who had “wrongly”
concluded that Zimdancehall had officially died following Jah Love’s departure.
Hondokondo
Shiri – The Underrated Bring War!
Silent
Killer has gracefully embraced his role as a villainous ZimDancehall artist
whose songs represent upright moral principles. In July 2021, with DJ Inno,
Silent Killer released Hondokondo Shiri album, a project that asserted
his worth, and postulated that even though he had become the voice of the
underground and the underrated, no one matches him when it comes to bars.
The
13-track album, with two bonus tracks – Mulundukwa and Makoti –
was a reprieve for Silent Killer’s loyal fan base. And of course, it was utter
nonsense to his critics. Laden with heavy use of street slang, it presents
Silent Killer as shiri – common slang for the irrelevant – that comes
with war, hondo. Hence Hondokondo – kondo being allusion
to eagles. He is an underrated full of war – Angel of War – and will not
tolerate any form of disrespect.
When
launching his album at ZiFm’s Judgment Yard, he gave the context of the album.
He said that when Soul Jah Love passed away, Seh Calaz proclaimed that the game
had died and that “dzasara dzave shiri”. And this did not go down well
with Silent Killer.
In
the song that bears the title of the album, Hondokondo, he employs coded
language to say that even if he is shiri, industry figures still want to
open a butchery (referencing Koala Butchery) to kill such shiri! In that
song he reminds Blot that “Giri, newewe uri shiri!” And this seemed to
have been enough to motivate Blot to fight hard for his place. He declares, “The
whole a dem dead and perish, dem greedy and selfish, vachifunga vari too
stylish, nekuti ihuku, ndizvo here?”
Silent
Killer accepts his shiri status – but says he is an ostrich, and
one does not easily see an ostrich everywhere nor can they just slaughter it –
his earlier 2020 song KaLife Fanike Ostrich clarifies this concept. In
the song Vanongo Venga he says the industry simply hates him for nothing
but that won’t stop him from fulfilling his artistic mandate.
In
Chinokura Chinokotema, he mentions Tawanda by name, referencing how
Calaz was once publicly humiliated by former partner Moira Knight on social
media. He says he is a leader by example and that there is no way Seh Calaz can
defeat him – he refuses the victimhood. He says, “Tawanda akuchemera kuti
crown timugove ... andidenha uyu”. Hondokondo Shiri is a self-righteous
exercise for vindicating maligned reputation. And Silent Killer has every right
to do that. Critical to note is impeccable production from DJ Inno whose sound
engenders a hardcore style that allows Silent Killer to employ unconventional
but highly creative means of sentence construction. They do so effortlessly.
Enabled by the goodwill of one Boss Willa.
The
Villain – Unending Woes but Unwavering Conviction and Work Ethic
Silent
Killer kept releasing continuous tunes asserting his worth and silencing
naysayers through 2021 songs such as Tinovachingamidza, Army
Commander, Kafira Mberi, Team Yakabaka, Badness
Installation, Batai Mbavha ft. Olembe (Holy Ten diss), Cde Chinx
Africa Refix, Tinokunda Sei, among others, largely produced by DJ
Inno and other producers such as Mobstar, Tarks, Solid, Nina Records, Cymplex, Oskid, among others.
But
as 2021 approached its close, Silent Killer gave Zimbabwe another controversy
to feast on as he was arrested for assaulting DJ Fantan’s young brother,
together with other co-accused.
Now,
the details of Silent Killer’s arrest and what motivated the assault remain
sketchy but the story should be viewed in the bigger context of his bitter beef
with Chillspot Records. He was released later on and released songs including Vaida
Kundinyudzisa, Nobody Knows, and Handiseke, all produced by
DJ Inno.
In
these songs, he explained his side of the story, reiterating that the industry
was out to get him and throw dirt on his name, and that the wronged parties
lied to Zimbabwe’s masses by not giving the full context of what motivated all
the actions that followed.
Silent
Killer’s 2022 songs include Freestyle, done on Rare Musik’s Takaenda Riddim
with Gzzy, and he has featured on Eyetal Fire’s 2022 single Pull Up.
What
is salient however, is that Silent Killer chooses silence or violence,
if you respect him, it’s peace and silence. If you violate his dignity, it’s
violence. Hence the name Silent Killer. Angel of War. What he only kills
are instrumentals. His abstract art is revolutionary and intelligent. Silent
Killer is deeply ideological.
You
can stream Hondokondo Shiri Album by Silent Killer on Dj Inno's YouTube channel.
Or you can download Hondokondo Shiri via
this link.
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