NEWS | MUSIC | 265-BEEF | ENTERTAINMENT

By Justin Mkweu, Gibson Kamanga, and Chifundo Zingunde

It was an issue that was buried six feet deep some time back. Artists who had some issues against each other, had cleaned their closets; it was all rosy.

Music; Malawian urban music, was sobered up. You could listen to it anywhere anyday without getting worried on when you could hear a spat heading towards another next man in the industry. Peace reigned.

However, it appears such a truce was temporary as of late, a heat wave of diss tracks appears to be gradually resurfacing. And the spell is just too thick to ignore. Truth be told, 265 faithfuls had never experienced such a thick cloud of beef songs as has been of late.

Of course, we have to turn the page all the way back to unearth the source of the modern day verbal sparring on M-Dubz podium.  The mother of the modern day urban music feuds dates back to around 2008/09 when a team of Fredokiss and JB on one side, and Phyzix, on the other, and the pair as well, with Tay Grin, and Young Kay got it too personal with each other and the songs were too thick with un-printables (heading towards each other).

The saturated cloud of beef tracks back then, could hit you left, right and the centre. It was all over town.

So personal was it that the quarrel spilled over from the airwaves into the streets where some artists almost physically manhandled each other.

But that was then. The dust had settled, and the warring parties had buried their hatchet.

Of course, in –between those years, there could pop up one or two rap wanna-bes who could try to trade one or two jabs towards heavy weights in the game, but of course, to no avail as the impact was almost meaningless.

But about nine years later, beef, as in hardcore beef, is now becoming a common delicacy amongst M-Dubz artists. Again.

For the past two or three months, a new era of hardcore war mongers has emerged. Starring AvoKado, Saint, and Jay Jay Cee, the beef eaters are just too visible to ignore. And unlike Chavurah, these are on their own level. It appears there are real issues that are being addressed. Observing from the vantage point, most of the issues these tracks are spitting are personal, than a mere musical sparring.

{With all due respect, Chavurah is on his level as his is a special mental case. Him is of the type who could trade barbs with anybody and anything even without any sober motivation. As such, to some, such verbal diarrheas are taken with kids’ gloves.}

EM’S team had been closely following events as they unfold, and below, is a detailed analysis of its findings. We analyse some of the hottest verbal sparring currently fouling our ears.

1. Avo Kado versus Martse

The hoarse mouthed artist has so far released two tracks, Zawugalu, and World War three, both directly addressing, rather undressing Martse.

In what is now becoming his identity, Avo Kado starts by seeking divine intervention before he releases his killer punches.

In Zawugalu, he starts by directly name-calling Martse as galu (a dog, connoting that Martse as an imbecile).

Olemekezeka atate muli m’mwambamo

Mundikhululukire pamene ndiphe galuyu

Ndikudziwa anditchula hater…..

Later the song goes too personal and mocks Martse as to have been severely pounded after he had stolen some goat meat (there was a situation sometime back where indeed Martse was manhandled by his the-then fellow college mates at Natural Resources College, after they had crossed each other’s paths. (By then, Martse was a student at the said college).

And that was not all, Zawugalu also undresses Martse’s physical makeup; a feat that was to be repeated in  the former’s other diss track.

“Watch out for part two…) that’s how Avo Kado  had signed out in this song.

And true to his word, out came World War Three.  

Now, much like in any war, the inclusion of spouses, and innocent bystanders is usually an indication that things have reached a new low. That is exactly the current status quo if World War Three is anything to go by.

The track, not only pokes fun at Martse’s lyrical prowess, but also attacks the latter’s girl-friend.

Origin of the beef

“Me and Martse got personal issues which happened way back in 2015 when I was at Chanco (Chancellor college) and he knows. So it’s beef on issues and this is confidential.

But musically, Martse addresses upcoming artists as unsuccessful and I rose up to deconstruct that. He kind of started it himself and I am just firing back”, said Avo KAdo, real name Christopher Malera.

When contacted, Martse just blushed aside Avo KAdo’s purported squabble.

 “It’s not worth my time; I’ve better things to do” replied he.

So even though it appears the origins are rather trivia, this beef appears to be far from over, if what Avo Kado’s determination is to be taken heed.

“Dissing him is like a series. This is just episode 2; Season 1…..Watch out for part three,” warns he.

• CHAVURA VERSUS MARTSE, SUFFIX, AND GWAMBA

Chavurah is one artist who deliberately provokes situations. If you think this is a joke, go through his Facebook wall. This is the guy who does not mince words. And the guy can swear like nobody’s business.

Now, recently, he also went to the booth and spat on rappers including Martse (his perpetual lyrical punch bag) and two gospel rappers, Gwamba, and Suffix.

In his song, M’town Ma Venda, Chavurah narrates ordeals hustlers (like him) struggle to make ends meet amid the current economic crisis in the country. And then suddenly, the beat switches tune; the tirade heads to his foes; the said trio.

He directly attacks the three in some sarcastic comments (that are not worthy to be published) and brandishes probably the duo of Gwamba, and Suffix as fake gospel rappers, before also throwing one to Martse. 

As if going to the studio was not enough, the foul mouthed Chavurah also took time and threw some dirty unpublishable sentences on his Facebook profile, directly heading to Martse.

Origin

It is not known how Martse, and Chavurah got to be on the wrong side of each other, but it appears there has been an invisible beef going on between these two. It all dates back to the era of LL, and BTz superiority on the rap game. Chavurah by then had the backing of his grouping, The Trap Squad. So back then, it was rather that childish superiority fiasco. There was nothing personal.  

As for Gwamba, and Suffix, just listen to M’Town ma Venda by Chavurah, he narrates it all.

The responses

While Martse and Gwamba decided not to say anything when asked about this song, Suffix had this to reply.

“Lol he is Chavurah. It’s hip hop, and everybody is free to speak their mind but I will not reply, not at all”, said the Mkazi wakumwamba star.

• JAY JAY CEE VERSUS SAINT

“Enemies remain enemies, but friends; they change.” 50 Cent (So disrespectful)

That is exactly the case with these two youthful dancehall artists.

There were being dubbed as the next big guns to have set their feet on the 265 dancehall stage. However, the marriage between the two appears to be hitting the rock; rather it has already hit a dead end.

The duo, together with others were sharing a stage at Mpemba in Blantyre. It appeared there was some minor misunderstanding. But it was no big deal until Saint, the-then one of Jay Jay Cee’s closest ally punned the latter’s song, Jangiliya, as being a total whack.

According to Saint, this was supposed to be one of those chit-chat trivia.

But it never was going to be as later that evening, Jay Jay Cee took to the social media and ranted.  He lambasted his ally-cum-nemesis. He returned the favour by also demolishing Saint’s newly released track, Delilah.

“I had time to listen to Delilah by Saint, Mbola guys, tizinena chilungamo nyimboyi si iri bwino..i didn’t expect that from an artist like him…poor…witness yourself (sic) ngati mukuziwa ngini, mverani mundiuzeza nyimboyi…” Read one of Jay Jay Cee’s Facebook posts.

Now, all hell broke loose! Saint, real name Yamikani Chikwawe did not want to sit over the issue. He had to respond and responding he did.

Firstly, he wrote this on his Facebook account.

“Am happy to have helped him to get to where he is. Now he can criticize my music coz (sic) he feels wafikapo (he’s at his peak).

Check out lyrics for Delilah. Check this out family…# Delilah lyrics. You can as well send them to my young bro JJC,” the post taunted.

And then, it appeared, enough was more than necessary as the rising dancehall star has just released a death blow to Jay Jay Cee via a song titled, Warning, which has just been premiered on 2FM’s Made on Monday program.

In the song, Saint addresses his nemesis as a misguided child who needs fatherly guidance, and that he, Saint, is the father.

“Bambo wake sangapange zachibwana pofika polimbana ndi wake yeke mwana..  “ one of the bars in the song says.

The lines from the song further insinuates that Jay Jay Cee wants fame hence his dirty punchlines towards Saint.

“Mesa unkafuna kutchuka, nde uzitukumuka eti? Hehehe!

………………………..

Immediately after the play, Jay Jay Cee went on to the social media and vomited an ultimatum.

“I met Saint over the weekend at MUST (Malawi University of Science and Technology). We talked our issues, we performed together, then ndinapanga withdraw my diss song kuti isatulukenso….then lero akutulutsa nyimbo yondidisa? Let’s roll…” read the post which was titled, WAR DECLARATION.

Now, it is crystal clear; war is in the air. Shots are being fired from all angles.

And the first official upper cut of the said WAR DECLARATION has been Jay Jay Cee’s song titled,  AK 47, which has been directly labeled Saint diss.

Kuti mpange mbiri

Siiwe unandipatsa mpata man

Mfana ndakuwerenga

Uli weak lyrically

Panopa nde unatha nabola lili kale

Siulimu form

Unachita expire

Monga dancehall president

Nnakupanga fire

Ndangomva manager wako wakuuza ungondisiya

Mfanane ndi dolo

Ndikuthetsera career

(Jay Jay Cee quashes Saint’s claims that it was Saint who moulded Jay Jay Cee into whohe is today. And Jay Jay Cee goes on to say Saint is lyrically immature and should stop dissing the former as that would be suicidal)

……………

“Ngati mukufuna kuti izizi zisapitirire, tumizani mau oti leka ku JJC,” that’s how he signs out in this song.

So, for now, this appears to be heating up further, Malawians globally are following the occurrences on the 265 podium with keen interest.

Watch out for EM’s 265 beef mode PART TWO