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Interview: Desh.Dubs Shares Insights on His Musical Journey

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Sheer genius is demonstrated by the fascinating reggae artist and songwriter Desh.Dubs in his new album “Over the Wicked.” The tracks of the impeccable artist are beautifully entertaining and captivate the audience with an immersive and catchy vibe.

We’re lucky enough to have sneaked in for an interview with a talented singer. He was generous enough to lend some of his precious moments as we gleefully stumbled deep into his personal and professional life. Here are some excerpts from the interview:

 

“Above the Wicked” is captivating from the start to finish with a combination of unique beats and catchy lyrics. What was the inspiration behind the album?

 The primary inspiration, maybe I should say the purpose, was simply getting in a studio and collaborating with different producers and very specific artists I like from Zambia. It was like, sitting down and watching what happens when our respective talents and styles blend into an album. For me it was more like going into a chemistry lab, combine some stuff and wait and see what happens. There may seem to be many themes in the album but it’s always about love.

Interview: Desh.Dubs Shares Insights on His Musical Journey Interview: Desh.Dubs Shares Insights on His Musical Journey

  is called ‘Above the Wicked’ because of a song I wrote when I was still doing Christian Rap in the ‘90s. I have done three solo albums but each time this song was somehow overlooked or forgotten. This time I decided to record it and made sure it is the title of the album.

 

 Tell us about your background and how did you get started in reggae music?

I started out as a member of the Hip-hop group called the BLACK PACT in Ndola, Zambia. Later, we formed a Christan rap group known as the Rap Prophets. It became the first Gospel rap trio to be shown on Zambian TV and Radio in the early ‘90s. Back then, I was not a fan of reggae music. I liked rap, gospel, RnB and some kalindula music. I was introduced to Dancehall and Reggae by my late band mate Joe Chibangu.We experimented with Reggae and Dancehall (we called it ‘Ragga’ then). At that point, I began to get more influenced by Shabba Ranks, Buju Banton, ushnikens and DAS EFX music and stuff like that. I remember watching bootleg MTV videos on VCR and that sort of thing. And try to imitate what we watched. Basically, that’s how I got into Reggae and Dancehall.

What was the first Reggae song you ever heard?

I am sure it was ‘Forever Loving Jah’ by Bob Marley, I heard it first when one of the local bands played it. It sounded very beautiful – it has stuck with me ever since. I think I was 8 – 10 years or something like that. I had to walk up to the singer and tell him that I like that song, He said it was not his, it was done by Bob Marley. Perhaps I heard other reggae melodies before, however, they never registered in my memory. But this incident did. For me it was the first reggae song I was ever touched by.

Who is your favorite Reggae Artist?

There’s so many. So many fucking sick musicians at this moment. I mean new and current ones. This is a tricky one. I am only going to mention artist that have a big impact on me. Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Yellowman, Fella, PK Chishala, Paul Ngozi, The Witch, Sizzla, Daddy Zemus, DAS EFX, Ini Kamoze, Shabba Ranks, Buju Banton, Busta Rhymes to me those are my all-time favourites, my top picks.

Do you have any dream collaborations? Who are they?

As much as I like a lot of artists, I don’t think I have one specific artist I want to collaborate with. I love what Lous And The Yakuza, Jah9,Greentea Peng and Tems are doing. Of course, I like Buju Banton, Busta Rhymes, Wyclef etc. I know the collaboration with one of these will never ever happen, like you said it is only a dream.

What’s your motto or the advice you live by?

I am unsure if I can consider it a motto, but I believe in being simple and being truthful in what I try to do or speak – however, it tends to be hard at times. I may be wrong about it – but I feel there’s divine power in being of service to others. 

 As someone said ‘Whatever holds human thought in accordance with unselfed love, receives divine power’. I try to live life on a level that has a constant positive impact. It is a standard I  struggle to maintain.

 Being an artist, sometimes it is about making a choice: you can decide to follow the course of fame and fortune, or you can decide to positively affect individuals that listen to your music and in turn give you as an artist the strength and motivation to make music and show you that you are on the right path.

 If you had one message to give your fans, what would it be?

 If at all I had a fan, especially in these trying times, I figure my basic message may sound cliche, but I will say this…we should try to understand each other and have fun together, now! Let us reject hatred without hating one another.

 Musically all I can say is I barely know what I’m doing for the rest of 2021. I’m just excited about this project I have just released ‘Above the Wicked’, really excited. I think I know I want to  continue doing this music thing and I know it’s worth the energy.  I’m attempting to get on shows, and simply keep it moving.  So let’s just see how that works.

 For our final question, is there anything else you would like to add?

 (Laughing) I think we’re looking towards next year for another album. I want to release some singles later this year. I’m doing a ton of work with some outside producers that connected with me after the release of this album. I am just going with the flow.

Catch Up With Desh.Dubs on:

Interview: Desh.Dubs Shares Insights on His Musical Journey Interview: Desh.Dubs Shares Insights on His Musical Journey Interview: Desh.Dubs Shares Insights on His Musical Journey Interview: Desh.Dubs Shares Insights on His Musical Journey

 

 

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Taarifa kwa Vyombo vya Habari – wimbo mpya wa Into the Blood: “Play Your Clarinet!”

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Taarifa kwa Vyombo vya Habari – wimbo mpya wa Into the Blood: “Play Your Clarinet!”

Katika wimbo wao mpya wenye mchangamsho “Play Your Clarinet!”, Into the Blood wanaunganisha midundo ya kielektroniki inayoshika kwa urahisi na mgeuko wa kusisimua: solo la klaneti lenye mionjo ya jazz kutoka kwa Peter Fuglsang. Uchezaji wake unaongeza mguso wa uchezaji wa moja kwa moja unaokamilisha msingi wa kidijitali wa wimbo huu, na kuunda tukio la kipekee kabisa la kusikiliza.

Wimbo huu utazinduliwa kimataifa tarehe 22 Novemba katika lugha 11 tofauti—ikiwemo Kiswahili, Kifaransa, Kiingereza na Kichina n.k.—pamoja na toleo lisilo na sauti za kuimba.

Jiunge nasi katika safari ya kimataifa
Acha “Play Your Clarinet!” ikupeleke kuvuka mipaka, sauti na tamaduni. Wimbo mmoja. Lugha kumi na moja. Utasikika kwenye majukwaa yote makubwa ya kusikiliza muziki mtandaoni, na video za maneno ya wimbo zitapatikana kwenye YouTube. Jifunge mkanda na ufurahie safari!

Orodha ya video za “Play Your Clarinet!” – video za maneno ya wimbo katika lugha zote 11 kwenye YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuQcCz0vhEKyPigEcJ1-Du7YhrzZdLrex

“Destination 11” – video ya muziki:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8l72BtPBd8

Kuhusu Into the Blood
Duo la Into the Blood—Jens Brygmann (sauti za kuimba na ngoma za kidijitali) na Carsten Bo Andersen (kinanda na sintesa)—imekuwa ikifanya kazi tangu mwaka 2016. Muziki wao umekuwa ukipigwa kwenye vituo mbalimbali vya redio duniani, vikiwemo vya Uingereza, Australia na Ufaransa.

Toleo la asili la “Play Your Clarinet!” pia linapatikana kwenye rekodi ya vinili ya inchi 12 kama sehemu ya mradi wao mkubwa wa Destination 11, unaojumuisha video ya muziki ya dakika 11. Video hiyo imewahi kuonyeshwa katika matamasha mbalimbali ya kimataifa ya filamu fupi, na hadi sasa tayari imeshinda tuzo mbili nchini India, kufikia hatua ya fainali kwenye East Village New York Film Festival na Las Vegas International Film & Screenwriting Festival, nusu fainali kwenye Seattle Film Festival na robo fainali kwenye Synergy Film Festival huko Los Angeles.

Mradi wa Destination 11 umefadhiliwa na White City Consulting na Custom Coaching.

Upakuzi kupitia Dropbox – Hapa unaweza kupakua nyenzo za promosheni:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/sai0udu4imfwdmktxf5cj/ADqWOKnmQZjDm3PsXL3yzvs?rlkey=75i1ctld2guy8tcp6snp112j9&st=jtgfu546&dl=0

Salamu za muziki kutoka
Into the Blood
Jens Brygmann & Carsten Bo Andersen 📧 [email protected]

Into the Blood – mitandao ya kijamii:
https://linktr.ee/intotheblood

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Van Hechter’s “Boy Problems” Is a Deep and Danceable Bilingual Anthem for Anyone Tired of Lukewarm Love

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Van Hechter’s “Boy Problems” Is a Deep and Danceable Bilingual Anthem for Anyone Tired of Lukewarm Love

Montreal-based pop sensation and LGBTQ activist Van Hechter is back with “Boy Problems,” a stunning new single. The track merges his signature upbeat charm with rare emotional depth. Hechter, known for hits like “Disco Brother,” “Hot Damn,” and “Love Elastic,” reveals a new side to his magnetic electro-pop personality, offering a message that is both radiant and raw.

At 4 minutes and 24 seconds, “BoyProblems” is a bilingual (French & English) eruption of glitter, melancholy, and empowerment. It’s built on irresistible synths, glossy production, and pulsing basslines. The song invites listeners into a world where heartbreak beats in rhythm with liberation. The melodies feel euphoric on the surface, yet are stained with a haunting vulnerability, proving that dancing and deep feeling can exist together.

At its core, the song is a manifesto about refusing to settle for half-love. Van delivers lyrics that make you sway, smile, and suddenly pause; the truth stings. If love isn’t loud, real, and fully given, he’d rather walk away. It’s a reminder wrapped in rhythm: loving yourself means refusing the small version of what you deserve.

Filled with Hechter’s signature humor, glamour, and optimism, “Boy Problems” is a club anthem and a soul-stirrer all at once. The bilingual lyrics expand its emotional reach. The track feels at home anywhere, from Parisian dance floors and New York rooftops to headphones on a bus or speakers at Pride.

This is a jam that makes you feel like you’re flying, free from pretense. It’s definitively dance-pop and unmistakably Van Hechter, though the smile has a real heartbeat underneath. Listeners will hear that signature flair; he’s still cheeky, stylish, and unapologetically queer. His artistry is simply sharpened with new emotional honesty. This is a growth moment, delivered with a wink and a synth hook.

“Boy Problems” is a significant step beyond a simple catchy single. It’s a toast to self-worth. A glittering rebellion against lukewarm love. A reminder that the dance floor can be a place to heal. This sonic centerpiece belongs on your playlist, and on your friends’ too.

Catch Up With Van Hechter on:

Established Hip Hop Artist ReachingNOVA Creates a Free-flowing Lyrical Course with His Single "C'est La Vie"

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TR Craze brings his South Sudanese story to the gritty drill anthem “Tule Tule” with Jamaican-UK rapper Caine Marko

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TR Craze brings his South Sudanese story to the gritty drill anthem "Tule Tule" with Jamaican-UK rapper Caine Marko

Sometimes a song shows up like that friend who kicks open the door without knocking, grinning and saying, “get your shoes, we’re leaving.” “Tule Tule,” the new single from South Sudanese artist TR Craze featuring Jamaican-UK rapper Caine Marko, moves exactly like that. The track is bold and charged, carrying the weight of lived experience while stomping over a dark, menacing drill beat that feels built for the streets as much as the club.

TR Craze’s backstory reads like a movie script Hollywood studios would fight over. He was born in South Sudan, shaped by the trauma of civil war, and pushed into the harsh realities of refugee life. He literally survived the treacherous routes through Libya and across the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe. This man distills survival into rhythm. On “Tule Tule,” you can feel that heart, that urgency, and that fire in his delivery, channelled into a raw, assertive drill performance that cuts through even if you don’t understand a single word of the opening verse. At its core, “Tule Tule” is a raw, assertive drill track that isn’t afraid to bare its teeth.

The word “Tule” comes from Nuer. It refers to youth games and the electric thrill of chasing something, whether that’s victory, joy, or destiny. TR Craze uses that spirit like a drumbeat beneath his voice. The choruses hit with a communal, call-and-response warmth but here that playfulness is flipped into a gritty, chant-like hook – “Tule Tule” – that feels like the rallying cry of a crew on the move. Even without translating the lyrics, the tone tells you everything. This is about motion, pursuit, celebration, and refusing to stay stuck in the past, all wrapped in an unapologetic, high-adrenaline atmosphere. Lyrically, the track leans into street life, dominance and crew loyalty, matching the tension in the beat.

Behind them, producer Kyxxx builds a dark, tense soundscape, stitching drill drums with Brazilian bounce and Bhangra-flavoured rhythmic elements that keep the track constantly on edge. The result is a gritty, energetic and unapologetic atmosphere that pulls you straight into their world.

Then Caine Marko slides in for the second verse, and the whole energy pivots into a sharp, swagger-heavy bounce. His flow is clean but gritty, confident and confrontational, shifting between braggadocio and sly charm.

“She knows I’m a wolf and I run the pack,” he starts, classic alpha talk, but delivered with a laid-back grin. “She come first like running track,” he continues, flipping between affection and athletic metaphors like a man who’s too used to moving fast.

Then he opens up the verse more: “Doing dirt and getting with a bitty, I only pretty… then back to the city. Got me some liquor then it got me some weed.” It’s lifestyle rap, but the reckless, unapologetic kind. It’s the messy, outside-at-night, live-in-the-moment vibe that balances TR Craze’s more grounded narrative. When he ends with “you going to hang with the gang,” the energy snaps into a group-hyped finale, a reminder that music like this isn’t meant to be consumed alone, underlining the crew-first loyalty at the heart of the record.

“Tule Tule” works because it blends worlds without softening its raw, street-hardened edge. It merges East African emotion, Caribbean-UK swagger, drill and hip-hop grit, Brazilian and Bhangra textures in Kyxxx’s production, diaspora storytelling, and a spirit of joy that refuses to be dimmed by pain.

Let “Tule Tule” run while you’re walking, cooking, texting, or plotting big dreams – or getting ready to step out with your crew.

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