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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.

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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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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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Mannie Mims channels his Ghanaian roots and global journey into “Mene Woaa” a warm Afrobeats track championing a mature and grounded real love

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Mannie Mims channels his Ghanaian roots and global journey into "Mene Woaa" a warm Afrobeats track championing a mature and grounded real love

A complete artist isn’t born; they are shaped, layered, and refined by the places they’ve touched. Mannie Mims is practically a walking passport with a beat. Raised in Ghana, polished in Italy, and sharpened in the UK, he carries the Ashanti rhythm in his spirit while blending it with the swagger of global sonic cultures. His sound, drawing from Afrobeat to dancehall, grime to drill, has a genuine sense of travel.

With “Mene Woaa,” he taps directly into that Afrobeats heartspace. The first few seconds feel warm, bright, and intentional. Mannie said the inspiration behind the song is “Real Love,” and you can hear it immediately. This avoids the performative, Instagram filter kind of love. It’s a soft, grounded, “come sit closer” energy, all wrapped in a mid-tempo Afrobeats groove.

The production carries a mellow Ghanaian bounce with steady drums, soft percussive taps, and a breezy melody floating on top. Mannie rides it with a voice that feels like sunlight on skin. Smooth. Gentle. His delivery is playful enough to keep you smiling, but sincere enough to make your heart do that tiny backflip.

His lyrical approach is clean and direct. He pours affection into simple lines without complicated metaphors or over-polished tricks. The man basically sings like he’s talking to someone he actually cares about. There’s no pretense, no pressure, just pure, honest feeling. When he says “Mene Woaa,” it hits like a quiet promise, the kind that doesn’t need fireworks to feel real.

What stands out is how naturally everything fits together. The beat isn’t trying too hard. Mannie isn’t stretching his voice into unfamiliar shapes. It’s all effortless, like he found a pocket made exactly for him and just melted into it. That’s the secret sauce of “Mene Woaa.” The song is simple but not empty. It’s romantic without being cheesy, and catchy without being commercial fluff.

You can hear Ghana in the rhythm. You can hear Italy in the warmth. You can hear the UK in the polish. But more than anything, you can hear Mannie himself, confident, evolving, and intentional.

“Mene Woaa” feels like a new chapter. It’s a moment where he steps away from the rowdy swagger of his earlier tracks, like Licki Licki, and leans into something that feels grown. It’s grounded and emotionally mature. This is the kind of Afrobeats record you play on long evening walks, late-night calls, or those quiet moments when you’re scrolling through your gallery and accidentally land on someone’s selfie too long.

Queue up “Mene Woaa” on your favorite platform.

Connect with Mannie Mims: Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

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Martone and Intelligent Diva turn a painful breakup into a powerful house anthem with their new track “Too Bad, So Sad”

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Martone and Intelligent Diva turn a painful breakup into a powerful house anthem with their new track "Too Bad, So Sad"

Martone isn’t one to tell his story quietly; he’d rather broadcast it until the walls shake. Known as “The Emperor of House Music,” the Detroit artist has built a career on putting himself on the line. For over a decade, Martone has been recognized as a dance-floor architect who is also a storyteller, a cultural activist, and a model of genuine authenticity. He has consistently pushed boundaries with tracks like “Chocolate” and his album The Evolution of Martone, blending club beats with emotional substance. His latest release with Intelligent Diva, “Too Bad, So Sad,” continues that work, proving a heartbreak anthem can be a weapon.

At its heart, “Too Bad, So Sad” is about a breakup, but it’s not the kind that hides in the shadows. Martone opens with lines that feel both personal and cinematic. “I gave my heart, you played it like a game. Thought we had forever, but you just brought the shame.” This is a blunt confession, the kind you make after the tears have dried, when all that’s left is the plain truth. The simplicity of his words makes them hit harder because they don’t rely on metaphor; they are the wound itself. The hook, “Too bad, so sad, it doesn’t mean that I didn’t love you,” feels like a sigh and a shrug at once. It honors the love that was real while firmly closing the door on someone who failed to value it. Martone finds strength in that raw clarity.

Then Intelligent Diva enters, and her verse is like a best friend storming into your room while you’re crying. Her flow is sharp and her tone is commanding, instantly changing the song’s direction. She raps, “Never let nobody treat you like a doormat. You’re a prize to be won, go boast, go brag.” Her words are a pep talk, delivered with the urgency of someone who won’t let you stay down. Martone voices the ache, and Intelligent Diva provides the antidote. Their collaboration creates a dynamic conversation, moving from grief to grit. Her verse transforms the track from a sad diary entry into a rallying cry.

What makes the song feel so immediate is its real-life backdrop. Martone released “Too Bad, So Sad” only days after his divorce was finalized. The timing wasn’t planned, but it feels poetic. You can hear the weight of lived experience in every note. This isn’t just a story crafted for a song; it’s a piece of a life pressed into rhythm and melody.

In a time when dance music can feel like pure escapism, Martone makes sure the beat carries something real. “Too Bad, So Sad” is fueled by emotional honesty, offering both catharsis and empowerment. It’s a reminder that even the deepest heartbreak can be the start of a rebirth. Intelligent Diva’s feature acts as a lifeline, a testament to the power of support when you feel alone.

If you’ve ever found yourself picking up the pieces, this song is for you. Put it on repeat, let it sting, let it heal, and let it remind you that heartbreak is temporary. Reclaiming your power is the real goal. So dance, cry, or scream along. Whatever you do, don’t skip this one.

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