GAMUCHIRAI TSOKOTA
‘The dream is to build a record label that meets international standards like Sony and Universal music’
Claude Junior Mtuwa known by the stage name CJLYRIX is an upcoming rap artist who has strong belief that music is a business that should be treated with weight like any other business. He believes that it is the route that every musician should take. It is in this regard he calls himself rapper with a business plan.
“Music is a business just like any other business it should include planning, making key financial decisions and most important there should be key ethical consideration which intern helps in lyrical content when you have ethics to consider they form a guideline on what to sing and what to leave out,” said CJLYRIX
The following is an interview between Life & Arts writer Gamuchirai Tsokota (GT) and CJLYRIX (CJ) on his music career. GT: Thank you so much CJLYRIX for your time. Can you start by telling us a brief backgroundabout yourself?
CJ: Well I am Claude Junior Mtuwa also known as CJLYRIX. I was born on October 5 in the small mining town of Zvishavane and l was brought up in the city of Gweru where l lived with my mum and older sister. I attended my primary at Selukwe primary in Shurugwi and then went on to attend Guinea Fowl high school where the interest in music developed.
GT: What is the inspiration behind your stage name?
CJ: CJLYRIX was a name put together from my childhood nickname which was given to me by my mum based on my initials for Claude Junior and when mixed together with my desire to produce music with strong lyrical content CJLyrix became the best sounding name
GT: Why did you decide to venture into this particular genre?
CJ: The rap/hip-hop culture has been around for years as a way for people to express themselves. So having listened to legends like Tupac Biggie Smalls Kendrick Lamar Jay Cole and most recently Nasty C, I took up an interest in the same methods of expression
GT: What drew you to the music industry?
CJ: I would have to say it was the fact that in high school, I was part of an acapella group known as illsteel. This was at Guinea Fowl high were I joined five other young men as the bass element of the group. It was however one of the group members (Tendai Mutuda) who inspired me the most with his ability to rap along to some of the then popular American songs played on the popular Coke on the beat at the time. GT: Please explain your creative process
CJ: Well I would say it begins with some thought, a feeling or experience or something I would have seen. I pick out a beat from the ones I have to match the mood and feeling of what I want to talk about. I then start to note down lyrics and at times it takes me months to complete the track and after several rehearsals I go into the booth to record.
GT: What is an average day like for you?
CJ: An average day for me is spent in the city centre meeting and consulting different people on business ideas that I am currently working on. The ultimate goal however is to build a music empire in Zimbabwe that recruits, harnesses the local talent and uses connections to get that music out to the world in a standard and professional manner.
GT: Is there a hidden meaning in any of your music?
CJ: [laughs] My message is plain and simple as it targets specificsocietal issues that people can relate to, regardless of their locations. The song ‘appreciate you’ is dedicated to every woman out there who needs appreciation.
GT: What do you think about online music sharing and have you ever given away your music for free? Why?
CJ: Online music is now the most widely focused way of marketing and distributing music and hence I feel it is very important in this digital age. It allows everyone to share and get the message that the artists are trying to get across in the shortest and quickest possible means. I feel it is something that the technological revolution has brought with and should be embraced fully. Online music has also cut down the cost of production for new and upcoming artists who might not have enough financial backing to produce physical copies of the music. In relation to the issue of giving away free music, I have given away some of my singles from the upcoming EP titled ‘Legendary and untamed’ as a way of introducing myself to the fans and the industry as a whole. I will continue to put out some music for free as a way of getting relevant messages and also a way of thanking the fans for their continued support. GT: How has digital marketing improved your career?
CJ: The online presence is very important as it is the most efficient way of keeping in touch with fans locally and across borders and seas. It is also effective in the sense that both fans and critics can reach me as an artist instantly to voice their opinions on the music that I am producing and intend to produce in the future. This online presence also allows for a wider reach of people all over the world on different platforms.
GT: Do you collaborate with others and what do you look for before you do that?
CJ: Yes I do collaborations with other artists and in actual fact I have worked with artists like Lloyd Soul, Cube and A.T.A who are all upcoming artists with a bright future in the music industry. In essence the process is simple because in some cases it is based on interaction with individual I am supposed to work with and if we have an understanding on the subject we start the work process. For others I would have then to consult their managers and draw up an agreement on the work to be done.
GT: What is your favorite part about this line of work?
CJ: I think it is the freedom of expression because I get to talk about issues that people would normally brush off or ignore if it was a sit down conversation but withmusic a message can be heard even in the good sounding baseline with a different mood compare to the usual .The least favorite would have to be when the song doesn’t perform as well as I would have hoped for to the listener.
GT: What are your fondest musical memories?
CJ: My fondest musical memories would have to be those at school when we had to perform at school assemblies and also the experience of having recorded our first song as a group with Delani Makhalima back in the day though it wasn’t released
GT: What advice would you have for someone who is inspired to follow in your footsteps?
CJ: My Advice would be that they should hold onto their dream regardless of what people say. I believe God had a plan for giving us the talents we have.
