Decibel, a well-known Urban Grooves artist, says Zimbabwe has talented individuals who could break into the international scene in the arts and entertainment sector. However, he believes that bloggers like Plot Mhako and Tinashe Mutarisi’s NashTV are hindering the progress of Zimbabwean music. According to Decibel, these bloggers promote certain artists they favour or who can pay them, neglecting those with genuine talent that could put Zimbabwe on the map.
Decibel claims that the problem lies with bloggers like Plot Mhako, who seem more interested in personal gain and self-promotion rather than genuinely supporting and exposing talent. He questions whether money should determine talent and argues that the negative stories of artistes who do not pay spread faster than positive ones. He said:
The real problem about why Zim music doesn’t break international has nothing to do with quality. It is these idiots vana Plot Mhako who seem to intent to expose talent ivo vachingodamari. Do you really think kuti mari ndiyo inodefyna talent
@nashtv, earGROUND AFRICA ava vakatodemanda cash kuti vaite mention album rangu. Ndikaramba and they blue ticked. What we needed to prove is that the opposite is true. Kuti negative story vachamhanya nayo.
Decibel’s comments align with those made by Lazzie T Chapo, an experienced producer and artist. Lazzie T recently spoke to Uncle Joe and said Plot Mhako refused to provide him with public relations (PR) services and often criticises Zimdancehall without offering constructive solutions to improve the genre. Lazzie T believes that Mhako shows favouritism towards certain artists he personally admires. Lazzie T said despite this, he appreciates Mhako’s efforts to promote the music industry.
In response, Plot Mhako defended himself, stating that Decibel wanted free marketing and promotion while expecting to make money from his music. Plot Mhako believes that if an artist produces good music, they may not require extensive external promotion and PR. He said:
You can keep further embarrassing yourself each time you open your mouth / post something. You wanna make money with your music whilst at the same time you feel entitled to receive free PR & marketing. How does that work? Simple advise to you is: „Make good music and you may not need much external promotion & PR„ Heal “!
Some people disagreed with Decibel, suggesting that he was bitter because he was no longer active in the music industry. They claimed that blaming bloggers or seeking attention would not solve his problems and advised him to focus on creating a hit song instead. One commentator said:
Have you ever mentioned this page on any of your songs #No but you want them to do so for you freely usade zvemahara iwewe hausi shiri (don’t love freebies you’re not a bird). earGROUND AFRICAA keep on going mukupusha mawrks mukaona muchitaurwa kudai nevanhu vakadai mukushanda (you’re doing great that’s why people are recognising you).
On the other hand, some individuals supported Decibel’s viewpoint. They accused certain bloggers of favouritism and gatekeeping, promoting only a select group of artists while ignoring others. They advised artists to concentrate on their craft and talent, as these bloggers might not advocate for them unless they are part of their inner circle.
Others argued that demanding payment for promotional services is acceptable, but refusing to promote an artist solely because they didn’t pay, while negatively mentioning the same artist, is unethical. If bloggers cannot promote an artist for free, Decibel suggests they should refrain from mentioning the artist altogether. Chimedza Darius Bryton concurred:
Seh calaz akambovataura mablogger ava kuti vane vanhu vavo vavanopusha. Ukaramba kubuda Mari vanoti pese pawatadza vanoita number one kubuditsa asi Pawagona Havadi kubatikira. Plot mhako imboko kubva kudhara kungoti vakawanda havasati vakumuziva. (Seh Calaz spoke about these bloggers, they push certain individuals. If you don’t pay, they target where you fail and expose but if you do good, they don’t dare mention you.)
Some individuals remained neutral, acknowledging that corruption and self-interest are prevalent in the industry. They emphasised the need for systemic change and addressing the root causes of failure in various sectors. They highlighted the importance of focusing on solutions and fostering a culture of love and support rather than spreading hatred.