MANY might not know this, but Slim The Hitmaker, the man behind his recently released song Can’t Define which features Daev has actually been in the music industry for a long time. Yes, he is not a newbie.
Born Aaron Davie Banda, Slim as he is fondly known started recording from as way back as 2007.
In fact, one of his first singles to have been released in that year was Paka Ng’ono which featured Lloyd, the Kabovelo hit maker in 2007. Still little known by then, Slim who later on teamed up with T Sean sometime in 2008 on four songs, Taumona, Sungafikepo, Burning and Mutima Wanga.
But, it was perhaps the club banger Ba Hating’a, a house infused song which featured the likes of X.Y.Z chief executive officer Bobby East, Van Damme hit maker Nez Long and also his elder brother Young Ruff that seemed to have somehow earned him the attention he needed in 2015.
The Weekend Mail caught up with the Lusaka born and bred, but now Livingstone based recording artiste who also doubles as a sales executive who shared his musical journey so far.
“Slim The Hitmaker is a verified hip hop and house music artiste on Spotify. I am also a salesman who became famous for my streetwise rap, house music beats and short radio presenting career,” he says when asked to briefly describe himself.
“After an early life of school and wasting time drinking and playing, I turned to rap. even though I couldn’t do like a professional, all I had at this point was the passion and the belief that I will be able to do it one day,” he says.
He says his first important contact with Zambian hip hop was when he met T-Sean in 2008 and recorded a number of songs together.
“In 2010, I decided to focus on school and a job. When my friend T-Sean blew up in that year, we teamed up again and recorded a song together titled We Made It,” he said.
He also remembers how he was introduced to K-Dash, a very talented and famed producer then, by Nez Long back in 2014.
“I recorded Fighter featuring Nez Long and T-Sean with K-Dash. The song received good feedback and at this point T-Sean had already made his breakthrough in the Zambian music industry. I also recorded a hard-core streetwise song called Ni Yaba Kulu with K-Dash,” he said.
The song which was not so radio friendly was obviously well received on the streets. The following year in 2015, Slim was to record a song that was to somewhat catapult him to the top, Ba Hating’a.
Indeed the song brought him fame and also the exposure.
“The song which also has a video was very well received and I really felt happy about it and the buzz it came with,” he says.
Just when he was about to start enjoying his newly found fame, Slim who in 2016 got a job at a top company was later moved out of Lusaka, forcing him to ice his music career.
“I wanted to develop myself in many aspects. I focused and worked hard on the job, and even started attending entrepreneurial seminars,” he says.
He has no regrets.
He says: “Plugging myself into personal development was the best decision I ever did.”
The sabbatical didn’t last long however. In 2017, Slim released a 12-track mix tape titled Chapters & Verses.
“The mix tape talked about my life and its different stages. It is also a motivational project as it talks about why as a human being, you don’t need to give up in life,” he says.
The mix tape has songs such as Mi Enemies featuring T-sean, Bobby East, Nez Long and Young Ruff, Cassper Nyovest, Hood featuring TeQnikal, Big Dreams, Fighter featuring Nez Long and T-Sean, Zombie, Hello My Ni**ers, Same Ni**er, and Chalo Nima Kwacha among other songs.
In 2019, Slim announced his official comeback into the music industry with his uniquely conceptualised single Can't Define which was produced by award winning DJ Mzenga Man of M Beats Generation and features XYZ Entertainment signee Daev.
“The song talks about a special someone that you love so much that you cannot explain the feeling. In the song, I used Zambian radio station names and their frequencies to try to define the feeling,” he says.
The song has somewhat brought Slim The Hitmaker back on the map because of the flow, delivery and concept of the song so much that the likes of Bobby East, T-Sean, Daev, and even H-Mac shared the song on their social media pages.
Slim who is now working on a hip hop project is soon to release two new singles which he recorded with K-Amy mogul, KB.
“As young people, this is our time to shine and we can only do that by not giving up on our passions. Much as I am comfortable in the job I am, I know I cannot run away from the fact that I love music and that’s why I do it.
“Nonetheless, even as you do that, don’t forget to develop yourself, and also invest in yourself. It’s very important,” he advises young people.
This article was also published in the Zambia Daily Mail newspaper of January 12, 2020. You can find it on this link http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/meet-slim-the-hitmaker/
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| Slim The Hitmaker |
In fact, one of his first singles to have been released in that year was Paka Ng’ono which featured Lloyd, the Kabovelo hit maker in 2007. Still little known by then, Slim who later on teamed up with T Sean sometime in 2008 on four songs, Taumona, Sungafikepo, Burning and Mutima Wanga.
But, it was perhaps the club banger Ba Hating’a, a house infused song which featured the likes of X.Y.Z chief executive officer Bobby East, Van Damme hit maker Nez Long and also his elder brother Young Ruff that seemed to have somehow earned him the attention he needed in 2015.
The Weekend Mail caught up with the Lusaka born and bred, but now Livingstone based recording artiste who also doubles as a sales executive who shared his musical journey so far.
“Slim The Hitmaker is a verified hip hop and house music artiste on Spotify. I am also a salesman who became famous for my streetwise rap, house music beats and short radio presenting career,” he says when asked to briefly describe himself.
“After an early life of school and wasting time drinking and playing, I turned to rap. even though I couldn’t do like a professional, all I had at this point was the passion and the belief that I will be able to do it one day,” he says.
He says his first important contact with Zambian hip hop was when he met T-Sean in 2008 and recorded a number of songs together.
“In 2010, I decided to focus on school and a job. When my friend T-Sean blew up in that year, we teamed up again and recorded a song together titled We Made It,” he said.
He also remembers how he was introduced to K-Dash, a very talented and famed producer then, by Nez Long back in 2014.
“I recorded Fighter featuring Nez Long and T-Sean with K-Dash. The song received good feedback and at this point T-Sean had already made his breakthrough in the Zambian music industry. I also recorded a hard-core streetwise song called Ni Yaba Kulu with K-Dash,” he said.
The song which was not so radio friendly was obviously well received on the streets. The following year in 2015, Slim was to record a song that was to somewhat catapult him to the top, Ba Hating’a.
Indeed the song brought him fame and also the exposure.
“The song which also has a video was very well received and I really felt happy about it and the buzz it came with,” he says.
Just when he was about to start enjoying his newly found fame, Slim who in 2016 got a job at a top company was later moved out of Lusaka, forcing him to ice his music career.
“I wanted to develop myself in many aspects. I focused and worked hard on the job, and even started attending entrepreneurial seminars,” he says.
He has no regrets.
He says: “Plugging myself into personal development was the best decision I ever did.”
The sabbatical didn’t last long however. In 2017, Slim released a 12-track mix tape titled Chapters & Verses.
“The mix tape talked about my life and its different stages. It is also a motivational project as it talks about why as a human being, you don’t need to give up in life,” he says.
The mix tape has songs such as Mi Enemies featuring T-sean, Bobby East, Nez Long and Young Ruff, Cassper Nyovest, Hood featuring TeQnikal, Big Dreams, Fighter featuring Nez Long and T-Sean, Zombie, Hello My Ni**ers, Same Ni**er, and Chalo Nima Kwacha among other songs.
In 2019, Slim announced his official comeback into the music industry with his uniquely conceptualised single Can't Define which was produced by award winning DJ Mzenga Man of M Beats Generation and features XYZ Entertainment signee Daev.“The song talks about a special someone that you love so much that you cannot explain the feeling. In the song, I used Zambian radio station names and their frequencies to try to define the feeling,” he says.
The song has somewhat brought Slim The Hitmaker back on the map because of the flow, delivery and concept of the song so much that the likes of Bobby East, T-Sean, Daev, and even H-Mac shared the song on their social media pages.
Slim who is now working on a hip hop project is soon to release two new singles which he recorded with K-Amy mogul, KB.
“As young people, this is our time to shine and we can only do that by not giving up on our passions. Much as I am comfortable in the job I am, I know I cannot run away from the fact that I love music and that’s why I do it.
“Nonetheless, even as you do that, don’t forget to develop yourself, and also invest in yourself. It’s very important,” he advises young people.
This article was also published in the Zambia Daily Mail newspaper of January 12, 2020. You can find it on this link http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/meet-slim-the-hitmaker/
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