Kid Mj On Thah Beat

By Tawanda Ngena



He has already worked on hit songs with the likes of Ammara Brown to Nasty Tricks among plenty other industry names but for 20 year old Gweru beat maker and producer, Michael Jacob Nyathie a.k.a Kid Mj On Thah Beat, this is only the beginning.
In a wide ranging interview with Btnmedia_zw, he shared with us his journey, his hopes and dreams but most importantly what beat making is all about:


HOW DID YOU GET YOUR STAGE NAME, IS THERE A STORY BEHIND IT?

I would say i got the name Kid Mj On Thah Beat from my family and friends because i remember during my child-hood they used to call me in whatever way they  wanted. Sometimes they would call me Baby Mj, Kid Mj, Lil Mj, Chubby Mj and truly speaking i hated it. So when i started beatmaking, i decided to give myself one of those names they used to offend me with, which is Kid Mj and that name got them talking and made them dig more deeper and deeper into my production.

HOW WERE YOU FIRST INTRODUCED TO THE ART OF BEAT MAKING?

Beatmaking is something i was born with.I remeber at the age of 10,i played a piano and it made me feel that i had something hidden in me,something that would live forever if revealed.So i went on a deep reseach afterwards,and that was in the year 2011 when i had my 1st laptop. I was that Kid who had those ''I will do it'' type of guts and that made me visit local studios, talk to big artists and producers, download music softwares online etc. That's when i came across the Image Line music making software,Fruit Loops. It took me months and months to discover how one could come up with a melody on it. I took my time studying the software and in 2012 all was on point.

CAN YOU LIST SOME OF THE ARTISTS THAT YOU HAVE WORKED WITH THUS FAR?
 I have worked with artists like ,Nasty Trix-(Kwandabva Kure), Dosh Boyz--(Unombonzani, No Mercy,Kulocation,Inzimbe x Saxon Chi,,Say watchu wanna say,), Ammara Brown--(Mukoko Trap Refix ft Dj Oxygen), Flizzy Breezy-- (Matsaga x Soull Breezy,My City,Mama Africa), Saxon Chi--(Nightmares,No Mercy x Soull Breezy & King Lawr, Inzimbe ft DoshBoyz), En-Tick--(Buznec), Teezy Gang--(Chill,Shake it,One night, Crucifyin x DoshBoyz,), Soull Breezy--(My Luv,Party Night), and many more.



CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE PROCESS OF WHAT GOES INTO BEAT MAKING?

Making a beat ain't just an easy thing to do if you got no idea about what will be going on. To me it was more like dying and waking up in a world full of melodies where you supposed to communicate with your instruments and decide whats best to bring when you back to life. So you 've got to be brave and patient till you reach your destination and that's where my strength came from bravery and patience.

DO YOU MAKE ALL TYPE OF BEATS OR YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR PREFERENCE?

Actually, I'm more into hip hop. I do hip hop beatz and i managed to start my own sub genre titled Ferno. Ferno Music is more like Trap but it 've got this traditional and horror feel in it.eg.Matsaga x Team Breezy,.Wasted x Various Artists,.etc


WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
 I am currently working on an Ep named LOSING IT ,
with Soull Breezy , which might drop mid October and also I'm dropping my beat tape titled The Last Son by the end of October.

DO YOU THINK THE ART OF BEAT MAKING IS 'ALIVE' AND VIABLE LOCALLY?

Yeah, the art of beatmaking is able to live locally because there is plenty of artists down here, dying for dope beats and willing to purchase them and that is what gives us as beatmakers, the strength to keep our career burning and living forever.

WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES YOUR BEATS STAND OUT?

What makes my beatz unique is, i play with my instruments in a different manner. I've got this horror thang in my beatz which makes them sound way too different from other local beatmakers and this doesn't seem to happen intentionally. It is something normal, something that's in me, something that differentiates my music from others.


WHAT ELSE TAKES UP YOUR TIME BESIDES BEAT MAKING?

Besides beatmaking, i'm also a rapper, songwriter, video director and producer.

ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING BEAT MAKERS?

When i started beatmaking,i had no fans. Everybody told me that it was a waste of time doing beats except for my family and close friends who always encouraged me to be patient enough whenever i felt like giving up.So my advice to all those who feel like they 've got what it takes to be a beatmaker is, if you say "yeah im doing this", do it that very moment you think of it, dont hesitate nomatter how hard it might be. Socialise with as many people as you can, approach big producers, share your talent with the people around you because you never know, maybe someday the President's ringtone will be a track you produced.

LASTLY, WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE LOCAL MUSIC SCENE RIGHT NOW?

As to my view ,the local music industry is on point. The only thing which artists are lacking is creativity. They hating on each other instead of settling down and discussing how they can come up with something new,something with an international and local feel in it. But i respect all those who doing it big though,keep the heat on and don't forget to purchase one of Kid Mj's beat.