YD KHEDA; LYRICIST IN THE MAKING?

His aim is to be one of the best (if not the best) lyricists on the local hiphop landscape and eventually challenge for that honour on a global stage as well.

Big dreams indeed but not insurmountable, according to the young man.

Who are we talking about? You might wonder......

None other than, YD Kheda, the Marlborough-based upcoming rapper whose real name is Sean Rodrick. He made his name through a popular single that he released earlier on in his carreer entitled 'Handitambe Newe', recorded at Mabarz Entertainment and the young man has not looked back since.

Urban Craft magazine caught up with the aspiring musician for a brief chat and this is more on what he had to say;

So when did all this begin?

I began rapping professionally in 2013 but I had been dropping rhymes ever since I could remember.

What made you decide to persue a career in music?

Back in the day when we used to do rap battles I always won and that kind of motivated me to take this whole music thing further. What started out as a hobby became my passion!

What is it that attracted you towards hiphop, in particular?

I loved the way that guys like Tupac Shakur managed to tell stories on instrumentals and how it attracted the youth. That is what made hiphop my genre of choice. I want to be able to speak to and touch people through my music the same way that hiphop icons the world over, did.

What is your ultimate goal?

My main goal is to be the voice of the people, to teach, entertain and most of all, put my country, Zimbabwe, on the world music map.

Who were some of your earliest musical influences and why?

Like I had previously stated, growing up I listened to the likes of Tupac, Nas, J.Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Immortal Technique, just to mention a few. I liked how they played around with their words, their style and delivery. Their music had a strong bearing on me as an artist and the way I rap. Im sure that just from listening to my songs, their influence is evident and there for all to see.

What have been some of the highlights for you thus far?

I've been on Zbc's Zimhiphop Report twice now for interviews and I have also attended a number of live shows. This is only just the beginning for me and I am certain that more memorable moments/highlights are definitely on the way. I just gotta stay true to my art and everything else that I believe in.

Thus far, what projects do you have to your name and which ones are you currently working on?

I have only dropped an Ep so far, titled ''KHEDA WEMA BARS" and I am currently working on my debut album that I will drop sometime next year.

I will also be dropping a new single before the year ends that will feature Tixin and other rappers. I really think this one will be a hit!

What is your take on local hiphop right now?

With the way local hiphop is and has been shaping these last couple of years, I think that it won't be long until we all start getting our due from all the hard work going on behind the scenes. It is quite an exciting time to be a rapper in Zimbabwe!

What makes you unique?

I am unique because I can easily interchange between hardcore rap and soft rap. I am one of the few who have managed to fuse both English and Shona into their rhymes and make it all sound so remarkably well.