The Sunday Mail
Andrew Moyo
THE beginning of the year is a period of making resolutions which are usually forgotten within days, with individuals fantasising on missions that usually do not come to pass.
For some, however, this is a time of re-discovery, re-invention and paving of new pathways in the journey towards greatness.
Producer, singer, songwriter Mr Noxa, real name Axon Bobo, has kicked off the year on a high by releasing a single titled “2 Bad” which features Zambian superstar JK of the Kapiripiri fame. JK (Jordan Katembula) is not in unfamiliar territory when it comes to collaborating with Zimbabwean artistes having recorded a song with the legendary Oliver Mtukudzi in 2003.
The single, which is off Mr Noxa’s upcoming album titled Afro-Popular, talks about how the artiste is affected by a girl’s dance moves, describing her as “too bad”.
The Afro-pop song, which has a Naija-music feel that has become popular in African urban music, is set to keep dance floors occupied and will definitely hold its own on any international stage. With solid vocals and dynamic instrumentation, the TMG and Digital X-produced song is destined for hit status.
JK displayed his creativity on the chorus while Mr Noxa showed off his versatility on the verses. In an interview with The Sunday Mail Leisure, Mr Noxa said that he was hoping the track would catapult his career as a musician, both on the local and international scene.
“JK is a big artiste in the region and we are hoping his involvement on this song will influence its success both locally and beyond our borders,” said Mr Noxa.
Having produced chart-topping hits for the likes of Trae Yung and a host of other artistes, Mr Noxa has been in the shadows only to emerge now with the intention of showing his full capabilities to the world.
“I have been concentrating on producing music for other artistes during the past couple of years and this time around I am going to try and push my own projects hence the release of this single,” said Mr Noxa.
“Many people just know me as a producer, but only a small number knew that I could sing and rap as well. This year it’s going to be different because people will get to see the other side of Mr Noxa.”
The multi-talented artiste has more than 50 recorded singles in the R&B, hip-hop, Afro-pop, house, dancehall and gospel genres. However,they are yet to be released.
“I have been recording and stocking singles for a while now so I think this year I will be releasing at least three albums with different genres, with the first being an afro-pop edition on which 2 Bad is on,” he said.
Having been in the industry for the past 12 years and after missing out on a chance to sign on with Sony BMG when they came knocking a few years ago, Mr Noxa is confident the projects he is working on are going to be a success. “I am going to re-do some of the songs so that they match current trends and I am sure the quality of my work is going to win me awards someday.”
He also went on to say that the major challenge they were facing at the studio was outdated equipment, which needs a major facelift in order to improve the quality of their music.
“I believe the music we are producing here has great quality, but we can even do better if we were to get more advanced and up to date studio equipment,” he said.
Mr Noxa has been producing music at TMG Records since its birth four years ago and has worked with the likes of Trae Yung, Nobel Styles, Diana Samukange, Platinum Prince, Power Rasta and Ras Celeb, among others.
