The Sunday Mail
It seems hip-hop and rap is a culture for the Mpakula family.
Previously, the nation witnessed the rise of ‘Pihwai Madrinks Askana’ hit-maker James Mpakula (Junior Brown) last year and now his 18-year-old nephew is following in his footsteps.
Ian Mpakula, better known as Irie Ian in the Zim hip-hop industry is a founder of a group of seven teen rappers called Fly Legends.
His group recently launched its debut album titled ‘Kujecha’ at Shoko Festival late last month, which is presently being distributed countrywide.
The album comprises 10 songs, namely Intro, Legends Night, Kujecha, Zvinoitwa Sei?, Havaite, Ma1 (skit), Mhondoro, Kujecha (Remix), Mero and Jechary Sound.
It is currently ranked in the top three of most liked hip-hop sounds on social networks.
Kujecha is a street Shona name for a high-density area (ghetto). In the songs, the rappers are basically describing different life styles and values of people within high density areas.
“Growing up with my uncles who were so into hip-hop inspired me to love the genre too,” said Irie Ian.
“I recorded my first song on my eighth birthday at Mo-VIP studio, where my maternal uncle, Uncle Dr Dread, was running the studio.
“When I turned 12, my other uncle, Jnr Brown started teaching me how to make my own music. He introduced me to other rappers who have already made names where I easily became popular.
“I got my first recording contract with Russo Chiradza when he was still at Nitredy Studios.
He said he attended Kundayi Primary School and proceeded with his high school at Glen Norah High.
From 2009 to 2010, Irie Ian has been more of a solo performing artist than a recording one. People knew him through his outstanding performances during functions at hip-Hop events.
In 2010 during Hifa, the young rapper decided to form his group of talented rappers and named them ‘Fly Legends’.
“Although I am the founder of Fly Legends, we are a team that works together in composing and recording our music,” said Irie Ian.
“We are all dedicated in pursuing our musical career and our parents are very supportive in terms of morality and finances.
“My role in the group besides being the founder is to compose the instrumentals of our songs. However, for the lyrical content, everyone makes contributions.
“After composing the instrumentals and lyrics, our manager Tafadzwa Sharanga has the final say before we record.”
He said most of the group’s songs are recorded at 101 Studio in Glen Norah.
They can only record outside that studio when the group is working with other artistes on specific collaborations.
Fly Legends is working on its second album titled Electro Loving and is expected in December.
The expected album is made up mostly of love songs and features hip-hop ‘gurus’.
About Fly Legends
Fly Legends comprises of Irie Ian, Simbarashe Bamu (Sphynx), Carlington Konselia (Carli Swag), Tendai Jamu (T.J), Lionel Chirenga (Lusha), Ebenezer Mupinda (Fangz) and Prosper Vakisai (P.R.O).
Sphynx (19) is a rapper, song writer and dancer who is addicted to hip-hop. He went to Kundayi Primary and Glen Norah High Schools for his education.
Carli Swag (19) is from Glen Norah and attended Kundayi Primary School before proceeding to Glen Norah 2 High.
T.J (20) is a rapper and a song writer who has done other works outside Fly Legends.
He also went to Kundayi Primary and Glen Norah 1 High.
Lusha (20) is a rapper and plays the production role at 101 Records. Like his fellow colleagues, he also did his primary at Kundayi and went to Hilbright Science College for his secondary education.
King Fangz (22) is a rapper, songwriter and a network engineering student at the University of Zimbabwe.
He says he has been a hip-hop fan since childhood and his cousins, who helped him participate in rap and hip-hop talent shows in 2004, had huge influence on him.
P.R.O (18) is the youngest in the group and is still doing his secondary education at Glen Norah 2 High. The rapper stays in Chitungwiza.
He says he is inspired by every rapper who is better that him.
