Interview with Duncan Sodala ,Rapper and Manager of Zone fam

KAPA187 : For those who don’t know , who is Duncan Sodala ?
DUNCAN SODALA : Duncan Sodala is a young entrepreneur, owner of Slam Dunk Records, Manager of Zone Fam and the artist known as The Holstar.

KAPA187 : How do you balance being a rapper and being the CEO of slam dunk records and manager of Zone fam . Which job takes priority ?

DUNCAN SODALA : I allocate the required for each task accordingly, none of them takes priority. I take pride in my work so I make sure I do everything to the best of my abilities.

KAPA187 :What challenges did you face in getting Slam dunk records started ? apart from Zone fam ,which other artists are signed to the label .

DUNCAN SODALA : In the beginning of course we had financial challenges but eventually our popularity grew and we started re-financing our careers from performance and appearance fees. Right now I am also working with Original Zone Fam member Al Kani, Chisamo and Chaa.

KAPA187 :How has the zambian music industry ,in particular rap music , changed since you first got into it ?

DUNCAN SODALA : The audience has gotten bigger! Radio loves Hip Hop and people are actually making a living out of their art. There is a still need for a bit more structure to the industry but we are getting there.

KAPA187 :Zone fam recently won Zambia’s very first Channel O awards , what in you opinion do Zambian artists need to do in order to make their music more appealing outside Zambia.

DUNCAN SODALA :  There is alot that can be done such as working with artists and producers from other Countries. We need to make ourselves more visible – so the need to make memorable visuals that can be seen across Africa and the Globe is a given.

KAPA187 :How important is it for zambian artists to have a professional manager ? why do you think some artists find it unnecessary ?
DUNCAN SODALA : It is very important – we first realized that as Zone Fam when we made an appearance on the Big Brother Stage assigning tasks to a manager makes like easier for the artists who can then focus on making good music and creating amazing performances. Some Artists may feel like splitting money with a Manager is retrogressive – In the long run its the best decision of ones career.

KAPA187 :As a rapper you are known as Holstar . How did that name come about ?

DUNCAN SODALA : A couple of years ago – I Hosted Rap Freestyles at home – so somewhere along the way it evolved from Host to The Holstar to now just Holstar.

KAPA187 :Tell us about your latest EP , ” God ,Life .City ,Time ” what can your fans expect from it .

DUNCAN SODALA : This particular EP is a more personal look at my Life and Hip Hop Journey. I worked with different producers i.e Dida, Beezy, Rox and Shinko. I also had vocals contributed by Wezi and Jay Rox.

KAPA187 :What kind of subject matter do you cover in your music ?

DUNCAN SODALA : I cover a wide range of subject matter in my music, from Love to Life to World affairs. I tend to be very abstract in my delivery but I’m working on toning it down.

KAPA187 : You have done collaborations with artists from Nigeria and other parts of Africa . How important is it for zambian artists to branch out and do more international collaborations .

DUNCAN SODALA : Like I said before its very important for us to work with others – this is what will open doors for us across borders. Our first Mixtape was with Teck-Zilla from Nigeria and that open alot of doors for us in other Countries and instantly broadened our audience.

KAPA187 : What is your take on award shows like Born n Bred and Zambian music Awards , are they beneficial to the music industry .

DUNCAN SODALA : Of course the Awards a very beneficial to the industry. It feels good as an artist to win something and get recognition. It also pushes those that didn’t win to work harder – making it competitive. I see the Awards getting bigger and soon enough they will attract people from outside to pay attention to what we are doing in Zambia.

KAPA187 : Before we end this interview ,let me put you on the spot . Who are the top 5 rappers in Zambia at the moment?

DUNCAN SODALA : Wow, this is a tough one! I won’t pick Zone Fam or my affiliates because they will say I’m being biased so I will go for – Chef 187, Marvel, Stevo, 32 Karat and Twenty 6 (Zambian based in Namibia)

KAPA187 :Any last words for your fans .

DUNCAN SODALA : Thank You for the support, we wouldn’t be still doing it if it wasn’t for you. Big things happening this year – at least alot more visibility for me. Zikomo Kwambili

THE MUSIC

My City ft Jay ROX

My God ft wezi

Download/stream the EP from these links :

Bandcamp
https://theholstar.bandcamp.com/album/god-life-city-time-ep

Hulkshare
http://www.hulkshare.com/theholstarmusic

Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/theholstar/

Follow him on social media:

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/holstarmusic

https://twitter.com/theholstar

BY KAPA187