Jah Prayzah, Andy Muridzo deal suspicious

By Godwin Muzari

There is nothing wrong with a musician signing a deal with any music stable of his/her choice, but Andy Muridzo’s move to join the Jah Prayzah-run Military Touch Movement is not just a deal. It has connotations. It smells of a hidden agenda. 

It is well known that, despite their claim to be close ‘brothers’, the two were heading for a serious head-on contest.

In fact, the competition has already gained momentum, with most fans that did not like Jah Prayzah’s change of music style turning to Andy to satisfy their music taste.

Andy entered the music scene with a copycat label weighing heavily on his shoulders and got a good share of criticism. Then, the move by Jah Prayzah to target a different market gave him space. It came as a blessing in disguise.

The young man took advantage of his idol’s change of plan and fell into a vacant place.

Yes, he admits he takes inspiration from Jah Prayzah and by virtue of growing up in the same neighbourhood in Uzumba, they should surely be assisting each other in the music industry.

Yes, Andy says he has taken advice on several occasions from Jah Prayzah and he is not happy about people that want turn them against each other hence he should lean on his brother’s shoulder.

Indeed, any colleagues from the same area pursuing similar dreams should assist each other and stand together through thick and thin.

But, these scenarios take a different shape in the Andy-Jah Prayzah setup. The absorption of Andy into MTM is not just about business.

Here is a serious competitor who has been taken under the wings of a rival. Jah Prayzah is indeed feeling the pressure and is using every trick in the book to avoid being thrown off the throne.

Jah Prayzah rarely visits other musicians’ shows when he is not performing, but last week he went to attend Andy’s show. The plot was already underway.

The world is made to believe that the deal was discussed after Andy’s social visit to Jah Prayzah’s office, but everything around the issue points to a pre-conceived arrangement.

It is unfortunate that Andy did not sense the danger of playing into a rival’s territory and sign a contract that binds him to that area for six years.

He seems to have done it innocently and valued their personal relationship at the expense analysing the nature of the deal.

In as much as Jah Prayzah may want to present the deal as emanating from a genuine concern, the background makes the whole issue suspicious.

Andy might be swallowed. He has already angered a big section of his fans that have been following him to get what they miss from Jah Prayzah and numbers to his show might soon begin falling.

That would be a sad scenario for a young man with so much potential that saw him outwitting an experienced musician like Suluman Chimbetu when they had shows at adjacent venues last week.

Andy got more fans that Sulu and it was a big statement about his capacity. His fans were happy to see Jah Prayzah coming to support the young man, but they did not know that the MTM boss has something up his sleeve.

Now, Andy is not being clear about the deal and arguing the whole issue was misread. It might be too late for that statement because, if he indeed signed the deal to record his album under Jah Prayzah, his rise has been compromised.

No competitor can caress a rival genuinely in this tightly-contested music industry. Even blood brothers like the Chimbetus could not do so. The Herald