Convicted musician Desmond “Stunner” Chideme believes some people have been judging him unfairly, but maintains he is unfazed by the negative publicity.
By Kennedy Nyavaya
After recently being convicted of negligent driving and driving without a licence, Stunner is serving community service at Greendale District Offices in Harare.
The Standard Style on Friday visited the Godo-singer in Greendale, who said he was no longer trying to fight the “bad boy” tag but had found a way to extract some good from it.
“I know loads of musicians and celebrities who do not have licences, but are driving yet they want to be judgemental on my case. I am not a person who complains so I am not trying to fight it anymore,” said Chideme, who emphasised that there was a lot of lawlessness among musicians.
“I am not saying breaking the law is good, but I can assure you that over 90% of hip-hop artists are doing illegal things somehow because there are no jobs so where are they getting the money?” he queried.
Stunner, who seems to be blending with fellow workers at the district offices, however, maintains his swanky dress style, even when doing manual work.
Being an influential person, especially among the youth, the award-winning singer said he would not mind becoming a brand ambassador to raise consciousness on the importance of safe driving.
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“After this incident and all, I would not mind going to the ministry [Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development] and becoming the brand ambassador to help raise awareness because I now understand how it is,” he said.
The artists said he had since started taking driving lessons.
According to the musician who is not new to trouble, he has somehow mastered the art of soaring through many circumstances in a remarkably way.
“Although the accident and all that happened after is not good, it has somehow made me more famous and I do not know if it is the new manager as well. We have been performing at more events and more crowds are attending my shows now,” he said.
The father of one who just released an album, admits that he erred but emphasised that it was not going to make him change who he is as the most important people in his life had come to terms with it.
“I cannot change how my mother made me and I am original so I will remain the way I am even when I leave this place,” he said.
“The most important person in my life, my mother, understands it now and they even joke about some of these things I go through,” he said.
“I have distanced my daughter from all of it because she is growing up in the era of social media and so I would not want her to be affected.”
In an apparent replica of the American set-up (where hip-hop started); local artists in the genre have never shied away from trouble.
While it may be damaging to a character, it can also help in making an individual more popular among fans, who have subconsciously accepted that celebrities are synonymous with controversy.
