This past week has been a turbulent one for Zimbabwean rapper Holy Ten, marked by public outbursts and controversy.
His frustration stemmed from perceived snubs at the National Arts Merit Awards (Namas), held at the Hippodrome in Harare.
Like many artists who feel overlooked, Holy Ten took to social media to express his discontent.
He criticised the Namas and called for the resignation of the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe director Napoleon Nyanhi, citing incompetence. "I stand on it. Namas are just BS. Napoleon…hamuzvigoni izvi just leave it," he posted, questioning the award's legitimacy, especially considering his lack of nominations.
His comments ignited a feud with fellow artist R Peels, who responded by accusing Holy Ten of being a poor role model and materialistic. R Peels claimed Holy Ten’s priorities were "Range Rover nema sausage," suggesting a focus on material possessions rather than artistic integrity.
The situation escalated when Holy Ten released a diss track. While initially expected to target the Namas organisers and R Peels, the track also included lyrics directed at social media personality Mama Vee, and the lyrics contained what many perceived as homophobic slurs.
This portion of the track sparked further controversy, particularly after influencer Tanaka Takawira (Tukaz) appeared to endorse the homophobic sentiment. Tukaz commented, "finally someone saying what we all want to say to the nation 'Mama Vee ingochani (Mama Vee is gay)'," accompanied by laughing emojis.
Holy Ten’s multiple social media posts and the subsequent online reactions, including the viral trolling, contributed to a week of intense public scrutiny and debate.
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