Malawi to host first hip hop awards

Dates for the event will be announced later in the year, and will feature local acts such as 3rd Eye, Dominant 1, Kenny Klips, Genii Black, L-planet, Trudocsy, Kananji, DJ Milatino and others.

According to local media, a newly established entertainment outfit Wize Scholar Entertainment said plans to host this historic event are in final stages. One of the event organisers Geoff Chirwa, best known as Black Mind, said the company plans to host hip hop events, awards, festivals and conferences in the country.

“Elsewhere in the world, people celebrate Hip Hop through Awards and festivals. We shouldn’t be the only country out of the picture,” Chirwa was quoted as saying. “After seeing a void where much effort is put in urban music, I thought it wise to start something which will focus more on Hip Hop as a culture. I started this idea 3 years ago but now am going full throttle.”

Chirwa attributed the lack of sponsorship in hip hop events to bad publicity. “Most of the companies are owned and managed by old people who have a bad feeling towards hip hop,” Chirwa said. “They shun us because they don’t understand us. So, since they don’t understand us and can’t help us, we are going to do it ourselves.”

"This genre is more than music," he added. "It’s more than what people hear on the radio or watch on TV. It is a culture that promotes peace, love, unity and having love. But, on TV, all you see is sex, drugs, guns and alcohol which is contrary to what the culture advocates."