With seven albums and multiple awards under his belt, kwaito superstar Exit is gearing up for the release of his eighth studio album, due in August. There can be no doubt that the Rockaz head honcho has stood the test of time.
The caught up him fresh from his recent success at the Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs) to find out about his next musical offering.
“It is a great victory, taking the best kwaito award home made me a happy man,” he said.
Exit attributes his longevity in the music business to professionalism, punctuality, consistency and intelligence. He says he’s managed to remain relevant for all these years because he chooses his clique wisely, ensuring that he surrounds himself with creative minds that understand him both in the studio and out.
He stressed that he chooses to keep people that believe in his craft and are eager to build a legacy with him.
“The fact that I am not a follower but a trendsetter is the icing on the cake,” he said confidently.
Exit exclusively revealed to The Weekender that his forthcoming album will be in stores in August, titled ‘The Life of Kunta Kinte’.
Named after the famed character from American author Alex Haley’s epic generational tale of an African warrior sold into slavery. Kunta Kinte was based on the life of Haley’s own ancestor; a Gambian man who was born in 1750, enslaved and taken to America.
“Kunta Kinte refused to be enslaved or even be given a slave name. I personally chose the title because in so many ways I refuse to be enslaved by the system. I have chosen to emancipate myself from mental slavery because as much as people think they are free, they are still mentally enslaved and do not own anything,” said Exit.
Production wise, Exit worked with South African producers on his forthcoming album. He felt this was particularly important for him as an artist to be progressive and to not limit his creativity.
“I have been working with Namibian producers for so long and with all due respect to them, a different quality and sound that sets South African musicians apart from us is what I went to exploit,” he said.
Exit recently visited producer Allie Keys, who is currently producing beats for him and identifying South African artists he can work with. “I also spent time with the African Trap Movement (ATM) crew which is owned by Emtee. I’ll be working with them when I go back to Johannesburg soon,” he revealed.
Having worked with different producers in the past, Exit maintains that he does not allow anybody to affect what he likes to call the ‘Rockaz approach’. This is the sound he believes has made him the best kwaito artist in the country.
“My producer Mjay always tells me that if you want to last long in the game, do it like Tate Buti. Never change your sound unless it’s necessary, so the sound stays the same, all that changed is the lyrics from the time I went solo to date,” he said.
Exit’s new music manager Simon Neonga is excited to be working with the talented musician and has his sights set on helping him penetrate the international music market. “We already started working with South African producers and we plan on shooting more music videos,” said Neonga.
Apart from releasing his album Exit shared that he will be travelling a lot for the remaining months of 2018. “I will be going to London end of August and I am also booked to perform in Russia at the end of the year. My fans should be ready to catch me performing at shows, expos and a lot of trade fair appearances,” he said.
