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Edward Zvemisha-Arts Correspondent

Hip-hop musician, Holy Ten, has confirmed that he was drunk during his performance at the Zimdancehall Cup Clash tourney at City Sports Centre in Harare last weekend

The “Gamuchirai” hitmaker made the disclosure during an interview on Dj Ollah 7 podcast show recently.

Asked to explain why he fell off while performing the song “Pressure” and if he was intoxicated, Holy Ten said “it is true”.

“Yes, I was drinking beer. I love beer because ndozvatinomwawo after a long day. I take beer after a long day. We have a lot of respect for that,” he said.

The rapper said he respects the Zimdancehall genre.

“I will never disrespect Zimdancehall ever again, they showed me a lot of power.

“Haa Zimdancehall haitongwe nemasalad. I am a Zimdancehall artiste! I am not a hip-hop artist. I stand with the Zimdancehall boys and I will always support them,” said Holy Ten.

His response confused some of his fans who knew him as a hip-hop artiste.

“It confirms that he is always drunk. How can you say that? We know him as a hip-hop artiste, not the other way round. Vapfanha ava vanenge vakabatwa (he is intoxicated),” said one fan identified as Blah Mike.

The self-proclaimed “Leader of the Youths” said he has always been a Zimdancehall artist, but had distanced himself from the genre which was being associated with various vices.

“I’ve always had respect for Zimdancehall, but when it looked like they were mingling with drugs, I did not like that because I have lost a lot of people due to drugs like Guka and Broncleer,” he said.

As a way of appreciating the genre, Holy Ten acknowledged the recently held show at the City Sports Centre.

He mentioned how music has changed lives.

“When I look at guys like Killer T, they came from the trenches and its music that changed their lives. I’ll never disrespect Zimdancehall guys,” he said.

There has been debate among fans and musicians on which genre was more dominant, with Zimdancehall having lost quite a footing following the death of Soul Jah Love, who many fans say left a big void in the genre.

However, claims by Holy Ten will likely trigger more debate as to whether Zimdancehall is still the leading genre or is one that has lost potency.