Amid growing criticism of his style of expressing art, vocals and astonishing success on the local music charts, Goodness and Mercy Ministries cleric, Tapiwa Freddy says he is not bothered with the negative sentiments directed at him.
Also known as Prophet T Freddy, the preacher-cum-musician rocked the airwaves in 2019 with his fourth studio offering, Kastep Kenyasha, which saw four songs from the album dominate local radio stations’ end-of-year charts.
However, Freddy believes the development may have planted a seed of envy among fellow crooners who are surprised by his quick rise to stardom.
“I’m unscathed by all this funny criticism coming up, some of it does not even hold water because it is not a secret that my music trended on multiple local radio stations. Due to that success, a seed of envy grew among other artists who felt threatened. Some of whom started fueling negative stuff that is emerging,” said Freddy
He, however, added that there is no need for any artist to hate him as he is a fulltime preacher doing music out of passion and as part-time.
“But, despite all this culminating hate, I have a message to anyone fuelling these negative sentiments, I am a preacher, I have a ministry, I am only doing music out of passion and as part-time,” he added.
While the video for his title track Kastep KeNyasha was voted number six on the ZTV Coca-Cola Top 50 Videos, the same track hit number one on Radio Zimbabwe Gospel Charts.
On National FM Top 50, the song Bag hit number one while Munyama WeGonzo was second on Radio Zimbabwe’s Coca Cola Top 50 and third on Diamond FM.
Freddy, who is set to release his fifth studio on 25 April, said he was forced to drop a single, Zvakwana, from his forthcoming project before time after his detractors started pushing a narrative that he is gay.
”I was actually forced to release the song Zvakwana involving the small clip you saw on social media for people to see the story behind, contrary to narratives that were starting to emerge from the same section,” he said.
Freddy’s forthcoming album is titled Area 1.
