Finding Zim artists that speak power to change and uplift their audience has become a new passion project of mine, and Brintz is no different. Based in Bulawayo, Brintz uses a mix of his native Ndebele and English to send his message with his kwaito and hip-hop signature style. Through his music, Brintz not only entertains but also encourages positive change and solidarity among his listeners. All together it creates a powerful mantra for those struggling to persevere: Phezulu, or in English, Up. Unsurprisingly, he is not the first Zim artist to portray this outlook, not focusing on the struggles necessarily, but pushing people to pursue change. This may be purposeful but I suspect the less explicit nature of the social and political issues that they fight against has a lot to do with censorship in Zimbabwe. Despite these barriers, Zimhiphop still has hopes for influencing social change with artists like Brintz.

For all those suffering under similar frustrations, Brintz offers the perspective that, if you start from “the bottom of the dirt” all you can go is up. There is a lot of personal truth to that statement for him, mentioning his career trajectory from just dreams in his head to it becoming a tangible reality for him. Those who are kicked down into the dirt and disregarded from society deserve the same right to success as any other, Brintz says. But unfortunately, the journey to the top is not an easy one, especially for those suffering from poverty and other global issues. The reality for many Zimbabweans is that their country is not the same as it was forty years ago after the war when spirits were high and the economy was on the rise. While the factors and causes leading to this are not as important, the fact is that many Zimbabweans have to leave their native country in order to find better opportunities that are not available within its borders. And while the Zim diaspora grows, one-party rule and autocracy have led to no sustainable solutions to building back strength to their institutions and their economy. This is why it is important to keep pushing and help others succeed along the way, leading to a more equitable world that most conscious artists can only hope for. Phezulu pushes for a more positive world, and what better way to do that than with a fun hip-hop song that makes you want to get up and dance?