Fact, Botswana has abundant Hip Hop artists.
Think BK Proctor, Scar, Zeus, Kast, Juju Boy, ATI, Khwezi and many more.
But no other artist has represented like Game “Zeus” Bantsi. He has represented in Mzanzi and, over time, managed to cultivate and maintain a clean, corporate image, while grabbing the mike and killing it with Africa’s hardest MC’s.
To top it all off, Zeus has just returned home from the Big Brother Africa Amplified House. For him, it was as much a personal and spiritual journey as it was a musical journey.
While in the House he got rid of his clean brush cut and came sporting an outlandish two striped hairstyle that he calls the “train of thought”. Zeus says he got a chance to mix with some of Africa’s biggest entertainment musos.
“A lot of new material is going to be coming out very soon. I met with a number of peeps from throughout Africa, and there are serious prospects of collaboration,” said Zeus.
On the musical front, brace yourselves for new material from Zeus. He will be working with other African artists, and plans are at an advanced stage for him to perform in places like Ghana.
“We spoke about a mix tape with Longwe. I also talked to a young MC from Ghana about a possible collaboration. This cat was runner up to Cybil Knight in the MC Africa competitions,” he said.
Zeus strongly believes in collaborations. He says Southern African artists should be more forthcoming and welcoming.
“We are too aloof, and this has resulted in lack of musical development in Southern Africa as compared to East and West Africa. Musicians from Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Ghana are big because they are always seeking new collaborations,” he said.
Zeus promised to infuse his BBAA experiences in his forthcoming music.
On the local front, Zeus will be working on the “I AM” campaign, which is a follow up to the US Embassy sponsored “Get up and Go”. In fact, he has already produced a song titled “I am” for the campaign.
Zeus is also planning to launch a youthful condom brand.
“We have already found a manufacturer. We just need funding and support from other stakeholders,” he said.
In South Africa, Zeus is also involved in the blood donation campaign and another campaign against leukaemia.
Zeus cemented his love for Hip Hop after the Yarona FM Sprite Rap Activity Jam in 2003.
He dropped his first album, Corners, Clubs and Churches, in 2006. The album produced hits like Boza Tsa City and Imagination.
In 2007 Zeus was nominated for Best Radio Reggae/ Dancehall video at the Channel O Music Video Awards. Together with Tshepo Rox Sikwane, Zeus later founded DIY Records, which later released two more of his albums, Freshly Baked and The Flipside. These made him an instant superstar. Other artists who have worked with Zeus include Pro Kid, HHP, RJ Benjamin and Stoan.
