Conscious rapper Maniak, also known as Tukondjeni Iita, hails from Damara location and has a unique way of creating awareness and imparting knowledge through his music.
A member of 061Music since 2014, he started carving his own identity by releasing some solo material recently. Entertainment Now! caught up with the rhyme spitter to find out why it has taken him so long to start his solo career while his peers have been in the industry for so long.
‘’I started rapping during school years with Dingalo and the late Catty Catt. The first song I jumped on in the studio was the classic hip-hop track ‘Mula is the Mission’. I was still on the streets and still in school and when music started really happening in Namibia, I didn’t see it as a career but everything has its time and maybe it was not my time. My motivation would have been different then, from now. There were a lot of artists coming out back in the day and it was hard getting into the industry and it still is. The late Catt put me on some projects like Mula is the Mission and other tracks over time,’’ he narrated.
When he signed to 061Music he felt he was in the right frame of mind to really start crafting his message and sound. It took years for him to create his craft so that he could decry the violence, discrimination, and other ailments of society he has experienced. Maniak is hard at work polishing his soon to be released project called ‘Turalistik EP’. ‘’This is a project for the Tura and anybody that is into good music is going to appreciate this body of work because it talks directly to them. I have some singles out like ‘TrashCan’ and ‘The Lingo out’ on the internet and on the radio but the full EP project will be released on 14 August 2020,’’ he explained.
He believes every small town has locations and his music is aimed not just at Katutura but all other locations around Namibia because they all share the same experiences and share similar backgrounds. ‘’You could call my music street activism but in essence, it is relatable to all. I also have music to relax and jive to and I have songs for the ladies. My music can be diverse as well,’’ he added.
The conscious rapper encouraged like-minded rappers, who are authentic, who come from the same backgrounds and that would like to do music worth talking about what’s wrong in society, or what they go through on a daily basis but feel it won’t appeal to the masses, to foster on. His mission is to awake the minds of young people as he can see the youth being led astray by materialism but that they should be more socially conscious and think more positively.
– slunyangwe@nepc.com.na
Polished Gem... Maniak, also known as Tukondjeni is set to release Turalistik EP.