' I dont want to die a poor musician' - Jah Prayzah

Jah Prayzah

Few would have imagined that a boy who grew up as a cattle herder in Uzumba would mature not only into one of the most astute musicians, but an accomplished businessman in his own right.

When one mentions the name Jah Prayzah, the natural inclination is to think of his music, which in the last few years has managed to grow into one of the most bankable brands on the local scene.

But one side of the musician that is not usually analysed is his business acumen which has managed to see him resemble a “bling” wearing American rapper, with endorsement from a variety of corporations and companies.

Jah Prayzah, who was last year appointed Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) goodwill ambassador, has appeared on Chicken Slice billboards,Population Services International Zimbabwe’s male circumcision campaign and Revive Maheu adverts.

He was also appointed the brand ambassador of Savannah Tobacco earlier this year, while he has also done a number of jingles for different companies.

Prayzah’s launch of his album Jerusalema was greeted by much pomp and fanfare with dignitaries from all walks of life gracing the occasion.The musician spent a staggering $100 000 on the event which although extravagant, seemed to pay off at the event as he was showered with an array of gifts and trinkets in exchange for his album.

In an interview with B-Metro this week, the musician said the key to his success on the business front was to keep a clean image that would not chase away potential financial suitors.

“There is a lot that I do to make sure that my image is untainted. One thing that I noticed is that artistes associated themselves with destructive things like drugs and alcohol and I tried to move away from that for the sake of business,” he said.

Prayzah said with all the endorsements, his career and his JT stable to run, he had learnt that teamwork was the only thing that keeps a business afloat.

“I learnt very early that I can’t do it all alone. I made sure that I have a good management team that takes care of the finer aspects of my business for me otherwise I would fail,” he said.

The musician added that he was wary of dying a pauper like musicians of yesteryear.“I know it’s hard to be consistent and so when the popularity fades you need avenues to make your money. We survive on shows because of the decline of album sales but that does not mean we neglect investment. I have made sure I have that aspect covered too,” he said.

Prayzah’s next business move might be to solidify himself as a fashion brand like veteran musician Tuku has already done.“Fashion might be my next step because I don’t consider myself as having arrived. I want to do what the likes of Tuku are doing and the sky is the limit,” he said.

Source-B-Metro