By Caroline Nyanga
Pulse: Is it true you have beef with Professor J?
Chidi Benz: I have been told that Professor Jay has beef with me. But I think it all comes down to competition. I have been voted four times the Best Male rap Artiste during the Kilimanjaro awards ahead of him. But I consider him a brother.
P: You were once Tanzania’s bad boy, why?
CD: I’m not a bad boy as portrayed by the media. You must always understand that when someone is in the public domain and successful critics will always find something bad to write about them.
P: Then why did you apologise to your fans in public and promised to clean up your image?
CD: Let’s just say that I was playing along with the gutter press because the scandals were tainting my reputation. Our group La Familia asked me to clear the air and I also did for the sake of my fans and career.
P: Did this affect your music career?
CD: Well it did to some extent. Whenever I travelled abroad most journalists focused on asking me about the negative stories.
P: You are regarded as Bongo’s finest free stylist…
CD: I just want to thank God, my fans, family and friends for recognising my ability.
P: Tell us about your album?
CD: It’s a 17-track album, titled Chidi Benz that consists of Bongo flava, Hip-hop and Rumba. It features a number of artistes from Tanzania and Kenya. I have collaborated with Nonini in a song, Mziki and P-Unit in Posa. In future I intend to work with producers Mandugu Digital, Kevo and Musyoka.
P: What else have you been working on?
CD: I have done a number of projects. To date I’m the only artiste who has worked with all Bongo mainstream artistes, upcoming and underground. There is no Bongo artiste who has not had me featured in his/her song. I also work with Tanzanian and Congolese live bands.
P: How many members are in La Familia?
CD: We are musicians whom we work together as group although we also concentrate on individual projects.
P: What was the best and worst moments of your music career?
CD: The best was when my mother, Hawa, gave me the the much needed moral support in my music career at the age of 15. To date she remains the apple of my eye. The worst however, was during the scandals aromd my life and career.
P: How would you compare Tanzania’s artistes to Kenyans?
CD: I think both musicians have upped up their game and better.
P: Do you survive solely on your music?
CD: No! I’m doing other businesses related to music. I’m also actor and have featured in four movies that are yet to be released.
P: Why the name Chidi Benz?
CD: It was fellow musician Dully Sykes who coined the name Benz from Benzino -- the owner of the Source Magazine who I worked with for a while. Chidi is the short form of my name Rashid.
P: How do you spend your free time?
CD: I watch my favourite team Manchester United playing. I also go out with friends or travel.
P: Most Bongo artistes are known to drop out of school where do you fall?
CD: I attended Boma Primary all the way to Jitegemee Secondary School. I didn’t make it to college due to financial difficulties.
P: Are you seeing anyone special?
CD: (Laughs and then poses) Nope! I’m single.
P: Any last words?
CD: I would like to urge my fellow artistes to strive and uplift Africa. We should avoid enmity.