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Mic Inity speaks on ‘gangster’ lifestyle

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THE mere mention of the name Mic Inity draws mixed feelings.

THE mere mention of the name Mic Inity draws mixed feelings. Silence Charumbira

Although he has been among the consistent performers on the local reggae and raga scene, the musician has courted controversy on various occasions.

He has exhibited a violent character that exposed him to criticism with some labelling him a copycat because of his type of music. Many have classified him as a gangster.

But the musician, in an interview earlier this week exhibited an unusual softer side.

“Everybody has bad days and good days. I cannot say I am perfect,” said Mic Inity gesturing with his scarred arms from a recent attack by three assailants.

“Being in the limelight I have come to learn that the slightest thing you do wrong can be turned into a mountain. I have had to learn the hard way. To see the light you have to walk through the darkest part.”

Born Mike Madamombe, he said the media has not been completely fair with him sometimes as he has not been afforded the chance to say his side of the story.

Interestingly, Mic Inity, who has a reputation of being violent, said he had changed and is now remorseful.

“Looking at those episodes I have realised that not every man can say sorry. Whether accepted or not only real men can say sorry,” he said.

The musician, originally from Marondera, said there are a lot of people who do not know much about him and he has remained a victim of negative and speculative conspiracies.

On recordings, he said he has been recording music since 2010 as opposed to what is peddled that he thrives on cover versions.

“When I went to Jamaica in 2010, I had already recorded a number of tracks, but it looks like the DJs have not been playing them. Even the current album Freedom is not receiving enough airplay and when people hear me sing my own songs on radio they think I am singing other people’s music,” said Mic Inity.

“I cannot completely blame the DJs though as I did not have proper management until this year. Before, I had to take care of the management, bookings, rehearsals space as well as my social life, but now that I have a proper management team I am happy.

“Marketing is now well-handled and I have been re-branding as evidenced from the change of band from Hotta Fire to Red Radicals Band.”

The musician fired his old band Hotta Fire Band and engaged the Red Radicals Band which is led by veteran musician Isaac Chirwa. He is currently working on a double CD which will have a conscious and a dancehall album.

On some of the tracks he said he had collaborated with local musician Guspy Warrior, Jah Demension from Virgin Islands and Orlando Octave from Trinidad and Tobago.

The musician said it is actually a blessing in disguise that his album that he recorded with Jamaican producer Everton Caveman Moore never got to see the light of day.

Although it never got clear since his return from Jamaica, Mic Inity insists he paid for everything that was required, but Caveman failed to honour his end of the bargain.

“The whole deal cost me over $6 000, but I am not bothered that the project did not materialise. I realised that if the album had come out I would have been far below where I am now because I was not ripe,” said the dreadlocked singer.

Word on the street has been that the musician has “inherited” the late Andy Brown’s wife Nadine with whom he now performs with. Asked about the allegation Mic Inity said he was merely grooming Nadine. He refuted claims that they were cohabiting at the Red Fox Hotel.

“Nadine is my sister. She is a good spirited person and I coulda (sic) never (done that). She is the best reggae singer in this country and I can bet my bottom dollar on her. I started working with her a long time ago. Even Mudhara Andy would come with her for a show and would be in the show till we were done. He would sit in the crowd all the time and I would never do something like that now,” he said.

Asked what had happened between him and his wife who has been referred to in the media as his “ex-wife” he preferred to keep a lid on the issue.

“Well every marriage has its own problems and we too have ours. We are not divorced, but we are just going through some things which are quite private,” he said.