IN an industry where gospel rap remains a niche, top local Christian hip-hop (CHH) femcee Chido Valerie Mbuvah, known in music circles as CVerb, has persevered for a decade, using her bold lyrics to share the good news.
This week, she celebrates her tenacity with the staggered release of her third studio project, the five-track EP Unplugged.
“This is a celebration of the 10 years I endured in the industry,” CVerb shares, acknowledging the sacrifice of juggling music with her job at a local mine.
The EP follows her previous projects — Eruptions (2017) and Zwana (2020).
Unplugged is set to drop one track at a time, beginning with the video release of the lead single, Thank God (Mudenga), this week on October 31.
The song features artiste Pauline Njini, who also appears on the track As You Are.
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CVerb teamed up with Reap3r on Bathini.
The EP is completed by solo efforts No Pressure and Sunungurwa.
The project’s inspiration lies in authenticity and growth.
“The older I’ve grown I’ve come to realise that being adult is a never-ending lesson on self-discovery,” she explains.
“Unplugged is me conveying the good, the bad, the ugly, hoping to reach someone and let them know that they are not alone in this thing called ‘adulting’ and that God’s ultimately got our backs.”
CVerb, who is also a poet, has found her voice in hip-hop, a genre she says she connected with since she was five.
“Hip-hop for me is such a bold form of expression,” she says.
“I fused that with my faith. Christian hip-hop kept me from falling off the path from when I was a teen.”
One of the biggest highs of her career came in September when she was afforded the opportunity to open the stage for four-time Grammy Award-winning artiste, Lecrae, during his Reconstruction World Tour stop in Harare.
“I got to meet my hero,” CVerb beams, noting that Lecrae’s music was pivotal in her journey to Christ.
“It was such a surreal moment... God stays opening doors for the girl.
“This will forever be crystallised in my all-time highs!”
CVerb is determined to see Christian hip-hop movement grow, especially for female artistes.
“I’m part of group of excellent men of God, I say this with confidence because this industry is quite cut-throat and women can be taken advantage of in the name of propelling their careers.
“But I always thank God that my Christian hip-hop crew is so protective of me even when we hit sessions or shows together they look out for me cause we are family like that.
“We having a revival in the CHH circles and the fire eventually caught onto me and the shows we did as a movement were definitely great highs for us as a whole.”
She added: “There is definitely a gap when it comes to female artistes in the movement.
“It gets lonely over here and the dream would be to have a healthy balance on the line ups.
“We definitely dream of the day when we don’t have to grovel for platforms, but to be independent enough to host our own and reach as many people with the message that is so desperately needed in these last days.”
With a decade under her belt and a new EP ready to share, CVerb’s dedication to her craft and her calling is unwavering.