IN the world of Afro House music, new record labels are always emerging. The genre’s popularity has been exploding ever since, and there is a huge demand for fresh authentic sounds.
However, few have a founding story quite like Afroholic Records.
Launched in 2024 by acclaimed self-taught DJ and producer Nitefreak, born Bhekinkosi Mabhena, the label’s genesis is intrinsically linked to his co-founder, Terrie T, a Zimbabwean, UK-based entrepreneur whose previous career was spent in the British army.
Ultimately, the story of the record label is inseparable from the story of its co-founder. While many know of Nitefreak’s artistic brilliance, few know about the man helping to steer the ship.
Terrie T’s background in the military for 12 years, balancing his service with promoting events and DJing since 2016, gave him a unique discipline. Now, he has taken the gamble on a full time career in music, temporarily stepping back from his own production to master the music business.
It is a path less travelled, swapping the structured, high-stakes discipline of military life and giving way to the creative, chaotic energy of the music industry. Yet, as he explained during an interview with IndependentXtra, the path from soldier to record label executive was not just a gamble, it was a carefully timed strategic move.
The seeds of the record label were planted long before its official inception.
“Nitefreak called me while I was still in the military,” he shared. The pair, both originally from Bulawayo, a hotspot of artistic expression, had attempted to start a label around 2020, but the timing wasn’t right, and Nitefreak soon received a management offer.
However, the dream never died. Around 2023, the conversation reignited. This time, the stars were aligning.
“I hinted to him that it would be the perfect time because I was about to leave the army,” Terrie T recalls.
The process officially began in 2024, culminating in Terrie T’s departure from the army in September of that year.
“That is when we started the whole process to get on the ground in terms of registering the label, doing all the label administration,” he said.
For Nitefreak, the label was born out of creative necessity. Frustrated by the slow decision-making and restrictive gatekeeping, he envisioned a platform of total artistic freedom.
“His whole vision behind starting his own label was so that we could control the narrative and the music we put out, and no one could tell us if it’s not good enough,” Terrie T said.
Beyond Nitefreak’s personal catalogue, Afroholic Records had a broader, more profound mission: to uplift Zimbabwean talent.
“We were also trying to put Zimbabwean artists on the platform because we noticed that we have got a lot of producers in Bulawayo and Zimbabwe but they don’t have the platform to release their music,” Terry T said.
The goal was to create a “stepping stone”, providing a pathway for artists to build the catalogue necessary to succeed on the global stage.
“When you want to DJ abroad you need to have a catalogue of your own music that way it then becomes easier to sell you as an artist,” Terry T.
According to Terrie T, transitioning from a concept to a fully-operational company presented immediate hurdles. The first major challenge was bureaucratic: where to register.
“We would have loved to register it in Zimbabwe, but we looked at so many options... it’s not a stable platform to manage royalties and to be chasing up payments,” Terry T.
They considered the United States, however, the country was considered as too complex tax-wise for non-residents. The solution was found in the United Kingdom, where Terrie T resides.
“They have got a good stable platform in terms of collecting royalties and managing music catalogues, they have good laws around music,” he said.
The second challenge was strategic: ensuring the label was not just a vehicle for Nitefreak. This led to the signing of a promising roster, including artists such as MJ Sings, Murphy Cubic and Samuel Cosmic.
In building the label’s infrastructure, the duo drew inspiration from two distinct sources.
They admired the model of Deep Root Records, the American independent label that initially managed Nitefreak, for its success in transforming artists into touring DJs.
“We incorporated the infrastructure of major labels, how they set up from the top to bottom, such as the separation of roles from administration to media and graphics,” Terry T said.
Their inaugural release, Masterclass 2025, a collaboration with Afrohouse vocalist Roland Clark, was a powerful statement of intent.
“His vocals have a storytelling kind of structure, so Masterclass fitted perfectly for the first release. I think all of our releases did quite well, they did the impact that we wanted as an announcement by the label,” Terry T said.
It was followed by Asibe Mnandi with MJ Sings and Murphy Cubic.
“We wanted to announce that Zimbabweans have got talent as well and that we can put out good music and people did get the assignment,” Terrie T said, noting the surge of requests that followed for collaborations with MJ Sings.
The All My Life remix, was a project that Afroholic subcontracted to Obsidian Records, a music stable from London. They flipped an Afrobeats track, featuring Kel-P (prominent Nigerian Afrobeats producer known for his work with artists such as Burna Boy and Wizkid), and Seyi Shay (British-Nigerian singer and song writer) into Afro House.
It was a deliberate move to “bridge the gap between Afro House and Afrobeats” while telling the Afroholic story in their own way.
They ended 2024 with the release of Wherever You Are, a collaboration with Swedish production duo Vidojean Oliver Loenn. Looking ahead, their ambition is vast.
“The expectation is to be a major label, not to stay under and just be an indie label,” Terrie T said.
They aim to remodel the traditional label-artist relationship, seeking to bridge the gap of understanding and offer fair deals that support development without exploitation.
Some of their plans include establishing a headquarters with official office space and studios.
For 2026, the momentum is building, with collaborations lined up with international stars like Afrojack, Emmanuel Jal, and Bun Xapa, alongside a commitment to releasing quality music every single month.
“We are working on a few collaborations some I can’t mention because it’s not yet confirmed. We are going to have a release every month and it’s pretty much going to be everyone on the label who is going to have a release even if it’s not through us but through other label partners in the industry,” Terry T said.