STRXXT KNAWLXDGE REFLECTS ON HIS RAPPER JOURNEY, MUSIC RELEASES TO DATE, AND NEW RELEASES.
By Pempho Singo
Stxxt Knawlxdge began rapping due to his older brother’s influence and because rap music was his culture growing up. Strxxt Knawlxdge used to listen to tapes from his four older brothers. He used to listen to artists such as D Block, Last Emperor, Big L, and Eminem, to name a few.
Growing up, he was unaware of any Malawian artists, but he became acquainted with them after Luminous began bringing tapes in 2006 and 2007. Stxxt Knawlxdge released two albums and one extended play (EP). XCVII marks his debut, while Acknalxdge is a sophomore. However, on Acknawlxdge, he primarily served as a producer, which prevented him from rapping much. As a rapper, he has projects such as XCVII and The Calm Before the Storm.
The debut album contains 11 tracks and is named after the year he was born, 97, which corresponds to Roman numerals XCVII. The album included artists such as Prime and Prince Emman Chalz Ways. The second project, Acknawlxdge, includes 16 tracks and features artists such as Casy-P, D.O Dub Clvssick, Yvng Trufix, and many more. The EP Calm Before the Storm features only one artist, Prince Emman, and contains five tracks.
The rapper believes he is not underrated but simply not well-known. One of the reasons for this is that he lacks the financial resources to support himself during his rap career. Another reason he fails is that he lacks a strong support system.
When asked to share his thoughts on social media and music, the rapper responded, “Social media is extremely valuable. You get real-time feedback, which is cool. It allows you to gauge your audience’s reaction and make changes. However, it is still difficult. To reach a large audience, you must invest money in your social media pages. Buying ads is critical for increasing engagement and visibility, as your content can be overshadowed by accounts with larger advertising budgets. It is just the business side of things. A few years ago, I would have said that using social media for promotion was a bad idea. However, with the introduction of affordable internet bundles, everyone now has access to the internet.
I cannot think of a teenager who does not use TikTok or Facebook. For example, if you advertise your content on Mikozi, a large audience will see it. Almost everyone follows Mikozi, and even if they don’t, they probably know someone who does. As a result, your content will still reach them via their mutual connection.”
The rapper has never collaborated with a well-known artist for two reasons: first, he cannot afford to pay established artists; and second, he does not want the other artists to believe they are doing him a favor by appearing in his song.
Speaking of new releases, the artist intends to release the song “Helping Hand.” Going into detail about the song, the rapper mentioned his real-life experiences in the first verse. He reflected on what he had witnessed. In the second verse, he raps about other people’s situations, particularly those who have gone through similar experiences. Essentially, the song is a prayer, a request for help.
This new song is expected to be available on streaming platforms on Friday of this week. When asked what he thought about people who think rap music sounds the same, he said, “That is hilarious. When you are unfamiliar with a genre, you tend to think all artists sound the same. People who do not listen to Afro-music describe it as sounding the same. The same goes for drill and pop music. People who do not listen to these genres frequently make the same comment. It is crazy.”.
Asked him who his top 5 artists, producers, and videographers are; this was his list:
Artists: Jay Leahier, Casy-P, Marvel, Gwamba, and Prime. Producers: Sxvage Esco Beatle, Dominant 1, Anthony Snaw, Skeptic, and Branells. When it comes to sound engineering, it’s Nefter. For Videographers:
There are Bripa, Kante, Sukez, Seany films, and Essim.
When he is not making music, the rapper enjoys reading and is passionate about assisting people with depression and mental health issues. Strxxt Knawlxdge was born Winston Wynstan Malata Mwale and currently lives in area 44 of Lilongwe.
