Meet Msiz’kay:Umntaka Ma’Mnkandla

Msiz’kay (Sizalobuhle Nkomo)

Hailing from the City of Kings and Queens I present to you the award winning and talented Msiz’kay. I’m sure you know who I’m referring to, and if not… no worries- I’ve got you! Continue reading to find out more about who he is and what he’s about. He’s put in the work and it shows, 2020 has definitely been his year with so many collaborations both locally and internationally. Here’s what he had to say when we spoke to him.

1)​Msiz’kay’s your stage name what is the story behind your name and what’s your full name?

Lol, that’s a long story but the short version is that Msiz’kay is a name I was given by one of my childhood friends growing up ekasi. My full name is Sizalobuhle Nkomo, but most people call me Sizar.

2)​ What drew you to the music industry?

I’ve always loved music. From a young age I used to spend endless hours listening to the radio and singing along. I started writing poems when I was in secondary school and those poems later on turned into songs and when I met up with a producer named Tha Vyrass who gave me the confidence to go into the studio and record my first song.

https://twitter.com/lnyamoto/status/1342903216535707650

3)Who are you inspired by locally and internationally?

I don’t really have specific artists who I can point out as my inspiration or favourites, I am rather inspired more by specific songs and sounds that speak to me.

4)​You and Asaph have collaborated more than once how’d you two link up and can we expect any more music from you?

Me and Asaph first met up doing shows around the city and I became a fan of his sound and his style. When I was doing Made in Africa I knew he was the guy to do it with and since then we have put out so many great collaborations and yes there is more music on the way.

ASAPH – Asipheli Moya feat. Msiz'kay (Lyric Video) https://t.co/WhTbBIeehV via @YouTube

— #ASAPH4MAMA (@AsaphAfrika) August 7, 2020

5)Please explain your creative process, how’d you come up with your music?

There is no one way really, either I make an instrumental and then find the words to go with it or I first come up with the words and melodies which I then complement with an instrumental. Mostly though, I write songs on impulse and feeling, when I hear a beat and I vibe with it, the words and melodies start flowing on their own.

6)​You often refer to a “Nomalanga” do you mind if we ask who she is?

UNomalanga is my bae from another life, lol. The truth is that #Nomalanga is a character that I created to represent my “perfect woman”. The name is very popular here in Bulawayo and as such many people can identify with it.

Our Song Of The Day is @Msizkay 's Dankiehttps://t.co/JsYqdi3Kky pic.twitter.com/a9rulByGvZ

— Fresh Prince Of Kwekwe (@Planet_Dodger) December 26, 2020

7)​It’s safe to say 2020 has been your year I mean you blew up all over locally and globally but I’m sure you’ve been around since before that when did you first step on the scene (music).

I recorded my first song back in January 2010, but I fully committed to doing music in 2014 when I produced and released ” Kade Nithetha” which went all the way to no. 2 on the then ZiFm Bulawayo top 10 hosted by Gibson Sibanda. I have not looked back since then.

8)Is there a hidden meaning in any of your music?

I generally wanna share a message of love, positivity and inspiration. I wanna encourage people to love one another, to be themselves, to believe in God and in themselves. That is my mission.

9)Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans?

I try to always be professional, but humble and accommodating. It’s all about vibes and energies, I give back all the love that comes my way.

10)What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? Why?

My favourite part about making music is getting to see how it impacts people’s lives, the joy it brings, the good times and the memories. The least favourite part of it though is the public scrutiny that comes with fame, it can be overwhelming at times.

11)Talking in front of large crowds in school used to make me so nervous I’d forget my lines and get so anxious, do you experience performance anxiety and if so how do you deal with it?

I always get nervous before I go on stage but I guess the excitement to perform is so much that when I get out there the nerves just go away and I’m happy to share my craft with the audience.

12)What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Being an artist is one of the toughest careers in the world, more so in Africa an in Zimbabwe. If you have talent and you want to pursue music you need to have a lot of drive within you and you need to study the industry and understand it fully before you take that leap.

https://twitter.com/Msizkay/status/1342363725567832065

13) Your album Bayashiselwa which featured songs such as Ngiyazithandela and Uyahamb’ Ek’ seni has been doing pretty well kudos to you what’s your next move?

Thank you so much, I’m really glad I put out Bayashiselwa when I did. I wanna release more music in the future, I wanna reach more people both locally and internationally and I wanna build the Msiz’kay brand into an empire.

14)Lastly you seem to be seen in a brand called Cotton bug and shirts with your name on them can we expect some merchandise from you?

I have collaborated with lots of amazing local clothing brands and designers, “cotton bug” included. In future I intend to carry on these partnerships and also push “Msiz’kay” merchandise and turn that into a clothing brand of choice for everyone.

Be sure to follow Msiz’kay on his socials

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Instagram

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