Introducing Zerub:

disability is not inability

COPPERBELT Province has continued to produce some fine and influential artistes including the likes of Macky2, Pilato, Dandy Krazy and Afunika to mention a few. These artistes have been inspirational to young and upcoming stars from the province.

It is for this reason we keep seeing births of so many careers and recent one being that of rapper and youth activist Boniface Banda artistically called Zerub. Aged 24, and physically challenged, Zerub is riding on the slogan ' disability is not inability' and wants to compete favourably and equally without being judged.

Zerub has lived with the passion for music and various forms of art including poetry, dance and fashion.

" I have been doing music all my life, and one thing I aspire to do through this music is to challenge the perception of people towards the physically challenged. This because when they see me or other physically challenged people, they always think that person is sick or has complications, they always want to treat you in a certain way," he bemoans.

" I don't vibe with that, you see some people when they see me, they even think of giving me money because I am handicapped. I don't like that because people need to help me not because I am handicapped but as a fellow human being."

With that philosophy, Zerub want to use music to speak for the voiceless. He plans to make it big and prove he is as determined as everyone else.

Zerub's rap passion was motivated by late American hip hop icon 2Pac.

" I love hip hop and rap. I got this love and inspiration from 2Pac and I also want my music to speak issues and other important things," adds Zerub.

His first project is a single he is working on that will feature songstress Kantu and produced by KB for K-Army Studios.

This will be then followed by several collaborations with various other artistes.

"I am working on a song called ' Show me love,'. Because I feel being physically challenged is not the end of the world. It will be the first single professionally done," says Zerub who has commended various artists and his brother for support.

The single is set for release this month. The singer also is part of an artistic and poetic group on the Copperbelt called the Paper Planes. He plans to create a huge empire of artists that will be involved in dance, rap, poetry and fashion.