Holy Ten Hails Winky D as Zimbabwe’s Best, Addresses Controversies

Harare, Zimbabwe – In a surprising turn, prominent local hip-hop artist Holy Ten has publicly declared fellow musician Winky D not only the country’s best musical talent but also its most stylish artist. This declaration marks a significant shift from their previously strained relationship, which once saw Holy Ten controversially label Winky D a “snake.”

Holy Ten, who now asserts himself as the nation’s second-best musician, made these candid remarks during an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with ZTN presenter Erica Ndoro, set to air this Monday. The interview delved into various topics, including an apology to his wife, Kimberly, and his intention to reduce his social media presence.

A significant portion of the discussion focused on Winky D. “The only dream collaboration that I really want right now is with VaWinky D. That man is in a league of his own,” Holy Ten stated.

He attributed their past friction to social media, suggesting it was “not even that deep.” He drew parallels between his own controversial statements and Winky D’s earlier career, noting, “Honestly, he was the same when he was coming up, made so many diss tracks but it didn’t make much noise because there was no social media like that.”

Holy Ten expressed his admiration, saying, “I look up to him. I took all his notes and I was implementing them but it seemed like I was being naive or doing something that has never been done.” He even revealed, “I even introduced that man to my wife as a gift because that’s how much I valued and loved him, however, everything that happened after that was just unfortunate.”

He reiterated his high regard for Winky D, stating, “That man is the best dressed, the best singer, and he’s actually Zimbabwe gold and, obviously, I come after him. I am the second best.” Holy Ten also expressed a desire to formally apologize to Winky D, fearing that social media might have created an issue where none truly exists between them. “I want to find the best way when I can really apologise to him. Because I feel like he might not even have a problem with me but, because of social media, it might be a problem.”

The rap star also addressed public perceptions, admitting to going live on social media while intoxicated but vehemently denying drug use. “People don’t understand that sometimes I won’t even be drunk but I have a comedic persona that comes out during TikTok Lives because I have noticed my fans really enjoy it,” he explained.

He clarified his intentions: “The plan is never to hurt anyone or offend anyone but, because of the social media noise, everything I do is misconstrued and taken as if I’m doing drugs.” Holy Ten offered an apology for how his past actions made people feel, though not for his words, asserting his role as a youth leader who speaks truth. “As for my past actions, I apologise for how it made people feel, not what I said because I am the leader of the youths and I speak the truth. I am an entertainer, I’m not a pastor. I’m not a doctor and I’m not an engineer so what does an entertainer do? He entertains and does not nurse people’s feelings.”

He also addressed his recent disagreement with Malloti, emphasizing the importance of protecting his family. “People don’t understand that I’m also a husband, a father and someone’s child so, usually, when you see me online fighting people, it’s because they came for my family. You cannot come for my wife and I keep quiet about it. I don’t mind if you see anything bad about me or my music but not my wife or my children because that is my softest spot.”

Holy Ten specifically addressed the online controversy surrounding his wife, expressing remorse for any distress caused. “I would actually want to apologise to my wife for everything that I did that led to her being bashed on the Internet,” he confessed. He revealed that comments made about his wife on Ollah’s podcast were “just a narrative, planned drama because there was an album coming out but it ended up hurting the person that I love the most. That was never the intention. I love my wife so much. I respect her and I hope she finds it in our heart to forget all the mishaps that have happened.” He also expressed regret for many past interviews that contributed to a negative public image.

When questioned about his frequent manager changes, Holy Ten offered a pragmatic view: “Speaking of managers, there’s a time that you need people in your life and, sometimes, you outgrow those people and you meet new people that elevate your life so it’s normal for someone to change managers. I don’t hate my old managers and I respect them, things still work out and some of the best music that I have right now is because of them.”

Despite the controversies, Holy Ten believes his music speaks for itself. “I know there’s a narrative out there but regardless of the narrative my music speaks for itself, my music talks to young girls and I give advice to them, I look out for them. Last week I was even in Zambia where I was giving advice to some of the girls that life is not all about alcohol and going out.” He acknowledged that while some may doubt him, those who truly know him understand he is “a very good guy and know that some of the things that I say or do are just for entertainment as I am an entertainer.”

Looking ahead, Holy Ten plans to reduce his involvement in online disputes and limit his social media presence. “After today, I plan to reduce the number of lies that I get into, I plan on reducing my social media appearance. You’re not gonna see much of me like you used to.” He even mentioned his family’s concern: “Even today, my family didn’t even want me to come to this interview. They feel like I’m a danger to myself.”

On the music front, Holy Ten confirmed his new album is out and teased the introduction of new talent. “I also have new talent that I’m going to introduce to the world. I’ve got five new artists and you’ll see them. There will be something new.” The star has previously faced intense backlash for some of his online posts, admitting, “I’ve been someone who comes online and shows people their real personality. However, sometimes I go live whilst intoxicated but that doesn’t mean that I’m always drunk. I like my beer. I love my alcohol but I feel like I should limit or reduce the intake because some of the actions or things that I do end up getting me into trouble.”