Rolling with Dice

Even though his last body of work, Winter is Near was released in 2017, rapper Dice has not ceased being a subject of discussion in various showbiz dialogues, thanks to his chart-topping singles and acting roles. He mentioned that his approach has changed vastly and doing so has helped him navigate the entertainment scene with ease. “Music consumption has changed and as a result I have been concentrating on pushing singles rather than albums and that works for me, because it gives me time to concentrate on other projects as well,” said Dice.

His second single Follow Me features Stanley 'Ou Stakes', a single he says has been received well by his fans and various media platforms. For Dice, working with Stanley means a lot to him and allows him to introduce his fans to Stanley and vice versa. Dice said that what steered him to have Stanley on Follow Me is his classic song Bobo. “Bobo has very similar clap patterns with the instrumentals on Follow Me and the melody just kept playing in my head. I reached out to him and he was happy to jump on it and that is how the song came about.

“It was a humbling experience for me to see people taking out time to record themselves dancing to the song and sharing these clips on social media. It was testimony that the song was received well by many music fans which is what I do this for,” added Dice.

Dice maintains that sampling and working with legendary Namibian artists will grow the music industry as it helps keep the heritage and originality of Namibian music alive.

He believes that Namibian music has grown immensely; he however pointed out that Namibian hip-hop as a genre in particular lacks originality.





“Sunny Boy pioneered Hikwa, Tate Buti introduced us to Kwiku and Kwaito artists have done well with their genre, however as much as Namibian rappers make good music and the skill set is there, we have to own our style so that it does not sound South African, Nigerian or American,” shared Dice.

On business, Dice shared that Jay-Z informs his business strategies. He studies his business acumen and tries to emulate that in his own career. Dice believes that as a musician, having your hands in various pots is important, and creating a legacy and doing things that are meaningful are his priority at this point of his career. “I would like to have an interview one day and be asked what my net worth is and not hesitate to say N$15 million just off the entertainment business. This is why I have my hands in film, artist management and music distribution.

“I have a son. I am not getting any younger and investing in something that will sustain me and my family in this music business as well as grow the industry is my focus,” said Dice.

Asked what he loves the most between making music and acting, Dice shared that it varies but at the moment he enjoys being on set more than being in the booth. “I am versatile and I am always creating. In terms of treatment the set is a good working environment because there is always someone who ensures that my needs are taken care of on set, which is treatment that I do not necessarily get in studio,” he said.

He attributes his longevity to a good work ethic and the hunger for more. He urges creatives who look up to him to not be content with average and to be daring. “We are in the business of selling content and the better you present your content, the better you do. So, do not be too scared to ask for guidance because at the end of the day you do not want to serve mediocre content regardless of your genre,” he said.

When it is all said and done, his wish is for his obituary to read rapper, actor and producer. “I just want to be remembered for all the things I am doing and for my music to touch lives,” he summed up.

MICHAEL KAYUNDE