Riz Khali makes his grand entrance into mainstream Hip hop industry
The local Hip Hop circle has a new kid on the block in talented and dynamic Khali Zimmerman who goes by the stage name Riz Khali. He is not your run off the mill hip hop artist; he is in a league of his own.
He is so hands on and versatile when it comes to the production side of music, that it is hard to believe that he is only 20 years old and that his music background can be traced to when he was just 14 years old when he started taking his music seriously. A year later he set up a studio where he could sharpen his music skills and he has not looked back since then.
Riz Khali is involved in the whole production of his works, including conceptualising the videos, and anything else that he needs to do in order to deliver a product worth talking about. He currently has two released singles, Hella-Os and Same Old. Hella-Os was released online (Panda TV and Facebook) and became an instant hit with the video garnering close to 28 000 views, which is impressive for a newcomer.
The video that promises to catapult him to stardom is just incredible. Clean and with a creative concept, you view and you are left feeling that this was a video made somewhere in the world. If it is taken to the right platform, he could soon be rubbing shoulders and competing with some Hip Hop greats in the continent.
“Both songs have received a good reception. In the two singles that will be part of my upcoming Mixed tape/EP, I worked with artists such as Svutho (a Ghanzi based group). The quality of sound and the visuals are of international standard,” he explains.
Riz Khali says that for his first project, he first wanted to hit the Botswana market before setting his sights on the African market. “I want to create music that can compete with other African artists,” he says. His main goal is to build a base locally before spreading his wings beyond borders. Riz Khali says that he is an independent artist and is not signed to any record label.
He is behind the final product (including the video, and the sound) that reaches the market. Pursuing his passion has been made easy by his family who are supportive, especially his father, who he says has always encouraged him to follow his dreams.