"I don carry waist pain because I bend down write song." When Mic Monsta pronounced these words in the song 'Fear' back in 2016, little did he know that it was a double-headed encapsulation of what was going to be his drive himself back then and for the future.
It was first an expression of optimism. He had just signed with Kreef Entertainment and the future seemed promising for the budding rapper. Everything he had put out up until that moment from the My Thoughts mixtape to a feature on the remix of Jovi's Et P8 Koi had certainly cleared the path and burnt the grass for the ascension of the Lyrical Njorku to a culmination point with Kreef Entertainment which should have been his Hut 1.
Secondly, it was an expression of his own will to work hard, really hard to be able to put out music that people would like and respect, and to build a legacy for himself.
To say the least, Mic Monsta had his work cut out for him - like every Anglophone rapper, for that matter. First of all, the market is small. You can't really get beyond a certain threshold because Pidgin English is the primary vector of the expression of your art, and the context the language brings can only carry you so much. Secondly, Afropop hip-hop works better and even guarantees a crossover appeal. Mic Monsta doesn't really do that genre of rap save for a very few songs. Which explains the success of Local Lokito, even amongst his primarily Anglophone market.
But before he even got to the work that was cut out for him, Mic Mosta tumbled down the mountain when Kreef Entertainment bundled up and he was left all to himself. Then ensued a period of drought and no doubt, doubt. There were some sporadic releases that tingled a few ears here and there but didn't change his fate much.
Then, Mic Monsta decided to go back to the drawing board.
And on that drawing board Mic Monsta decided to go the way of structure. Everything he had learned thus far in the industry, he decided to put in a structure and of that structure, was born Kwata Music.
Kwata Music has been for him some sort of renaissance. Everything he has done since then has been more calculated, more effective. In the short time that Kwata Music, his label, has effectively been operating, Mic himself has released two solid projects; the albums Vibes Clinic and The Stars Are Watching. He has also surrounded himself with a strong team of promising rappers. First is Dready Christ, his long-time friend and collaborator who is a super talented and versatile musician. Then there is the trio that constitutes Uncle Cales, Waxzey and Edico known as "Torch City." Finally, there is Marnick, the first female signed to the label, who is also a singer.
On top of Mic Monsta's own releases, Dready Christ Christ has released an album titled "Champion Lover" and Torch City has released an EP titled "Sense Pass King"
With all this in perspective, it is clear that Mic Monsta knows pretty much exactly how he wants his career to grow and in what direction he intends to take it. The structure and the releases from Kwata Music point to that. Not since NBM have we seen a rap label like this one.
And it was only a matter of time before people beyond the music audience took notice. As Mic puts out more music and gains more fans, his credibility as an artist is taking shape more and more.
It is no surprise that a brand like Chivas has come knocking. Mic Monsta was picked to represent the brand alongside four others. Interestingly his tenure as an ambassador (or New Regal) as the brand chooses to call it, is tied directly with everything that the structure he has put up today. Chivas New Regal is out to celebrate people who have a hustle mentality, who go away from the traditional path and build something for themselves and they take people along with them when they do.
Mic Monsta represents that mentality. Building a label is certainly not new, but building Kwata Music into what it is today takes grit, hard work and perseverance. Not to mention how he has brought Dready christ, Marnick and the boys from Torch City along. And they are only just warming up. The future certainly promises bigger and better things for the New Regal. This isn't just a regency, he is well on his way to build an empire.
All Hail Mic Monsta.