King 98 (left) and Davido on stage

BY WINSTONE ANTONIO

SOUTH Africa-based Zimbabwean hip-hop artiste Ngonidzashe “King 98” Dondo said he had travelled a painful journey in music and will not allow negative criticism to hamper his march into the future.

King 98 was speaking to NewsDay Life & Style on the sidelines of the grand launch of his debut album, Francesca, at Wingate Golf Club in Harare on Wednesday night.

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The launch was graced by Nigerian music icon David “Davido” Adeleke and celebrated South African rap star Nasty C.

“I am not going to give up, no matter how much people may criticise me. I am not going to quit. I am going to keep going because a lot of people say a lot of stuff,” he said.

King 98 said he had a marvellous experience during the launch and was optimistic about the future.

He said he was inspired by the positive message he received from Davido as they “learn with each other” and nothing could stop “a God-given talent”.

“I enjoyed the set and I was happy with the numbers. I wanted the youths as they are my target market,” he said.

He advised upcoming musicians not to give up on their dreams, even if their parents did not understand them.

“At first, my parents were like, you are crazy, but if it’s God’s plan, go and do it. Have fun, enjoy it,” he said.

After supporting acts warmed up the stage with sterling performances, King 98 took over at 22:30hrs and after his set, he later returned to the stage to join Davido for their duet, No Bad Vibes, amid wild screams from the multitude of fans, who had thronged the venue.

The launch was also graced by an array of local artistes, among them ExQ, Selmor Mtukudzi, Tammy Moyo, Shashl, Union 5 and South Africa-based Nadia Nakai, including wheelspinner Silence Dosh.