Today’s Guest on The Groove Cafe, Nsubuga Tendo alias Papa T, has said that his music inspiration was drawn from Michael Jackson’s fame and the obsession his concert crowds had for him.
Born and raised in Uganda, Papa T says that he started rapping in his O-level Secondary school days while emulating the music videos and concerts of Micheal Jackson he had been watching.
“My parents used to bring home Michael Jackson music videos and those of his concerts. I remember seeing the huge crowds crying and yearning for him and that stirred my love for music, so I decided that I would do the same in Uganda.”
“I started recording in 2016 during my Form Six with the help of a friend. This guy would bring his flash disk to school containing a number of different beats that we would sing and record to. One time I recorded some really good music that he invited me to his studio in Ntinda and that is where I was able to record my first song called ‘Balling’.”
Papa T, who also recognised Kendrick Lamar, Drake and Jay Z as artists who influenced him to pursue this career, said he is driven to music that relates to real life and a musical brand such as that of Jay Z that doesn't just relate to music alone.
When Crystal the host of The Groove Cafe asked Papa T as to whether he has received support from his family and the music industry at large, the singer replied that though he has gotten quite a bit of it, he has had to differentiate between true and fake support.
“I've had some support from home. My mum gave me some money to record my first song but probably they thought it was timely hype. For the music, the reception was cool though I had to sieve the feedback I was getting from genuine and fake. The industry has given me a platform to perform and to engage with musicians such as Navio, Rickman and Flexi Papa. Shout outs to them.”
Papa T who describes his style as versatile with a blend of of R&B and Rap music, said he is releasing his fresh debut album called ‘Chasing Connections’ this month. The singer said his album includes a lot of his personal life experiences and stories to which his fans will relate .
The grove cafe with Crystal Newman airs every Weekday from 4-5pm on RX Radio.