An unconfirmed feud has been brewing between two UG hip hop giants, GNL Zamba and Rubaga boy Navio. The two, much as they sing in different languages, have been having a musical battle over who is the undisputed rap king in the land. The battle didn't get a winner because for about five years, Baboon forest CEO Zamba flew to the USA and went off the local scene.
GNL made his comeback last year when he released the “Nsimbi” album which didn't get as much attention as initially anticipated. This year he released another one “Spear” which seems to be performing a little better than the previous one.
During an interview, Navio cleared the air on their friendship, claiming that there has never been anything like enmity besides the competition. “On my side, I have never had a real problem with GNL Zamba. It has always been a friendly competition in my view. And even in the earlier days, I never mentioned him on TV. He was the first one who mentioned me,” he said.
He also noted that he paid for GNL’s first hit song, "Soda Jinjale" which Zamba did with Unique. “I never knew there was any problem but I think living in someone’s shadow frustrated him. I have never had any issues with him. I paid for ‘Soda Jinjale’ and his other personal stuff plus his studio time. So you know, I am one of his sponsors and I have no problem with him and his crew,' he added.
Zamba however denied Navio's claim of paying for the song and said he recorded it using his savings. Let's hope this is not a publicity stunt for Zamba, who is eyeing the Uganda Musicians Association (UMA) presidential seat.
