After dropping his debut album “Few Good Poems” in January, Tehn Diamond has decided to go all out to push his project and regain the throne of being the king of hip hop by going on a nationwide tour dubbed the “Tehn Outta Ten Tour.”
“This is something that’s really been long overdue. During 2014 I went out to Mutare and Bulawayo, and since then the plan has been to get out even more and bring the music to life for the fans I haven’t visited yet. I was inspired by the desire to grow and expand this hip-hop game I love so much. And this was the next logical step,” said Tehn.
“The title Tehn Outta Ten Tour is basically a play on the phrase “10 out of 10” a perfect score. And our intention is to give a show that’s not just ten out of ten, but TEHN and trust me, that’s better than perfect, it’s our heart and soul on those stages every time.”
Tehn will not be partying alone on the tour set to run from February 18 to March 25, but will be joined by three other artists namely; Ammara Brown, Simba Tagz and Thaiwanda Thai.
The rapper said he chose these three because they are his buddies who incredibly talent artistes.
“The acts hitting the road with me are all my friends. Friends who also happen to be some of the most incredibly talented artists I’ve ever met. This tour is a part of the things we’ve all spoken and dreamt about. To have them join me as we make history, and give the nation a fresh mix of urban talent, was really a no-brainer. We each bring a sound and style and energy that’s never been brought together in Zimbabwe before.
Commenting on how his album is doing on the market he said, “My album is doing just as I expected and hoped. It’s not your typical Zim hip-hop album, it’s not formulaic and not following a lot of trends. I really want to take some creative risks with it and always knew it wouldn’t be for everyone, at least not right away. But, this project is a gold mine of hits and classics.
“The radio reception for “No Stress” has been phenomenal, we’re charting across the board and I’m even more excited to drop my next single before the tour. The race to greatness is a marathon and not a sprint, and so far I’m loving our pace.”
However, Tehn will not be the first hip-hop act to attempt a nationwide tour as we saw Takura stage a varsity tour last year. The question is will Tehn just be focusing on the local market?
“Without a doubt. Africa is the goal this year. New markets and new levels of success. The kind of success I know fellow Zimbabweans are hungry to celebrate. With Jah Prayzah’s MTV nod last year, we saw that only the sky is the limit. With the Grammy achievements of producers like Brian Soko, we’ve seen that the sky is no limit at all.
“And as an artist, I’m working towards expanding and contributing to that narrative. We can’t remain the best kept secrets of Zimbabwe forever, the world deserves to hear and learn from us too.”
Asked if he thought Zim hip-hop had a future, seeing as the activity and popularity graph is always fluctuating and the genre failing to achieve the dominance it had during 2013-2014 when MMT and Few Kings were topping charts, Tehn Diamond’s response was affirmative.
“I think hip-hop has been growing quite beautifully since 2013, 2014. The breadth of talent that’s popped up, the levels of innovation and work being put in, it’s a joy to behold. There’s a growing, hungry crop of fresh talent, there’s competition and there’s a level of professionalism I’ve always hoped to see in the game. Take one look at Takura and you’re fooling yourself if you’re stuck in 2013/2014. There’s so much more going on and so much more to come. I can’t wait.”
The “Grown Up Kid” singer also highlighted that the greatest strength of Zim hip-hop is the abundance of gifted artistes.
“The greatest strength of the current state of Zimbabwe is the greatest strength of Zim Hip-Hop, we have incredible amounts of talent and potential. And our greatest weakness is also the same as that of the current state of Zimbabwe, we’re failing to unlock our potential fully and consistently. But, I am a strong believer in the power of potential, and I keep faith in the fact that it only takes a few bright sparks to get the fire going. Those sparks are starting to flicker, and I’m proud to be one of them,” said Tehn.
