By CHRISTINE MWAABA –

•Slap D performs his popular local hip hop tracks at Hollywood City in Lusaka last Thursday, while Macky II (right) looks at a t-shirt branded XYZ during the musical concert with Slap D.
Picture by CHRISTINE MWAABA

XYZ proprietor Slap D and Macky II, popularly known as the Kopala swag, finally ‘clashed’ at Lusaka’s Hollywood City where they went head-to-head in a musical show last weekend.
The two hip hop giants were on a mission to bring to an end the question of who is the better rapper between the two.
Arguments have been going on for more than five years between the two musicians and among their supporters on who is supreme between them.
But the Hollywood City ‘tiff’ failed to produce an answer as none of the two rap artistes could clearly outdo the other.
And what was astounding was that fans for each of these artistes kept on celebrating their idols when Hollywood city clearly failed to produce a winner.
What is worth noting is that fans have come to love the different styles of the two musicians even though the Christmas Eve concert failed to produce an absolute answer on who is the better Zed hip hop artiste.
The show, which was the first of its kind, was organised by the managers of the two musicians, Shawn
Kaystar for Macky II and Slap D’s Hmark.
The fans started flocking in after 21:00 hours and by 22:00 hours the venue was packed with followers of both the Kopala Swag and the XYZ camp chanting slogans in support of their men.
At exactly 23:10 hours, KB Killer Beats appeared on stage to officially kickstart the show.
He was followed by the newly-signed XYZ member Drifter who opened the show with his latest song, Tongo, which fans could not resist.
XYZ diva Kantu got fans onto the dance floor when she performed Alangizi, Mungeli, and 1 in Million.
The tempo changed with Kopala Swag Mwana wa Nyirenda – Tiye P – who was introduced to give XYZ the wrath of Kopala Swag through his songs Munjeleleko, Unajaila Ine and Pa mulilo.
WilZ, a.k.a, Mr Nyopole. paved the way for the battle of the night with Londole, Ninalakwa and his smash hit Toliwe.
WilZ’s performance opened the main event of the night which was supposed to end with the crowning of the better Zed (Zambian) hip hop rapper between Macky II and Slap D.
It was not until 02:15 hours when the battle lines were drawn between the giants, supported by the two camps of the Kopala Swag and XYZ.
Macky II, who assumed the title of Kopala Commander, took to the stage in round one with the song Nangu Banchinge, featuring one of Zambia’s best vocalists Isreal, formerly known as Exile.
This was fire for most XYZ fans as Kopala Swag fans sang the chorus along with Macky II while the XYZ fans could only boo the Kopala Commander who quenched their teasing with his street hit, We Don’t Care to the delight of the Kopala fans.
After the Kopala musician performed his two songs, it was time for Slap D to reassure his fans that he was still a force to be reckoned with by performing the XYZ anthem backed by Vigabenga.
He later put up a spectacular performance of Nomba Ninshi which drove the fans wild.
Other performances of the night were Chef 187 from the Kopala camp and Bobby East of the XYZ crew.
Slap D said: “Kopala Swag cannot battle with me because the time I released So Che, they were not there, the time I was releasing Solola, they were not there, and the time I released Zikomo, they were never there.”
But the Kopala Commander noted that music was about talent and his music was what talent was all about.
“Ba guy (Slap D), you are still singing colonial songs,” he said.
The climax of the battle was just enthralling as Macky II took patrons to the dance floor with hit songs Mama Rabecca and Lolo Lolo.
Slap D paid tribute to his rival for giving him a stiff competition. He, however, said the difference between him and Macky II was that he does “real” hip hop music.
He summed it up with one of his recent songs which featured pop singer Mumba Yachi and former Kopala Swag member Muzo, a.k.a Alphonso, entitled Somone.
In spite of the fact that both artistes executed the best performance that their fans had never witnessed before, no one walked away with the title of Zambia’s king of hip hop, meaning the two top rappers can continue trying to outdo each other.