This archive report was first published on 21 April 2020.
Former Gospel Artist Weezdom Speaks Out ¶
Kenyan artist Weezdom has shared his painful experience in the gospel industry, where he was misled by fellow gospel artistes and faced hate, hypocrisy, and depression.
According to Weezdom, his journey began in 2015 when Bahati, a gospel artist, took him from the streets of Mathare, where he worked as a garbage collector, and mentored him. Bahati signed him into his record label, EMB, as his first signee.
Weezdom's reception after his debut was overwhelming, with numerous awards and nominations from fans. However, a year later, in 2016, Weezdom quit EMB records under the influence of fellow gospel artistes who did not like Bahati.
Unfortunately, soon after he walked out of the door, the very same gospel musicians who had turned him against Bahati were nowhere to be seen. This forced Weezdom to return to his former ways as a garbage collector in Mathare.
At the time, he made many friends, reconciled with those who had wronged him, and those he had wronged. He felt that Bahati needed an apology as well.
Three years later, in 2019, Weezdom asked Bahati for forgiveness, who openly welcomed him back and forgave him for being misled.
However, it has been 7 months since Weezdom's return, but it felt like a decade for him. The trolls, the backlash, the hate, proved too much for him to bear.
According to Weezdom, all the trolls he was facing were because of getting back with his former Boss, Bahati, whom he was initially supposed to turn against. The gospel musicians and the multiple friends he had made during the three years away from EMB now turned against him as well.
This left him puzzled, confessing that at times, he would receive backlash from people who were targeting Bahati.
Weezdom recalled how when Bahati told him he wanted to disband EMB, it not only disappointed him, it felt like a blow. He felt it was going to be a big blow to the gospel industry, to see such a well-established record label close shop, yet it has helped so many young artistes to achieve success.
He however accepted his Boss' decision basing on the fact that his helping hand only yielded him hate, backlash, and pain. Instead of getting support from his fellow artistes, Bahati was instead blasted and it felt like he was doing this alone.
Weezdom apologized to his fans for quitting gospel music, stating that he will no longer be releasing songs and has quit the Kenyan gospel industry, because of the hatred, the depression, the hypocrisy by those he respects.
He dismissed any speculations that he was turning into a secular artist even though he was quitting gospel. Weezdom however failed to disclose his next venture after EMB shutdown but expressed deep gratitude to his mentor, Bahati.
