“You are only big in your city”, is a common diss amongst rappers.
Words by Joanne Peters (Image Coach & Philanthropist)
Questions by Alex Gwaze (Curator) & Joanne Peters
There is no denying that in the City of Kings and Queens, 2023 belonged to Fury Gun. Born Norest Muringa, Fury Gun is a Bulawayo native, who’s been making waves in the music industry since 2011. However, it wasn’t until he released his hit song “Awukhuzeki”, that became a local superstar, seemingly overnight.
“Awukhuzeki” spent months in the local charts, in fact in sat at number one on the biggest radio station in Bulawayo (Skyz Metro FM) for weeks (and it was their most played song of 2023). The song spawned several #AwukhuzekiChallenge videos on TikTok and earned Fury five Bulawayo Arts awards (BAA) nominations that included: Best Newcomer, Song of the year, Best Male Artist, Best Alternative Act, and Best Music Video. Fury ultimately walked away with the Best Newcomer award, a fitting reward for his efforts.
However, for me what stood out about Fury’s success is the appeal of exclusivity. In a world where going viral is everything, Fury managed to carve out a space for himself by appealing to his city. For those who love ‘things’, we know there is something very appealing about finding that exclusive local spot that only a few people know about, that hasn’t been ruined by the masses yet. I know in the current global music scene, being a local superstar might seem counter-intuitive, but that’s how the Beatles, Carley Rae Jepsen and Tyla got noticed by the world. This is why we decided to talk Fury to find out just how much of his success story adopted the “neighbourhood superhero” strategy, and how much was pure luck.
AG: First and foremost, when I first heard your name “Fury Gun”, I thought you were a Gangsta / Drill rapper. Where did your name come from?
FG: (laughs) It’s really not about that lifestyle. The name Fury Gun came about in 2011 when I was in Harare for a football trial at Black Rhinos. I was reading a magazine and came across the word ‘Fury’ and I just added ‘Gun’ to it. I liked the sound and the energy it conveyed, and it’s stuck with me ever since.
JP: You’ve been described as “the man of the moment”, but you’ve been around since 2011. What’s kept you going for almost 10 years?
FG: Over 10 years, but whose counting (laughs). One thing I can tell you is what’s kept me going in music for all these years is my heart. Deep inside my heart, music is my culture, and we all know that if you lose your culture, you lose your identity. Music is a part of who I am, and I can’t imagine my life without it or the culture that shaped it.
AG: You recently won best newcomer at the BAAs. What’s it like winning best newcomer after over a decade in the game?
FG: And the winner is me! (laughs) Wow, winning is a great feeling. It’s a relief and a pat on the back for your efforts. Even though it was the best newcomer award, it was a milestone and a very big achievement. It’s hard to call myself a newcomer after all these years, but since I was laying low at some points of my career, I can call myself a newcomer to the spotlight (laughs). So for me it was a great recognition and good motivation to keep pushing forward.
AG: I can’t help but notice how you career changed since you were signed to and started working with fellow Nketa resident, Rasquesity Keaitse in 2020. Most new acts want to do everything solo. How has collaborating with Ras impacted your career so far?
FG: “If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together”, as the African proverb goes. For me, collaborating with Ras changed a lot of things for me. It helped me discover that I can be versatile and make different types of genres. Sometimes you need that someone to help you see different parts of your talents. Plus, it also helped me win the hearts of many fans, Put me in conversations where people didn’t know I was still around. I’m grateful for that experience, really.
JP: You two represented Nketa well, not just your hood but the city as well. Your song kept several acts from outside Bulawayo from the number one spot in the city for most of 2023 (and into 2024).
FG: That was intentional (laughs). I’m joking, but seriously when you’ve been at it for a while it’s a great feeling to see my music resonating with so many people. I felt “Awukhuzeki” was a good song, but it slowly became a hit, and it was even on Star FM radio’s Top 20 in Harare, and TikTok dance challenges. I don’t know how you prepare for such. You want to make a hit and when you a make one it really motivates you. Gives you real confidence in your talent.
AG: Confidence is what we all need in life. I want to know something. “Awukhuzeki” to me had an Amapiano vibe, but you’ve described yourself as an “Afro-Dancehall” artist. And your other music has Pop and even Dance influences.
FG: For real, I’m an Afro Dancehall artist! But what made me make a song fused with other genres is that I looked at all corners and wanted to conquer the whole country. You know when I was saying Ras and other helped me to try new genres. That song was something like that. First of all, I wanted to win over my home city, Bulawayo, show people I’m still out here, don’t count me out. And Mapiano is the most favourable genre that has already caught people here. So I wanted to win the attention from my hometown before eyeing further. It just so happened that the song did both for me.
JP: So now that you fusing other genres into your version of “Afro-Dancehall”, which African artists inspire you?
FG: Honestly, I can’t think of anyone in particular in Africa at the moment because I am still inspired by Winky D’s performance at the recent shutdown and his new EP. From way back in the early 2000s I’ve enjoyed his music and his energy and humility. He’s a legend in the music industry, and his passion for music is contagious.
AG: Now that you’ve made that hit that caught people’s attention, do you feel any pressure to make another?
FG: No. I really don’t feel any pressure in making another hit because my DNA runs with hits (laughs). I understand a lot of people have been wondering why I’ve been a bit quiet, but it’s not like I’m quiet – I’ve been working hard on my next release, “Ngiyavutha”. One thing I know is hard work pays off.
JP: “Awukhuzeki” was trending on TikTok for a while. Many new acts now make singles specifically for social media and don’t work on an album. Where do stand on the singles versus album debate?
FG: For now, I will stand with making singles because our main goal is to go international. We want to brand ourselves big, and albums aren’t the target right now because people on social media share singles. It’s a different strategy than the one I used before, but our target is to gain trust from my core fans who got me here so far. If we gain their trust with a few singles here and there they’ll know or expect an album to be coming. I want to make albums but I don’t have the luxury of using that strategy at the moment while I’m still being seen as a newcomer (laughs).
AG: Social media has altered the behaviour of everyone in recent times. So for our last question is there a significant other out there that you ready to make ‘Instagram official’?
FG: (laughs) Guys! Fury Gun and Norest Muringa are different characters. I will stand with Fury Gun, and anything about Fury Gun will be brought to light. But Norest Muringa will always stay away from sharing much of his personal life because it’s not for entertainment purposes. I think it’s only fair to protect those who don’t work in the industry or want that kind of exposure from unnecessary drama.
Follow Fury at: @furygunn
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