Man Crush Monday
Crysto Panda Talks Working With Sheebah and What it Means To Have The Biggest Song in Kampala!
Meet Crysto Panda, our Man Crush Monday today. His song ‘Kyoyina Omanya’ has risen through the charts to become one of the biggest songs on the airwaves. In this chat, the TV star talks working with Sheebah and what it means to have the biggest song in Kampala.
How did you come up with the name Crysto Panda?
My real name is Kitya Muweesi Herbert. Crysto means Chances are yet to get open so take heart, Panda was really inspired by the Desiigner song “Panda”. I really wanted to create that vibe, the energy he had in the song, I really wanted to create that so I called myself Crysto Panda.
Did you plan to evolve into an artiste at some point?
I’ve always been an artist. I loved doing music while in high school, but my focus was on getting rich. But I loved it. I told myself I need to be somewhere if I want to do music. So I actually planned it, that’s why I got on TV. When I got on TV I made connections with different people, and then the rest came from there.
How has the experience of creating music been for you?
Before I joined TV I used to be at a certain studio called Southside with some lady called Glosh. I used to be there, practice from there, but then later on when I got a job on TV I focused more on the TV job. Then I met Nesiim, who actually made me who I am. He gave me a chance and I first did a song with D’Agent, called “Sagala Manya”. It’s been a bit easy for me because it’s easy to do a song, but getting airplay is a bit hard because I work for a rival tv station so it’s a bit of a 2 way thing.
How have you juggled music with TV ?
I work mostly on weekends and have free time during the week so I go and record my songs and videos during the week and then on weekends I focus on TV. It has been easy.
News has it that Cindy turned down your request to feature on Kyoyina Omanya. How did you easily get Sheebah to step in?
I want to make this clear: I have never asked Cindy for a collabo. This is what happened. A friend of mine called Jacob inboxed me on Whatsapp and said, “yo, if you do a remix for “kyoyina manya” with a female artist it can work for you.” I thought about it, then the first person I contacted was Douglas. I actually told him, can I get Sheebah? Can you help me get sheebah on this song? Because by that time me and Jeff were not talking. So it was like maybe I can’t get her on the song. But she was the first person I thought of, I never had Cindy in mind. The other choice I had was Spice, and Winnie Nwagi, never Cindy. So this is what happened, I went on my Instagram page, after talking to Douglas and said lemme try something. I posted and said “If I was to do a remix with somebody, recommend a female artist” and a lot of people recommended. Even Jacob himself came and said “Spice can do better” then Cindy came on the post and said “Yeah Crysto Panda, go with Jacob’s decision because it works for you” That’s where she comes in. Then Jacob went back and tried to convince her to join in but she refused and said no.. He should go with what you suggested. You can go and check it out it’s still all up there. But I had never inboxed her to ask for a collab, but I said, oh! If you say so it’s okay.
And then for Sheebah, it was kind of hard but then easy because the song was good. After talking to Douglas I talked to Artin and he was like, I’ll talk to Jeff. This is what Jeff told me. At first he was like “I’ll think about it” and he took his time. Then I spoke to Nessim, he helped me talk to Jeff and convinced him more. And then Jeff listened to the song and it was booming, the song was moving around. Jeff also asked around and finally got into the jam. Then Nessim called me and was like, “this is what it is, Sheebah is going to do a verse on the song.” At first I didn’t believe it. We then talked to Khalifa, he wrote her verse and yeah. The rest is history. But I have never asked for a collab from Cindy, even if she says that she couldn’t do it with me because I’d get lost in the song, come on! It was a remix, in my original song I had already proved myself. Maybe she wanted to prove something, but there was no way she could kill me on my own song, so I didn’t find her excuse convincing. Anyway, it is what it is. The only people I remember reaching out to was Manager Roger for spice, and Winnie’s manager. I’m professional, I go to a manager before I talk to an artist.
Do you still wish you had done it with Cindy?
I can’t wish for that. Because at first I never wished for it, that’s what people don’t get. My first option was Sheebah, when I thought of doing a remix with a female artist, and God gave me the chance to do so. I’ve never wished to work with Cindy on my remix. Right now I don’t regret it because the numbers speak for themselves. Even before the video is out when you look at the numbers for the audio, they’re bigger than the original video! I don’t regret and I’ve never wished to work with Cindy. That’s it.
It’s now one of the biggest songs in Kampala currently. Did you see it coming?
At first I didn’t think it was going to be a big song, but when I found out I was going to have Sheebah on the remix, I knew it was going to be big, because, come on, everyone who has done a song or remix with Sheebah it has blown up. Look at Farmer- Ykee benda, look at the song she did with Grenade and Jon Blaq, theyre all big songs. So at first I didn’t think it was going to be big but after knowing I was going to have sheebah, I knew it was going to be a big song.
Are you ready for the pressure from fans to do a follow up song?
No, I don’t have pressure because at first I was doing music at my own pace. Just that I have a lot of music right now and I need to put it out for the people. I’ve been doing a lot of music, I have like 10 songs which are unreleased. So I don’t have pressure from the fans, I have my music and I’ll take it mpola mpola silina ampapya. Yeah my fans know me, I release music when I feel I want, it’s not by force or like I’m chasing somebody, no no.
What was your experience working with Sheebah?
Man, working with her.. she’s the first female artist I’ve ever worked with. I’ve been working with male artists, I worked with The Ben, I’ve worked with Mun G, Beenie Gunter, D’Agent… I had never worked with any female artist and fortunately the first female artist I’ve worked with is the biggest female artist in the country, and that’s a blessing to me. So working with her first was a blessing, secondly the vibe me and her had on set when we were shooting the video. Oh God! I wish I could do another song with her. She’s a whole vibe, she’s this kind of lady, when you work with her she’s going to be telling you things that can motivate you to go harder at whatever you’re doing. When she was in studio recording her verse I wasn’t there, but we met on set for the video, but believe me. She told me something I’ll never forget, she told me, “People say bad things about me but you know how I pay back? I drop hits and they sort themselves!” and that’s one thing I’ll never forget. She told me that and I’ll never forget. Sheebah is the best artist anyone can ever work with, because when you work with her, she’s going to mind about the song. There are artists you work with and they don’t mind about pushing the song. For her even if you check her pages right now, she’d posting about the song, she makes you feel like you’re somebody. That’s credit, and I pray to God that I work with her again.
Lastly, you were vocal during the #50k saga. What advice would you give someone young out there looking to get a place in the entertainment business.
This is what I can tell them. When you’re starting, even if they give you nothing, go and work, when you’re starting. Because when I was starting I spent a full year without getting paid. But I had faith that one day I can earn 500 or 400 (thousand) in a day for a show, or in an hour. And I earn it! People don’t know it but 50k – it’s about how you negotiate with a company, and the way the company values you. You can have “numbers” on your pages but the company doesn’t see the numbers reflecting. You could have “numbers” but the show doesn’t get those numbers, so people might follow you and like you but don’t watch your show. But there are presenters who are followed and at the same time their shows have numbers. Even the company sees things that you as a presenter does. If they’re giving you money and they see you spend the money in bars, doing whatever, living that good life, they’ll think you’re comfortable with the money they are giving you. Even if it’s their money or not, they’ll think you’re okay. I’m just giving an example I’m not trying to pin point anybody. I want someone who is out there starting out in the industry, don’t come with the mindset of “bampe ssente” Here in Uganda there’s no one who will give it to you! Just come in saying I want to work, when time comes and after some time your profile will grow. Just know the money I was getting then is not what I’m getting right now. Why? Because value went up! I’m wanted everywhere! That’s when you get a chance to say “guys this is what I want, if you can’t, lemme go somewhere else”. But the moment you agree to terms with a company, it means you’re okay with them. So, come in with the mindset of working first, create your own brand, so that the company values you. And bring numbers to whatever it is you’re doing, so that they see that when they lose you, they are also losing out.
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