IMAGES of Jah Prayzah and DJ Black Coffee, when the dynamic duo had not yet struck it rich in the entertainment industry, provide a reminder of the tough journey they have travelled to reach the Promised Land.

Both have scripted rags-to-riches stories.

And, for the duo, this year is a landmark one.

Twenty years ago, DJ Black Coffee enjoyed his big breakthrough at the 2004 Red Bull Music Academy and today he is a Grammy-winning global superstar with an estimated net worth of US$60 million.

That is almost a cool R2 billion.

To just book DJ Black Coffee (48) for a show today, one needs between US$300 00 and US$500 000 to secure his service.

Not bad for someone who was born in Umlazi, Durban who has now held gigs at such places like Ibiza and Madison Square Garden.

In 2004, across the Limpopo, Jah Prayzah was entertaining his first thoughts of becoming a musician.

“I began music around 2004, that’s when I started using the stage name, Jah Prayzah which is a direct translation of Mukudzeyi, meaning Jah Prayzah,” he once told the Kenyan media.

“I started singing in 2004 back in high school, but my breakthrough only came five years later when I released my single titled Sungano.

“From there, I never gave up, I made sure I would make every next year, better than the last one.”

Rough estimates suggest Jah Prayzah is worth about US$2 million and is the richest Zimbabwean musician.

Not bad for someone who was born in Uzumba.

Like Jah Prayzah (37), DJ Black Coffee is a lanky award-winning artist and both stars have owned music recording labels — Military Touch Movement for the Zimbabwean and Soulistic Music for the South African superstar.

This year marks 30 years since DJ Black Coffee first ventured into the music industry in 1994.

He is lucky to be alive to celebrate the 30th year of his plunge into the cut-throat business of entertainment.

He is one of the few lucky people in the world who survived to tell the tale after being involved in a plane crash in South America on January 5.

“It was not quick, that was the most painful thing about this incident,” he told Kaya FM’s Thabo ‘Tbose’ Mokwele.

“And, then I woke up in the hospital. It happened for maybe a minute, it gave me time to think while it was happening. I had time to pray while it was happening.

“I had time to hope that it was not going to be over.

“I had done a show in Brazil and I was flying to Argentina. I had been using a bigger plane on this tour and this was the last leg and I was flying privately.

“The plane looked old and I took a picture of its floor. It looked like no one was using it. I felt uneasy you know.”

At 37, Jah Prayzah’s best years are ahead of him.

H-METRO