Hillzy Biography | Real Name | Age | Education | Career as a Musician | Discography | Awards
Hillzy is a Zimbabwean singer, rapper and record producer.
Real Name
Hillzy’s real name is Hilary Ngaakudzwe Chipunza.
Age
Hillzy was born on 10 May 1994.
Education
In 2013, Hillzy left Zimbabwe and went to Cape Town, South Africa, to pursue a BSc in Computer Science and Computer Engineering at the University of Cape Town.
Career as a Musician
In 2018, Hillzy released a project called “Overdue (The Love Mixtape).” He also produces beats under the alias Mr Masinh. Hillzy shared the story of how he met his frequent collaborator and producer Beatsmith:
“I heard of Beatsmith when I was still in high school, but we hadn’t met because I was also making beats under Mr Masinh. I call myself Mr Masinh when I make beats. So people were like, “You should collabo with this kid called Beatsmith.” Years later, I’m in my final year, Beatsmith is first year at UCT, and I’m like, “So I’ve heard that you make beats. Do you want to work on something?” He gave me a beat. I wrote to it, and ever since, nothing has been the same.”
emPawa Initiative
Hillzy participated in Mr Eazi’s emPawa competition, although he didn’t make it to the top 10 finalists who would join Mr Eazi for a masterclass. However, Hillzy’s song “You Are Enough” had such a profound impact on Mr Eazi that he personally invited Hillzy to the masterclass and offered to fund a music video for the song.
Following that, Hillzy’s talent and accomplishments caught the attention of the renowned America-based Zimbabwean producer and engineer, Dakari. Impressed by Hillzy, Dakari signed him to his Cider Music label, and together they embarked on the creation of Hillzy’s highly praised and commercially successful “Chisikana EP”. This project featured collaborations with Sha Sha, Gemma Griffiths, and Garry Mapanzure.
Riding high on the success of Chisikana, Hillzy took a new step by establishing his own label, Masinh Productions. The name cleverly combines “Massive In House Productions” and plays with the Shona slang homonym (ma-scene).
In 2022, Hillzy and Masinh Productions joined forces with Point Black Entertainment to elevate his career and launch his forthcoming EP, titled “In The Building.”
Discography
Mixtapes
- “The University Take Over Reloaded (T.U.T.O.R)”
- “Overdue (The Love Mixtape)” (2018)
EPs
- “Chisikana” (2020)
- “In the Building” (2022)
Awards
Hillzy achieved significant recognition for his collaboration with Garry Mapanzure on the song “TV Room,” which won the prestigious All Africa Music Award (AFRIMA) in Nigeria for Best Artist, Duo or Group in African R&B & Soul. His outstanding work competed against renowned artists such as Davido, Tellaman, and Sarz.
Best Diaspora – Zim Hip Hop Awards – 2017
Freshman of The Year | Hype Magazine – 2017
Best Duo or Group in R&B – AFRIMA Awards – 2019
R&B Song of Year – StarFM Awards – 2019
Best Diaspora Changamire Awards – 2019
Best R&B – StarFM Awards – 2020
Best R&B Soul – ZIMA Awards – 2021
