Holy Ten also expressed a clear desire to formally apologize for his past utterances, marking a notable shift in their previously strained relationship.

The candid declaration came during a recent interview with ZTN, where Holy Ten articulated his deep respect for the dancehall veteran.

From "Snake" to "Number One": A Shift in Perspective

The public tension between Holy Ten and Winky D dates back to 2022, following the release of their collaborative track "Ibotso." At the time, Holy Ten had distanced himself from portions of the song, notably those criticizing the powerful and wealthy, claiming Winky D had "hoodwinked" him into contributing to a track that seemingly took aim at the ruling party, ZANU-PF. This led to Holy Ten, a known ZANU-PF supporter, publicly labelling Winky D a "snake" and threatening to "end his career."

Now, Holy Ten's stance has dramatically changed. He openly hailed Winky D as "Zimbabwe gold," stating, "I consider him the best in every aspect—vocals, style, everything. Naturally, I see myself as second best." This public commendation marks a stark contrast to their previous highly publicized disagreements.

Desire for Collaboration and Making Amends

Holy Ten revealed that a future collaboration with Winky D remains a "Holy Grail" for him as an artist, indicating his profound respect for the "Gafa's" musical prowess.

Addressing the past controversy, Holy Ten suggested that the public fallout was largely fueled by social media amplification. "All the controversy that happened was fueled by social media, it wasn’t even that deep," he stated. He drew a parallel to Winky D's earlier career, noting that the veteran artist also had a history of diss tracks that did not generate as much noise due to the absence of modern social media platforms then.

He expressed a genuine desire to make amends for his past behavior: "I want to find the best way when I can really apologise to him. Because I feel like he might not even have a problem with me but, because of social media, it might be a problem."

Holy Ten further revealed that he had such high regard for Winky D that he had even introduced the elder artist to his wife, Kimberly, as a sign of his deep respect and affection. "I even introduced that man to my wife as a gift because that’s how much I valued and loved him, however, everything that happened after that was just unfortunate."

Controversial Rapper Hails "Gafa" as Zimbabwe's Top Musician, Expresses Desire to Apologize

The interview also saw Holy Ten offer a broader explanation for some of his controversial public conduct. He urged people not to take all his social media actions to heart, explaining that some behavior is simply part of his comedic persona designed to entertain fans. "People don’t understand that sometimes I won’t even be drunk but I have a comedic persona that comes out during TikTok Lives because I have noticed my fans really enjoy it," he elaborated.

Holy Ten praises Winky D

He clarified his artistic role: "The plan is never to hurt anyone or offend anyone but, because of the social media noise, everything I do is misconstrued and taken as if I’m doing drugs... As for my past actions, I apologise for how it made people feel, not what I said because I am the leader of the youths and I speak the truth. I am an entertainer, I’m not a pastor. I’m not a doctor and I’m not an engineer so what does an entertainer do? He entertains and does not nurse people’s feelings."

This public olive branch from Holy Ten to Winky D signals a potential new chapter in their dynamic, and possibly, in the broader Zimbabwean music scene, fostering a spirit of mutual respect among its leading figures.