Bwalya Sophie Chibesakunda, professionally known as Bombshell or Bombshell Grenade (also stylised as Bomb$hell and Bomb$hell Grenade), is easily one of Zambia’s most consistent artists, especially in hip hop, a genre dominated by men. She is known for hit songs such as ‘X-Bass,’ ‘Backshot,’ ‘Lockdown,’ and ‘Anajaila,’ one of her most lauded collaborations alongside Wezi and Kantu, two of Zambia’s most highly decorated songbirds.
With very few women rappers in the industry, Bombshell shows no signs of slowing down or being deterred by the numbers as she continues to dominate the airwaves with single after single, always accompanied by amazing visuals.
With very few women rappers in the industry, Bombshell shows no signs of slowing down or being deterred by the numbers as she continues to dominate the airwaves with single after single, always accompanied by amazing visuals. ‘Lockdown’ and ‘Assassins,’ her 2021 singles released ahead of her debut album Mfumu Kadzi, have been received positively by critics and fans alike. At time of writing ‘Assassins’ had already garnered over 481,000 views on Bombshell’s official YouTube channel, only two months after the video had been uploaded.
Considering her consistency and her tangible presence, it’s hard to believe Bombshell does not have an album out. This is especially surprising since she has been making music professionally for over a decade.
Bomb$hell’s love for music came at an early age. She was only three years old when she realised she was musically inclined. Growing up, she spent a lot of time around her uncles, who served as her gateway into hip hop. “I grew up around my uncles and they’d always be listening to old-school hip hop, so I started getting a taste of what artists were hot on the scene at the time,” Bombshell shares.
I noticed that Eve would sometimes refer to herself as a bombshell in her music and that always intrigued me. That and the fact that I always had a huge afro as a kid, which my uncles would tease me for, saying that I looked like I stepped on a bomb.
“It was through my uncles that I was first introduced to the talents of MC Lyte and Salt-N-Pepa. And as I grew older, I started to discover more artists and their music for myself. That’s how I got into artists like Da Brat, Foxy Brown, Lil Kim, Eve and Left Eye. After listening to these artists I just knew I wanted to be a musician. I wanted to be a star.”
I let it slip that I’ve always noticed Da Brat’s influence in her music and Bomb$hell laughs. She confesses that she’s always considered herself as more of a Foxy Brown type, at least based on what she’s been told. “…maybe it’s the mean mugging. I can definitely see that. Da Brat was always a mean mugger. But most people say I remind them more of Foxy.”
Bomb$hell’s countenance strikes many people as intimidating. But in reality, that mean mug is nothing more than a façade that wavers once you dig beneath her layers. Beneath those layers you’ll find a down to earth person. Something I discovered for myself during our chat as she cracked jokes and was a total delight and a goofball the whole time.
She enjoys making people laugh. It helps to make her feel comfortable around others, and helps others feel more comfortable around her. “I don’t like tension or dull moments. I always try to lighten the mood and have fun. This is something a lot of people just don’t expect from Bombshell, I guess. Because of my persona,” she reveals.
When I ask where the name Bomb$hell originated from, she had this to say, “I noticed that Eve would sometimes refer to herself as a bombshell in her music and that always intrigued me. That and the fact that I always had a huge afro as a kid, which my uncles would tease me for, saying that I looked like I stepped on a bomb. So, they nicknamed me Bomb,” she says with a big laugh.
“Eventually, I started calling myself Bomb$hell and later when I had a son, he nicknamed me Grenade. And that just kind of stuck with most people that caught wind of it. I never called myself Bomb$hell Grenade,” she chuckles once more. Even over the phone, I could picture her shaking her head in disbelief. “…but most people ran with it, so now we’re here,” she adds.
Mfumukadzi or mfumukazi, which means queen in Nyanja and Chewa, and a title the artist is sometimes referred to, is nothing short of befitting for Bomb$hell for a plethora of reasons. One of those reasons being her royal lineage, as a descendant of chief Chibesakunda of the Bisa people. That and the fact that Bomb$hell has earned the title of queen of Zambian hip hop.
Bomb$hell’s forthcoming debut album Mfumu Kadzi is all about “uplifting one another,” as she puts it. “I’m not trying to put myself on a pedestal or anything like that. My aim is for every woman that listens to this album to know and remember that they are mfumukadzi.”
