MSM 1000

2019 National Entertainment Award(NEA) winner for best music video of the year MSM 1000 sat down with VAfrica to share his journey in the music industry. Born and raised in Brookfields, Freetown the capital of Sierra Leone, real name Paul Jangba fell in love with music at a young age, like almost all musicians, his journey began in the church choir. In 2014, Music Saves Mind 1000 (MSM 1000) emerged as a professional musician whose music seeks to bring awareness to socio economic hurdles faced by the average human.

From recording using a laptop and a mic (connecting it directly to the sound jack), to working with King Fisher, one of the best sound engineers in the country, MSM 1000 extended his unending gratitude to his manager of over 15 years, Abdulai who natured his musical talent since he was in class five of primary school. “It is through Abdulai that I managed to work with King Fisher at an early stage in my career and for that I am forever grateful.”

“The only person who understood me and gave me unconditional support left me and my three sisters when I was seventeen. My mother always told me to go out to the world and bring my dreams to life but do so by educating and informing myself about the particular adventure I would be engaging in.”

In 2017, MSM 1000 took part in one of the biggest TV rap shows, AYV Cypher Uncensored. His rap skills and word play gained him new fans across the country. Soon after this in 2018, he released his first single, Africa Lowae featuring Maggie, which quickly became a hit across the country and some parts of the world. It was for this that he won his NEA in 2019.

When he is not in the studio recording his next informative single or in front of cameras filming his next story telling video, he is going from community to community helping children with disabilities under the loving hand of World Hope International. “There is a lot of stigma towards children with disabilities with many people claiming that they are cursed or worse, possessed. That is where we come in (WHI), to educate communities and change perceptions about children with disabilities.” MSM 1000 has also incorporated this part of his life into his music. With songs like Norto Debul, Norto Witch(Not devils, Not witches) and It’s wrong, he is passionate about changing narratives.

Drawing inspiration from Kao Denero, MSM 1000, through his passion and Abdulai,  has managed to learn a lot about different types of music as a means of conveying a message. This knowledge helped bag him the best music video of 2019 award. “I admire Kao Denero’s hard work, the way he expresses himself through his music. In short, the man is a living legend.

“My first official EP, Music Saves Mind was released on the 15^th of November 2020 and it is available on all streaming platforms. On my YouTube channel, you will find all the videos I have released to date. Currently I and my team are hard at work creating more music and videos. Let’s connect, come and experience MSM 1000 on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.”