The iQhugwane Launch is an exclusive Pop-up that transcends boundaries, merging African aesthetics with the pulse of street culture. This vibrant gathering is designed to immerse you in a dynamic experience, spotlighting local clothing brands through the unique lens of Refuse Clothing Brand. We conducted an interivew with Malcom and Minenhle of Refuse and this is what they had to say about the iQhugwane collection. 

What is the significance of African cultural influence on your brand?

The brand is based around the concept of passing knowledge from one generation to the next. You can think of that as reusing, or in this case recycling, knowledge from the past in the current day. We would like to use our brand to educate people about our cultural heritage. We are very rich on culture and as such, our consumers are very culture-conscious. 

I find it interesting that you say that because my next question was leaning towards that. Can you tell us a bit more about what it means to be culture-conscious? 

A culture conscious person is a present day person who wants to be in touch with their cultural heritage and history. We create pieces that tell stories and we view the fabric we use as the canvas we use to communicate our message. 

Can you please tell me why you named the collection iQhugwane and how the meaning of it spills into your storytelling through fabric?

iQhugwane is the plural word for hut and those huts are the homes for the people of the Nguni clan. What we are saying is that Refuse is the iQhugwane for clothing a person in the new age Afro futuristic zeitgeist; Refuse is the home for the Afro-futuristic culture-conscious person. Refuse is the way we communicate this idea to the world, and most importantly, without forgetting home.

The post The Refuse Interview appeared first on HYPE Magazine.

Chart-Topping Rapper K.O Set to Shine in Unscripted Reality Series

Explore the life of chart-topping rapper and hitmaker K.O with his upcoming reality show, “The Inside Life with K.O.” This unscripted 13-episode season offers a genuine look into the superstar’s life, along with his friends, fellow artists, and business partners, as they navigate the music industry.

In preparation for the premiere, we had the opportunity to interview K.O for exclusive insights into what the show entails. The first episode will air tonight at 21:00 on BET Africa channel 129, with subsequent episodes airing every Wednesday at the same time. If you miss the premiere, catch the encore presentation every Thursday at 17:30 on MTV Base Africa channel 322.

“The Inside Life with K.O” breaks away from typical reality TV scripting, aiming to provide a real and unfiltered look into the daily challenges and successes experienced by a chart-topping artist in today’s music industry.

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Considering a lot of reality TV is scripted, how did you ensure authenticity when shooting the show?

When the conversation about the show came up with the guys from MTV, the first thing I told them is I’m not going to do anything performative. Initially, they came with their own template and brought up ideas of renting out a house and setting up the whole show, but I told them straight that if we are to take that route, then it’s not something I’m comfortable doing. I wanted to go into it just being myself and let the guys around me be themselves too. The artists that I have around me are still breaking through, so they’re still dealing with real-life challenges, and I didn’t want to shy away from that because the reality of life as an artist is that it’s filled with many challenges. I didn’t want to make them look a certain way for the sake of TV. At that point, I decided that we were not going to compromise the realness of my life and my entire ecosystem, and if people do not find the show entertaining, then there are plenty of others they can watch. This one is as real as it gets.

How did you decide what the focus points are of the show, and how did you decide who to feature as cast members?

As far as the cast is concerned, it’s all just based on the authenticity aspect of things. I don’t have a lot of frivolous relationships in the industry, and I wasn’t interested in bringing certain people on board because of numbers or clout. I actually kept it within the close circle of people who have actual substance in my life. Whether you see a Ma-E there or a Roiii or Loki and Thulo, who is my business partner, showcasing the day-to-day things we get up to. All of the people involved there are part of my daily life. I didn’t want to make it a thing of having to pull favours for optics.

One would have expected you to have a large entourage. How do you decide which people you keep around and for what reason?

I used to have big groups around myself, especially with Teargas, and the more I aged, I started to realize that entourages become quite costly. You’re not in control over what everyone does. Some people might create certain issues with someone else, and then your name is thrown into it because you’re attached to them. So the people that I have around me are people that I know have responsibility over their own lives.

How do you, as a leader, ensure that your team stays grounded and doesn’t fall victim to their own ambition and clout chasing?

Firstly, what I think I have appreciated is a lot of the artists that I have around me just fit like a glove, and they understand the temperament of what the circle looks like. You have to be cut from a certain cloth to be part of the team. I want artists who have a decent balance between ambition and reality, and if you are able to navigate the two in a smart way, then we definitely will get along well. What I’ve seen with the guys that I have around me, especially with Loki and Roiii, they have been around me longer than a lot of other guys that I’ve worked with, and it’s because I’m seeing that I don’t have to babysit them. At the same time, we push each other. They take a lot of direction from me, but I also don’t want them to get too comfortable and have to wait for my green light when they want to do certain things. I want them to be individuals without relying too much on me. I’m trying to develop them on a substantial level so that one day, when they leave Skhanda World, they can be well-cooked and make stellar decisions solely on their own. In closing, when people watch the show, I need them to know that, yes, it is inside the life of K.O, but it’s not solely just about me. You get to see Roiii in his element and Loki just doing his own thing. This entire show was a platform to not only learn about me but it is also an opportunity for people to know more about my team because it could be an opportunity for them to get a spin-off one day and get to greater opportunities.

The post [INTERVIEW] K.O Sets The Record Straight On New Reality Show appeared first on HYPE Magazine.

Nasty C on music, gaming and voicing a character on Kizazi Moto

 

By HYPE staff, Images courtesy Disney +

 

Nasty C wears many hats and you’d be hard-pressed to find a busier artist right now. His latest venture, before his new album drops, is on the Disney Plus series Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire. HYPE got to ask him about this experience – and a lot more…

How does it feel transitioning from a rapper to an actor/voice artist?

I wouldn’t say I’m transitioning. I’m a hip-hop artist first and foremost, but I’m diverse. I enjoyed my acting debut and was excited to lend my voice to Kizazi Moto.

 

Is this something you think you will pursue further?

I might do it again if the opportunity presents itself. I actually had a lot of fun.

Take us through the process of voicing your character – how was the experience?

It was a great experience. With animation, it’s like trying to find the right tone and pitch to go with the emotion you get from the script and the animator. So that was very cool and different.

 

What do you think your fans will enjoy about Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire?

It’s a great story about bravery and self-discovery. I think everyone will enjoy it.

 

You’ve been a gamer for a long time. Tell us how your collaboration with Call of Duty came about?

So, Call of Duty wanted to bring Call of Duty: Mobile to Africa. And I guess they sort of looked for the people who had, like, the most passion for it and obviously had a lot of influence. And you know, I happen to be one of those people; I’m very passionate about gaming. And so, they reached out and, obviously, I didn’t turn it down. I said yes, you know, with a huge smile on my face.

You featured on HYPE magazine’s The Big Issue cover in 2016 – the year you dropped your debut album. At that time, did you imagine you’d reach the success you have today?

Definitely, 100%. Where I am right now is nowhere near where I want to be. And where I’m going to be in a couple years. So, yeah, I’m just… I’m on my way right now. I definitely knew I’d be here. You know, I know where I’m gonna be in the years to come. So, yeah.

 

How do you handle today’s social media pressure?

So, yeah. Um, I don’t know, man, I’m not a big social media guy. I like to have fun and record my fun and post it for people. I have a crazy sense of humour. So, I like to share that with my friends every now and then. But I don’t stay on social media long enough to let it get to me or pressure me, you know. It’s just… it’s not my thing.

 

Who would be your dream collaboration?

Don’t know if I have that still. Right now, I’m at a place where I’m trying to find this sound. It’s like I’m chasing a sound that doesn’t exist. It exists in my head. And I’m working so hard to bring it to life. You know? And, yeah, I’m really just focused on my own music at the moment. But obviously, I would love to work with people like Rihanna, Young Thug, Kanye, Future, Travis Scott, Drake… Obviously, I would love to work with those people; those are my idols. But yeah, I don’t think about a dream collaboration, at any point in the process of creating music, you know. I just don’t.

 

Are you seeing the benefits of touring?

I am, 100%. You get to see people react to your music in ways that you could never have imagined. You get to see your music live in other people’s hearts. And you see them scream and shout it right back at you. Like they wrote it. And you see the emotions that they carry with it. It’s just… it’s… it’s very rewarding, man. It just feels… it makes it all worth it, you know – all the countless hours spent in the studio just writing and all the challenges that you go through trying to put a song together and make it perfect. When you see people really enjoy it and sing it, it’s amazing. No feeling has compared to that, ever.

 

Are you excited for your upcoming tour with Cassper?

Yes, I’m super excited. This is a game changer. We’re doing something that Africa needs. African hip-hop really needs what we’re doing, you know; it’s a huge step for African hip-hop. And hopefully we get to do it again, bigger and better. And everyone else steps up and they do it at a bigger scale.

 

Will you make any more songs similar to ‘Lemons’, or was it a once-off feature?

I don’t know. I might, you know. Like I said, I’m exploring right now. I’m at a point where I’m trying to make unique music that has a distinct sound. So, in order for me to get to that song, I have to explore and touch every single corner of this thing we call music. I have to play and experiment with every single type of sound and genre and stuff like that. Which I enjoy a lot, by the way.

 

What can you share with us about your upcoming album?

I think with this upcoming album, you’ll be able to understand exactly what I just said about exploring and trying to get to a unique sound. It’s in the music. It’s also in the lyrics. It’s in the way that I sing and the way that I rap. You know? Yeah, man, it’s… there’s a lot of growth. I feel like I say these things before I drop any album. It kind of feels like a cliché at this point. But it’s the honest truth. It’s a lot of growth. I’ve grown a lot as a person. There’s a lot happening in my life right now. A lot happening in my career too, you know; just a lot of moving parts altogether. You can hear it in the music; you can hear the growth in the music, and you can hear that I’ve evolved in many ways.

 

You have a lot on the go. How do you keep on top of everything?

At this point, it is kind of like this is my life now, you know. I mean, it’s been my life for quite a while, but it’s like, at this point, I’m used to moving at a fast pace. And I’m used to having so many moving parts that are just coming at me all at once. And I think I juggle it very well. It hasn’t taken a toll on me yet. It’s changed me. It’s me. I have adapted to late hours and early mornings and all that kind of stuff, and just tending to different things and having to wear different hats at different times, so it’s a part of what I do, and I love it. It keeps me alive.

 

You can catch Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire exclusively on Disney + from 5 July 2023.

The post Nasty C on music gaming and voicing a character on Kizazi Moto appeared first on HYPE Magazine.

BREE RUNWAY: THE GENRE-BENDING BRITISH SENSATION TEAMS UP WITH CAPTAIN MORGAN ON A NEW GLOBAL CAMPAIGN

Drinking in moderation has never looked so sexy.

TEXT: LOLWETU PAKATI 

IMAGES: PRESS, LUSHA ALIC, PIETER SNYMAN AND THE CAPTAIN MORGAN TEAM

 

Bree Runway, a rising star in the music industry, has been making waves with her unique blend of genres, dynamic vocals and bold fashion sense. Born and
raised in Hackney, London, Bree started her music career by sharing covers and mashups of original songs on YouTube. She quickly gained a following and caught the attention of producer Fred Again, who would go on to become her collaborator and mentor.

In 2019, Bree Runway released her debut mixtape, RNWY, which showcased her range as a singer, rapper and songwriter. The project featured a mix of styles, including pop, hip-hop and electronic music, and drew praise from critics for its innovative sound and Bree’s captivating performance. Since then, Bree has released a string of singles and collaborations, each one showcasing her versatility and creativity.

“I THINK MODERATION ISN’T AS BORING AS PEOPLE MAKE IT SEEM, AND IT’S ACTUALLY QUITE NICE TO BE PRESENT, BUZZING, ALIVE…”

One of Bree Runway’s defining features is her fashion sense, which has been described as bold, eclectic and futuristic. She often incorporates avant-garde elements into her outfits, such as oversized hats, statement jewellery and elaborate makeup. Her fashion choices have earned her a reputation as a trendsetter and a style icon and further cemented her status as an artist who refuses to be boxed in by traditional labels. Some of Bree Runway’s most popular songs include ‘APESH*T’, ‘ATM’ and ‘Little Nokia’, each of which has garnered millions of streams on platforms like Spotify and YouTube. Her music has been praised for its infectious hooks, clever wordplay and fearless attitude and has earned her comparisons to other genre-defying artists like Missy Elliott and M.I.A.

With her talent, vision and magnetic personality, Bree Runway is poised to become a major force in the music industry. Whether she’s singing, rapping or experimenting with new sounds, she is always pushing the boundaries and inspiring others to do the same.

COLLAB WITH THE CAPTAIN

This month, the British pop star has joined forces with Captain Morgan for their biggest-ever global responsible drinking campaign, ‘Enjoy Slow’. The campaign encourages people around the world to consider moderation and enjoy drinking in a responsible way. Bree expressed her excitement to be a part of the campaign, saying, “The campaign is called ‘Enjoy Slow’, and it’s just calling on everyone around the world, encouraging everyone to consider moderation and to consider ‘enjoying slow’, and to just not be afraid to say no to another drink or another round, to just enjoy the night at their own pace.”
Bree shared her personal philosophy on drinking in moderation, stating: “When I go out, I’m not a heavy drinker. I always say no to a second round because I just think, ‘Does it need to go that far’ sometimes. Especially with me, I’m someone who can have a drink, and I’m good for the night. That’s me, I’ll be buzzing and ready to go and dancing, and still present and aware.”

BREE RUNWAY ON HER EP

FOR ME, THIS YEAR IS ALL ABOUT COLLABORATIONS. THAT’S WHY I WAS EXCITED AT THE FACT THAT THIS IS LAUNCHING THIS YEAR. I WANT TO LINE MYSELF UP WITH THINGS THAT ARE TRUE TO ME, AND NEW TO ME, AND SHOWING NEW SIDES OF ME.

Bree Runway’s EP, Woah, What a Blur, has been highly anticipated by fans and critics alike. In our interview, Bree shared her excitement about the EP and the collaborations featured on it. She said, “The EP is leading up to the world of amazing collaborations. For me, this year is all about collaborations. That’s why I was excited at the fact that this [the ‘Enjoy Slow’ campaign] is launching this year. I want to line myself up with things that are true to me, and new to me, and showing new sides of me. So that’s why I was excited to be a part of this particular campaign. And this year, without saying too much, just feels very collaborative. Very Bree in a way that you haven’t seen her before. And a whole new world is about to be unlocked, I would say.”
She also mentioned that the EP is a reflection of her musical growth and experimentation, saying, “I have been experimenting more with different sounds, different vocal techniques and really finding my voice in a different way. And I think that is what you hear throughout the EP.” With her EP showcasing a new side of her artistry, Bree is definitely an artist to keep an eye on.

COLLABORATING WITH STORMZY

One of the most exciting collaborations on Bree Runway’s EP is her track with UK grime artist Stormzy, ‘Pick Your Poison’. Bree revealed how this collaboration came to be. She said, “So that collaboration is an interesting one. It just fell in my lap in the sense that I remember bumping into Stormzy at Coachella in April last year, and he saw me and was giving me all of my flowers, and he was like ‘Bree, you’re such a star. When I think of you, I think star’ and all that, and I was like ‘No, you are!’ You know, that thing that artists do; we hung out over a couple of days, watched a few of the acts and things like that, and we really got on, and we were both kinda based in the YouTube trailer, which is where a lot of the artists were.”

Bree went on to explain how they both felt that a collaboration between them would be amazing, sharing, “I remember, we were in the trailer and he was like, he has this really beautiful song that he feels I would sound good on. And I was like, ‘Ooh, what is it?’ I was so intrigued. I was like, I want to know what this is; I want to know what Bree and Stormzy would sound like.” After exchanging ideas and tweaking the track, Bree and Stormzy created a collaboration that showcases both of their unique styles.

SHOWING VULNERABILITY IS HER SUPERPOWER

Bree Runway values her relationship with her fans and understands the importance of being vulnerable with them. In an interview, she explained why it’s important for her to share her personal experiences and imperfections with her fans. She said, “I think it’s so important to give people that humane side of you because in this day and age, how else are they supposed to feel connected to you, you know? With this new social media era we are in, it’s almost like you are obliged to share so that people can connect.”
Bree went on to share a personal experience where she had to embrace vulnerability during a performance, saying, “I just came off tour with Lizzo, and normally with me everything goes perfect when I do performances. I get five-star reviews – never less than four stars. Perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect. And the second day of an arena tour, my pack falls and my costume is falling apart. I’m livid. I’m literally livid whilst I am doing this performance, and then, in the end, I had the whole arena in the palm of my hand because I turned the mistake into a song that they all just picked up on in the moment. And I put the video together and put it on TikTok, and it went super viral, with millions of views, and I was like, sometimes there is power in showing like, you know what… it’s not always perfect. The perfection that you are always used to seeing from Bree Runway. Here’s a moment when it didn’t go so perfectly, and it really resonated with everyone, and everyone respected me for how professional I am. So, I do think it’s important to show the ups and downs, the vulnerabilities.”

GOING FORWARD

Bree Runway is an incredibly talented artist whose trajectory in the music industry is without a doubt going to be a game changer. Her unique style and vibrant personality have captured the attention of fans all over the world.

As Bree herself said, “I’m here to take over the world, and I’m not going to stop until I do.” And with her upcoming collaboration with an artist whom she loves and admires, it’s clear that she is not slowing down anytime soon.

We can all look forward to hearing more from Bree in the future, and to experiencing the incredible energy and creativity that she brings to her music. So, stay tuned, because as Bree said herself, “soon” we’ll be hearing even more from this rising star!

The post BREE RUNWAY: THE GENRE-BENDING BRITISH SENSATION TEAMS UP WITH CAPTAIN MORGAN ON A NEW GLOBAL CAMPAIGN appeared first on HYPE Magazine.

Written by: Boitumelo Molamu, Images: courtesy of MAMAKASHAKA

Feature image: courtesy of @gee_msft 

Feel Good Series and Pantone Sundays, events curated by the company MAMAKASHAKA, have become staples on the Joburg party scene. And now they are expanding to Cape Town. Feel Good Series launched in Joburg in 2017 as a live performance event with the ideology of shining the light on up-and-coming and alternative musicians. Feel Good Series has hosted artists such as MoneyBadoo (Left), Muzi and Ricky Tyler (Middle).

A year later, MAMAKASHAKA introduced another in-house event called Pantone Sundays, a colour-themed fashion event. Intending to celebrate contemporary African fashion and style, Pantone Sundays has not only hosted some of the most stylish people in the country but has also opened events where local brands can pop in and also occasionally collaborate with them.

We caught up with Nandi Dlepu, the founder of MAMAKASHAKA, to chat about these events and the business she’s grown over the past six years.

“I LOVE MUSIC MORE THAN JUST THE CONSUMPTION OF IT, AND I WANTED A WAY TO CONTRIBUTE TO IT”

How would you introduce yourself to someone who has never met you?

First, hiii! (laughs). I’m Nandi, I’m an entrepreneur and a mother, the business owner of MAMAKASHAKA. I usually just introduce myself using those two nouns, simply because a lot of my life’s energy is split between those two, trying to be the best parent and the best in my business.

MAMAKASHAKA is responsible for some of the best events in Joburg. Tell us how MAMAKASHAKA came about and what exactly it is.

Funnily enough, MAMAKASHAKA, started as a nickname I got in high school, I was going through a Black Consciousness phase at the time, and my friends would tease me and call me ‘Mama ka Shaka’ (Shaka’s mother).Before starting the business, I used to run an event called The Weekend Social with five other women, while we all had our nine-to-fives. Ever since we curated the first one, I was bitten by the eventing bug. I always felt fulfilled by the events we’d host, and although I loved my job at the time, the fulfilment was not the same. I then started MAKASHAKA.

For the last six years, we’ve operated as a studio that runs in two parts, one being our brands such as Feel Good Series, Pantone Sundays and Bloom, and the other being our agency, which is more client service.

The events you just mentioned – Feel Good Series, Pantone Sundays and Bloom – are some of the best out there. How did they all come about?

When I was deciding the “why” of the business, I wanted to inspire, empower and entertain. I was also very specific about “where”, which was arts, culture and lifestyle. They are our brands, so they are all based on personal interests and passions.

For starters, I love fashion, and I’m very passionate about the fashion industry and seeing it grow – that’s where Pantone Sundays started. It’s a colour-themed fashion event, and as much as it is fun to dress in all the colour themes, it’s also a space where we celebrate and showcase local brands; we even collaborate and have them pop up at the events, furthermore introducing them to our community.

Then we have the Feel Good Series; you need to understand, I love music more than just the consumption of it, and I wanted a way to contribute to it. I thought long and hard about it and figured all over the world there are always platforms for the big artists but not enough for those coming up. I wanted to create that platform for the up-and-coming, and I also wanted it to force me to search for those artists. Lastly, you have Bloom, which is our oldest platform. This is our platform, created by creative women for creative women, and the intention is to empower and nurture one another. It was a platform that was meant to feed and  celebrate a creative woman.

I think it’s safe to say that your brands have contributed immensely to attracting some of your clients, such as Archive, Shelflife and Nike. Besides your work speaking for itself, how have you also been able to build and nurture relationships with those clients?

We’ve built the business by believing in ourselves and the work we put out. Our work does speak for itself because we’ve had clients say, “Could you do something similar to Pantone Sundays?” Clients usually do reference from our events, and how we usually keep those relationships is by putting out what they expect and beyond; trust also makes those relationships, and this also applies to the brands we work with for our brands.

I’ve had the pleasure of attending one of your events, and I can distinctly remember the feeling of creativity, safety, fun and care evident throughout the event. Is that intentional?

Very much! What people usually don’t pay attention to or perhaps miss is everyone and everything else involved, from the security to the well-staffed bar to the project manager. I never want the success of the event to be based on whether people see me or not, because there is a whole team behind this.

With about six years of you doing events, from pre- COVID days, during and post-COVID, what have you learnt so far, and what do you think might be the next era of events?

I learnt that you’ve got to start with “why” in marketing, and it might sound clichéd, but because all our properties have a strong why, when COVID started, we didn’t pack it up but asked ourselves how we could communicate our why beyond gathering in person.

Then, if we are going to talk about the future, I think we are going to be more innovative. We are going to have to consider the relationships between different things, to create more integrated and immersive experiences; just having someone perform is going to get vanilla at some point. We need to look at the things available and see how we can make it work.

The post Nandi Dlepu on running some of Joburg’s freshest events appeared first on HYPE Magazine.

HYPE team members ubereatzz and Lolwetu Pakati spent a few hours with AKA just two weeks before his untimely passing. The rapper, producer and entrepreneur got to reflect on his illustrious career, from his Entity days to his upcoming album Mass Country…

By ubereatzz and Lolwetu Pakati

We had no idea that our first time meeting AKA would also be our last. A fortnight later, he would be gunned down in Durban, leaving the country in a state of shock and terror. News of his passing would send ripples worldwide, getting reported on by the BBC, The New York Times, Al Jazeera, The Washington Post, The Guardian and several other international publications.

Over the past two decades, AKA has built a legacy for himself that will live on forever. He is a household name in South Africa – a pioneer of English rap in the country’s mainstream music scene. This is how our interview played out…

Lolwetu and I arrive at AKA’s studio in Bryanston on a Thursday afternoon. Dripped out in all black, he is welcoming, offering us drinks, just to take the edge off. It’s when he drives us to Rockets that we gain new insights into him. The type of music he plays in his car is surprising; it’s Latin music by an artist called Roselia. “I don’t listen to hip-hop music because someone’s sound could unintentionally creep into my mind and I might accidentally sound like them,” he says. “I believe it might hinder my creativity and uniqueness. I don’t want to sound like anyone else; I want to sound like AKA. I mostly listen to other genres like Latin American music, a lot of dance music, kwaito… and country music, ’cause it’s a coloured people thing.” He later explains that is where he draws most of his samples and inspiration from.

At Rockets, we get a couple of shots and something to wash them down with and, of course, we can’t resist talking about all things hip-hop, especially the current state of SA hip-hop and its sound. “It’s hard to define (South) African hip-hop, ’cause how do you expect it to sound? Do you know what I’m saying? (South) African hip-hop is never going to sound like American hip-hop. Hip-hop has many rules and, as a culture, it is defined by those rules. I think it’s okay for hip-hop artists to branch out and experiment, but they need to be prepared to be judged by the rules of hip-hop,” says AKA.

He reveals himself to be a student of the genre he has dominated and remained relevant in. He gives me a lot of grief for not knowing the five elements of hip-hop, but the mentor in him comes to the fore as he takes the time to educate me. I’ll save you the Google search – it’s emceeing, deejaying, breakdancing, graffiti and beatboxing.

On our way back to the studio, we stop at a nearby garage and people are screaming his name. He is instantly recognised at every traffic light and he embraces his fans as though they are his friends or family – the sign of an artist who understands the concept of fans. It hasn’t always been like that, though, as he mentions he has had weird encounters with fans. “When I started blowing up, I didn’t have security at the time. I had a fan come knock on my hotel room door. It was a very weird experience.”

Before the fame: Learn, Build, Grow

When we sit down in the studio, he has a nice mix of Grey Goose and Appletiser in hand. He makes sure we are comfortable and starts reminiscing about the days before breaking into the mainstream in 2011 with his smash hit ‘Victory Lap’.

AKA started his career between the ages of 14 and 15 years old, when he formed a hip-hop group with his high school friends (Vice Versa and Greyhound), called Entity. The group disbanded after their 2005 album Royal School of Hip-Hop.

He had his first song ‘Do It’ published in HYPE Sessions Vol 25: Scripts ‘N Cutts, mixed by legendary DJ The Cutt, back when our magazine had hard copies and came with a CD. “I’d been working pretty much since 2009 as part of IV League doing production for Tuks, ProKid, JR… all of those guys. And that’s how I really started establishing a lot of contacts in the industry, learning from Pro and Jabba… R.I.P. to the boys,” he says sentimentally (and, in retrospect, perhaps unwittingly forebodingly).

 Altar Ego: For the culture

He quickly regains his composure after going off on a tangent as he thinks of the pioneers he looked up to on his come-up – pioneers he would join only two weeks later…

He readjusts himself in his seat and starts talking about his breakout single ‘Victory Lap’ and debut album Altar Ego. “I brought English rap to the forefront, pretty much,” he says. Facts. “Stogie T had done it before and a lot of other guys had done it before, but I think I was at an intersection, when social media was just beginning; South African hip-hop was released; brands were looking for a new somebody, I think, to put their money behind. I think it definitely played a part in bringing that to today. When it’s all said and done, I can say that is something that I did for the culture.”

The success of this album marked a shift in SA hip-hop history. In 2012, AKA became the first English rapper to win Best Male and Best Street Urban Music Album at the SAMAs. “I’m up against Jimmy Dludlu and I’m winning awards, which was great. Breath of fresh air; come in and just start riding high. At that time, the music was really basic – Fruity Loops, I was chopping samples, doing a little bit of drums – that whole album was made with a mouse and a keyboard,” he says, giggling about the realisation that he was around 23 or 24 years old – the prime age for most breakout stars in hip-hop. “What did I know about life? I was a kid; just a kid…” he shrugs.

“The biggest influence on my music was starting a band.”

SA hip-hop embraced him on his come-up as OGs and more established artists such as Buffalo Soulja, Stogie T, Khuli Chana, Amu, Pro and HHP all appeared on Altar Ego, which was produced by The IV League. Cape Town comedian Loyiso Gola performed comical skits depicting a range of accents from Cape Coloured to Nigerian.

From taxi routes to sho’t left in a jumbo jet: Levels

While Altar Ego brought him national stardom, by the time AKA dropped his sophomore album, Levels, he was becoming a continental and international star. Before walking us through that part of his legacy, he takes a sip from his glass and he jokingly refers to that phase of his life as “a whole lotta nonsense, beef and other stuff like touring Africa, which just took it to another level”. We can’t hold back our laughter.

After a successful debut, the sophomore album is make-or-break for any artist. In 2014, AKA proved that he was more than just a phase, and started his metamorphosis into being a hit maker. “I really started touring Africa,” he says, “‘All Eyes On Me’ with Burna, ‘Jealousy’… what else, ‘Run Jozi’… Geez, hit records. I did my first trip to Nigeria, then I started touring Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania and Ghana. I think, with Levels, it was the first time I went to the States. I think it was New York. I took my first trip to LA around then.

“The world was really opening up and it was also when Afrobeats started coming in. So, we managed to really position ourselves with ‘All Eyes On Me’… BBC 1Xtra in the UK. I think I also went there for the first time; I went on tour in the UK for about a month. So, the world was really opening up to me, and that was when I started really messing around with music. I started growing as a producer then. Started making more musical music – keyboards, guitars and things like that – but not to the level that it is now. Levels took me to another place – another level.”

 But with these new levels came new demons. In 2014, a beef started brewing between AKA and SA hip-hop’s breakout star of 2013, Cassper Nyovest. The beef lived beyond the 2010s and was never officially squashed. He tenses up when the beef is brought up during our conversation. “As far as my position is right now, what’s happened has happened; what’s done is done; there’s nothing that can be done about that,” AKA says. “Only thing that can be affected now is my future and, going forward, I’m just focused on my family and my money and just staying out of people’s business. So, I’d rather just keep my sh*t to myself, focus on my music and focus on my fans. I’m about to turn 35; I don’t think I have any business beefing with anybody. From my perspective, it’s dead to me; everything is dead to me. I don’t wish anybody any ill at all. I just want the best for me and my people.”

“Levels took me to another place – another level.”

The beef’s genesis remains a mystery. In a piece breaking down the beef on OkayAfrica, writer and former HYPE editor Sabelo Mkhabela wrote that “it all began with a tweet” in April of 2014, when Cassper Nyovest claimed that his song ‘Doc Shebeleza’ was the biggest song in South African hip-hop. Honestly, ‘Doc Shebeleza’ was buzzing and was doing serious numbers on DataFileHost. The tweet in question: “No.1 on iTunes, not Zippyshare… know the difference.” ‘Congratulate’ indeed was number one on South Africa’s iTunes charts.

“We got along,” AKA recalls, before explaining what started the beef. “I think we even got into the studio once or twice and it was cool, but I think it’s a case of two people… ‘there’s not enough room for both of us’ kind of mentality. You get two dominant male dogs together in a room, it’s not gonna work out well. So, I think it’s a little bit of that,” he says.

“I don’t wish anybody any ill at all. I just want the best for me and my people.”

Be Careful What You Wish For: “ANATII taught me to have a bit more fun with my records”

But the same scenario with multi-talented artist ANATII led to one of the best collab tapes in SA hip-hop history – Be Careful What You Wish For – which gave us timeless hits such as ‘10 Fingers’ and ‘Don’t Forget To Pray’.

He admits working with ANATII was challenging at first. “It was extremely difficult,” he says. “Me and ANATII, we both think we know everything, so it was difficult at the start, trying to get those two energies to come together. But ANATII is a really talented musician – a really deep, introspective guy – and I think he learnt a lot from Be Careful What You Wish For.

“In fact, Be Careful What You Wish For was the first time he actually started rapping in Xhosa, ’cause I kind of persuaded him to do it, me and Yanga. It’s the time I was also really working a lot with Yanga. His sound has pretty much changed since then. He used to do English; straight English stuff.”

“Me and ANATII, we both think we know everything, so it was difficult at the start…”

AKA further shares that ANATII changed how he looks at production. “So, I also learnt a lot from ANATII about different sounds. ’Cause when you’re stuck in your own way as a producer, you’re stuck to one thing, and ANATII gave me a different perspective. I think ANATII also taught me to have a bit more fun with my records. I wanted to always be very precise,” AKA says.

Touch My Blood

That explains the eclecticism of the body of work that followed – Touch My Blood, his third studio album – released in 2018. “That was my first independent album,” he says. Touch My Blood dropped after his separation from the reputable record label and management company Vth Season in 2017.

Touch My Blood bridged the gap between hip-hop and other genres AKA has an interest in – R&B, Afropop, Afrobeats and house. “I think the biggest influence on my music was starting a band,” he says. “It allowed me to go all over the world and play music all over the world, because real musicians play guitars, drums and things. I just think it gave my music a richer texture. So, when it came to Touch My Blood, that texture really started coming in, and that mode and that zone of really taking my time with production and making music, with the ideal of making music for the stage.”

This decision to play with a band enabled him to join the exclusive club of South African hip-hop artists – HHP, YoungstaCPT, Prophets of Da City and Khuli Chana, among a few others – who’ve played at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival.

Polarising: Bhovamania and You’re Welcome

He followed up his 2018 classic with his most divisive project, Bhovamania, in 2020. I make him aware it’s my least favourite project in his catalogue and he laughs. “A lot of people don’t like it, it’s very polarising, but I think that, with time, it’s going to be a cult classic,” he says. “It was a different time; it was the start of amapiano; it was the middle of the pandemic. That’s why it wasn’t an album, ’cause I wanted to experiment, and I wanted to find just something in the music space that I could hold onto. Not every album or project is what people are going to like, and that’s fine, because there are people who do like it and, as a musician, there’s always another chance.”

He comes across as someone who understands that a listener’s opinion about his music is hardly a personal attack, but just a matter of how the music made them feel. “So, when it comes to people liking or not liking stuff, I don’t take that personally, because for me, it represented therapy; it represented something that I needed to do at the time. There are a lot of great songs on that project, and I think, in time, people will really grow to love it,” he says.

Bhovamania, although a divisive EP, has hits like ‘Energy’ featuring Gemini Major and ‘Casino’ featuring Sho Majozi and FLVME. It also came with ‘Finessin’’, a song in which he featured his fiancée at the time, Anele “Nelli” Tembe, whom he also sang about on the song ‘Cross My Heart’. Nelli would pass away tragically the following year – she was reported to have jumped out of a hotel window in Cape Town.

 “Me and Costa Titch started just hanging out and he brought me out of my shell, saying, ‘Come out, come make music again, come start performing again.”

Nelli’s death was and still is a very sensitive issue and it led the star to reconnect with himself, his family and his music while grieving. “So, when I had gone through all of the sh*t and I was ready to start making music again, Riky reached out to me: ‘There’s this kid, Costa Titch, who has a song called ‘Nkalakatha’. Do you want to do a remix of the song?’ And, I thought, hey, man, this is a really cool song; interesting guy. I jumped on the remix – that was crazy.”

The synergy he felt when he hopped on Costa’s song led to a whole project titled You’re Welcome with the Mpumalanga-born rapper and dancer. “He and I started just hanging out, and he brought me out of my shell, saying, ‘Come out, come make music again, come start performing again.’

“So, another album where I just wanted to explore a sound and just explore new vibes and new energy; young people. And he took me all over, to places I’d normally never go, like Braam and all these places… took me to go see the new wave, the kids, and introduced me to all these guys, which was cool for me to get out of my shell. And we just did a little tape – that was towards the end of the pandemic – and I look back to that with fond memories; it was a lot of fun. I had a lot of fun.”

Outside of music, he mentions that his girlfriend, rap superstar Nadia Nakai, contributed to his healing. With matching tattoos and cute studio time pics or clips, the pair have been in a whirlwind romance for a while now. AKA blushes like a schoolboy when he talks about her and their relationship. “I’m in a great relationship and Nadia’s an amazing woman, and she’s really helped. The person you see sitting in front of you today – a lot of that credit should go to her; she’s really been patient and she’s really, in many ways, just brought me back to life,” AKA says.

He seems to have a great deal of love and respect for her. I couldn’t help but notice a photo of Nadia on his home and lock screen wallpaper – something he doesn’t hide as he gushes over her. “After everything happened and I lost my fiancée Nelli in April 2021, I was going through a tough time, and Nadia was really there for me, and we hit it off. There are a lot of things I admire about her, like her work ethic. She’s coming back with a lot of music this year. I’m also just enjoying seeing her work and how she works; I’ve learnt a lot from her. About just being calm and respecting your brand, and knowing your limitations, and all types of things.”

Mass Country: “A massive amount of different elements”

AKA closed off 2022 on a high as ‘Lemons (Lemonade)’, his collaborative single with Nasty C, who he co-signed during his come-up, became a national hit. The song topped the charts and made Rolling Stone’s “The 40 Best Afropop Songs of 2022”. The video has amassed four million views in four months on YouTube.

‘Lemons (Lemonade)’ alongside two other singles, ‘Paradise’ and ‘Prada’, helped bring excitement to his upcoming album Mass Country, which he has been working on for the last two years. “I started working on Mass Country maybe the day after Anele’s funeral. As soon as I got back to Joburg, I said, listen, I need to get all of this out of me and put this into music. So, you’ll hear in Mass Country, there’s music that’s recorded close to that time, and then there’s music that’s recorded now. So, the music close to that time is very deep, dark, sad feelings, and then, as time goes on and as things get better, you hear it gets more joyous and more hopeful, and more forward and more fun – ‘Prada’ and ‘Lemons (Lemonade)’,” he says.

Breaking down the title, he makes us aware that the phrase “Mass Country” sounds similar to “maskandi”. The title speaks to the expansiveness of the record, he says. “There’s a massive amount of different elements,” AKA says. “And then I want it to sound like country music. I grew up listening to country music – coloured people like country. Especially if you’re from Cape Town, country music is a big thing. And, you know how maskandi is considered to be our South African version of country music?” We burst into laughter as that notion is something we have heard too often. We nod and he continues, “So, I wanted to put those worlds together: hip-hop, a bit of log drum, kwaito, rock ’n’ roll… I wanted to put as many genres as I could together. And I wanted it to be like mass country… this is super South African, so it’s like mass South African. It’s for the masses of the country, you get me? But, at the same time, it’s from the soil; it’s from the earth.”

The cover art is a portrait of AKA drawn and created by accomplished graphic designer Karabo Poppy. It captures the essence of the sound AKA is going for. “I saw the KFC collaboration and I thought, oh my God, this is amazing. A graphic designer is one thing, but an artist who can draw is a completely different thing. I spoke to her, we had a meeting, we sat, it took a while… it took about a month for us to make that cover – she sent me things, I sent it back, she sent it back.

“My experience collaborating with her was fantastic; she’s an awesome person. Really cool, really chilled and one of the boys. So, I wanted to make something like that and, obviously, with all my covers, I always put my face on it.”

Unaware that he does not have long to live, AKA sounds excited about the future, with plans to shoot visuals for ‘Prada’ and let fans decide which other songs to shoot visuals for after the album comes out. He tells us how proud he is of what he achieved in his six-year-long partnership with premium vodka brand Cruz Vodka, which came to an end in November 2022. “I changed the entire alcohol game. We sold nearly two million bottles of that stuff. So, let it be known that what we did there – it can never be taken away. It will always be the thing that blew the game wide open because then brands saw, ‘Oh, this is the recipe,’ and then they duplicated it,” he says. “So, going forward this year, I’m starting my own, just solely my own, products this year. I can’t tell you too much about it, but this year we’re going to be dropping one or two products.”

Musically? “This year, I don’t want to do gigs anymore. I wanna do arenas only, just arenas. If your city has an ICC, that’s where you’ll find me. Obviously, we’ll do gigs in the first half of the year, like birthdays and all that stuff. For the most part, I want to put on big productions this year,” he says.

Little did we all know none of this would have a chance to come to fruition. Rest in peace, Supa Mega.

Keep an eye on our website and socials for stories from previous issues of HYPE magazine, as we re-live our journey with AKA.

This interview appears in issue 28 of our monthly ezine available for purchase here.

The post [Cover Story] AKA: The Legacy appeared first on HYPE Magazine.

Capitec Masterclass:

Boitumelo Spotted on taking the road

less travelled – entrepreneurship

Starting up your own business is a daunting concept. It involves taking a risk, leaving your comfort zone and pushing yourself to achieve things on your own steam. Boitumelo has some sound advice for anyone looking to take this path, and Capitec will be there for your every step of the way. This article forms part of a series of masterclasses, powered by Capitec.

 

“I believe that every single human being born on earth is born with skills to live a successful life without having to work for anybody else. And what that requires is for you to spend a lot of time with yourself.”

When Boitumelo Rametsi aka Boitumelo Spotted started her own make-up brand, B Glam SA, it was for the sole purpose of covering the spots that had developed on her face as a result of vitiligo, a condition where the skin develops light patches. Little did she know she was starting a journey towards healing, accepting herself and becoming the notable entrepreneur she is today – a model, a qualified brand strategist, “an influential person; a public figure; I’m a creative and a mom. I am in the digital media space, and it’s an amazing space to be in”.

 

Today, a big part of Boitumelo’s personal brand, known as Spotted Beauty, is the encouragement of self-love and acceptance. As a body-positive model, she encourages people to accept themselves in their given size, shape and shade.

 

Courage has played a huge role in Boitumelo’s journey; not only did she have to overcome a condition that previously brought her grief when it started spreading to her face in varsity, she also had to let go of the safety net of a regular “nine to five” in order to fully embark on her journey of entrepreneurship, turning her into a game changer. “I felt that it was not fulfilling my greatest desire or what my purpose is,” she says of her nine to five, which she quit after realising her dream needed her undivided attention. 

 

“Since I have my ear to the ground and I was young at the time, I felt like my voice wasn’t really taken as seriously as it ought to be,” says Boitumelo. “And, I think after a couple of years, I decided to leave because of that very reason. And in that, I had to test my own beliefs as a person, because I believe that every single human being born on earth is born with skills to live a successful life without having to work for anybody else. And what that requires is for you to spend a lot of time with yourself.”

Entrepreneurship

A lot has been said about entrepreneurship, but almost everyone has a different definition of it, depending on their location, age and other factors.

 

“In today’s landscape, I would say an entrepreneur is somebody who follows their passion thoroughly, ensuring that they are going to make that vision come to life,” Boitumelo says. “And I say this because taking the road less travelled in this day and age, really, a person chooses to let go of society’s standards; chooses to let go of the structures and what is believed to be a successful entrepreneur or businesswoman.”

 

Collaboration and self-awareness

Boitumelo shares that entrepreneurship requires one to strike the balance between doing things yourself and collaborating. “We live in a world of collaboration and we really do work together and it takes all kinds of people to make this world, as my mother always said. I never really used to understand that theory until now. It really does take collaboration and ubuntu and building a community together; we’re building something together. It takes this community to tap into my brand and buy into my brand to help my brand, in essence, grow.”

 

But it’s important to remember that the centre of everything remains the founder. “When people do disappoint,” she says, “that’s okay too, and you need to be detached from that, because it’s not their vision. They’re also here to push their own vision and their entrepreneurship. You are working and collaborating together; they are not just hired by you. So, it’s always important to understand that you are the root of your dreams.”

So, she says, self-awareness is crucial for an entrepreneur. “It’s important for you as a person to spend a bit more time with yourself,” says Boitumelo. “We live in a world that takes up so much of our personal time, and we kind of lose that vibration of knowing who we are, what we love to do and what we’re about. So, understanding yourself comes first, so that you can stand firmly; it’s the greatest foundation you can create for your own brand.”

 

Self-awareness also kicks when things don’t go one’s way, leading to self-doubt. “As humans, we’re very quick to identify problems,” Boitumelo notes, “but coming up with solutions and following through with testing them out are what make you a true entrepreneur.

 

“And it’s really important for you to always be hopeful, as well as being open to knowing that there is failure sometimes, but that you can try again. Trial and error are part of the journey.”

BOITUMELO SHARES SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL TOOLS THAT ARE CRUCIAL FOR TAKING THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED

A good financial support structure

“So, I think it’s really important to have a good financial support structure. And not just in the sense of having a six-month plan and being like, ‘This is the salary I’m gonna save and then leave my job.’ I mean in the sense of having a financial institution that actually supports where you are at a point in time. Because it’s really important not to compare yourself to every other entrepreneur; people have started long before you have; others have tried and maybe haven’t reached the place that you wanted to reach but, for you, it’s really important to know your money; be with a financial institution that actually also wants to support you in a way that makes sense for your own lifestyle.

 

So, you’re not finding too many integrated problems and trying to figure out, ‘Which tax is this?’ and then, ‘Where does this money go?’ and, ‘How many of this and that?’ It’s really just important for you to focus on your passion, because passion should always be the driver and the money will always be the consequence.”

 

Pen and paper 

“A pen and paper and a couple of magazines, and then basically create a whole vision board. Help yourself see your vision better, because you may have it in your mind, but sometimes, it may be easier to write it down or help your mind envision it better. So, cutting out pictures of how you would like to see your vision come to life will help you see it in your consciousness and in your sub-consciousness.” 

 

A smartphone

Everybody has a phone; everybody wants to communicate; everybody needs to speak to each other. The phone is such a great tool; you don’t need to have a laptop to get yourself out there. I think the greatest issue today is that everybody wants to look like they’re working but, once you get your hands dirty and just actually do it, it takes a simple post to put it out there.”

USEFUL APPS TO HAVE ON YOUR PHONE

Wave

“An invoicing app that helps me send invoices, see my forecast and see how my brand is growing. And the app is free as well.”

Capitec

“I do get my money there, and I do send some money there. I’ve got family and friends; I’ve got things that I do on a daily that need to happen quickly or even instantly. So, using the app really does work for me and it’s easy to use. It also helps that, even when I don’t have data or internet (which does happen because we’re now in this beautiful society that has Wi-Fi everywhere, but sometimes not, and sometimes we have loadshedding everywhere), the app works.”

Self-improvement apps  

“Meditative apps and affirmation apps as well, ’cause it really is about me at the end of the day. It’s about how I feel; it’s about pouring into myself; it’s about knowing the worth of my work – the value of my work. It’s not about my business just draining me, but about me being resourceful. Yeah… that’s helped.”

Click here to watch Justin de Nobrega’s Capitec masterclass on the fourth industrial revolution and getting future-fit.

The post Capitec Masterclass: Boitumelo Spotted on taking the road less travelled – entrepreneurship appeared first on HYPE Magazine.

Capitec Masterclass:

Kermit Erasmus on mapping yourself

and finding your direction

As he ventures into podcasting, soccer star Kermit Erasmus is applying skills he learned earlier in his career to map himself and find new direction

 

To succeed at anything, it is important to know yourself and play to your strengths, and no one embodies that more than soccer star Kermit Erasmus. He is forging a new path for himself in the world of podcasting and knows that choosing the correct financial partner is crucial to this investment in his future. This article forms part of a series of masterclasses, powered by Capitec.

 

“For me, in football, the simplest thing you can do is work on your craft; I think it goes for any industry. If you’re good at something, you gotta try to perfect it, and I know there’s no such thing as perfection, but the closest you come to not making mistakes at something, the better you are at it. So, you gotta keep working at it – that’s the most important thing in life.”

Kermit Erasmus is at the peak of his career, having recently rejoined Orlando Pirates after a stint at Mamelodi Sundowns. But he has more than just his career as an athlete to be excited about. Erasmus is venturing into podcasting, a move he believes won’t only be a new challenge but will also be for a good cause. “At this stage in my career,” he says, “what would come after soccer would be something that I’ve started, a journey that I’m going on in the media space. We’ve launched a podcast that we’ve called Plugged.”

 

Kermit feels the need to show people the man behind the superstar who commands the nation’s respect. “[The podcast] is about spreading knowledge on things and experiences that I’ve been through… that people like us have been through and they can relate to, and also for people to understand that footballers are also human,” he says. “It will inspire and motivate people to pursue their careers and to take the steps into the things they want to do in their lives.”

 

For him, it started with self-belief. “The first ability you need is the ability to believe in yourself and then the rest will follow,” he says. “You obviously need to have the technical ability and the knowledge of how the game is played. And with that, the rest can be developed. These are the main things I had as a footballer growing up – I had the belief, I had the tenacity, and I had the hunger to want to be a footballer. It’s one thing to want to be something, but you need the desire as well.”

 

Kermit is proud of his come-up; he states he had to sacrifice his teenage years to forge his path. “I never really had a teenage upbringing because my life was constantly travelling, being part of the academy and not being at home or growing up with my parents. I had to basically be disciplined enough to do my own homework at the age of 12 or 13 years old, whereas before I was so used to being helped by my parents with projects and things like that.”

His path, having led to success, is worth scrutinising for those who are at the beginning of their journeys or those looking for inspiration for a personal journey (and who isn’t looking for inspiration?). He shares that his parents played a huge role in his development. “My dad had a big influence in that. At the time, he was unemployed and he took time out of his day to nurture the skill I had, and in doing that, developed the love I had for the game,” Kermit says. His mother, he says, shaped the intangibles. “My mom always talks about the three Ds; dedication, determination and discipline,” Kermit says. “I think those are three important and fundamental things in life that you need to succeed in anything you want to become.

 

“For me, in football, the simplest thing you can do is work on your craft; I think it goes for any industry. If you’re good at something, you gotta try to perfect it, and I know there’s no such thing as perfection, but the closest you come to not making mistakes at something, the better you are at it. So, you gotta keep working at it – that’s the most important thing in life.”

 

As he enters the media space, Kermit is not only taking advantage of his stature but also the effect he has on the public. For instance, his tweets when opining about the game and life itself resonate, indicating the interest of others in his thoughts. He prides himself on speaking his mind at all times – an important trait in a podcaster.

Plugged comes from a personal place. “As a footballer going through my career, I never really had the guidance of a senior player or somebody that we call an OG guide me on things that I needed or shouldn’t do, not only in football but in life,” Kermit says. “So, throughout my career, I’ve seen that there’s something lacking there – to have experienced senior players not only guiding players on the field but also off the field. And one of the options was being a coach, but it’s not my vibe because I am a player and I understand the game in different ways, so being in the content space is just to help motivate the youngsters, not only in football but in any industry… to help them be aware of the obstacles they might face and the challenges as well. And just to know what to do and how to move in certain industries.”

 

He believes his people skills are a crucial ingredient for his next step. “I’ve encountered so many people from different walks of life, from different countries and from different races, so I’ve just got a connection with people in general that would help me pursue and continue doing the things that I’ve been trying to do in the content space.”

 

As stated earlier, when Kermit speaks of the costs he had to pay, he doesn’t necessarily touch on finances but on the sacrifices he had to make, such as missing out on his teen years. But he is by no means out of touch as he emphasises the importance of a financial partner in any career one chooses to pursue. “As people, we’ve gotta make a living to prepare and plan for the future,” he explains. “And, in doing that, your financial partner is important because they provide those things that can help you save and invest in the right manner or based on your financial budget.”

Kermit Erasmus recommends podcasts that could help people map their careers and/or their lives:

I Am Athlete Podcast

 

“It’s a podcast [focusing on] ex-American football players.”

 

FULL SEND PODCAST

 

“It’s a podcast about friends of Jake Paul, some content creators.”

 

Hotboxin’ With Mike Tyson

 

“[Mike Tyson] is very knowledgeable – he gives a lot of advice and shares a lot of his experiences, from somebody who has also lived a crazy life.”

 

The Pivot Podcast

 

“They speak on serious things and mental health issues and things that we’d probably touch on as well.”

Click here to watch Justin de Nobrega’s masterclass on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and getting future-fit

The post Capitec Masterclass: Kermit Erasmus on mapping yourself and finding your direction appeared first on HYPE Magazine.

Capitec Masterclass:

Justin de Nobrega on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and getting future-fit

“As a Gen Z-er, I plan to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution by just learning new things, not being caught up in a bubble and always knowing that there’s so much more to learn.”

 

When COVID-19 disrupted everyone’s lives in 2020, the world was forced to adapt to new ways of doing things. Technology came in handy for businesses and individuals in maintaining some normalcy such as conducting business and connecting with friends and family. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, said: “We’ve seen two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months.”

 

While a lot of artists found themselves without an income as they couldn’t perform, it’s no secret that the pandemic birthed a generation of internet stars who range from comedians to dancers and singers. Digital content creators such as Khaby Lame and many others became A-class celebrities after people fell in love with their work on TikTok. South Africa wasn’t any different.

 

Justin de Nobrega, whose accolades include being the winner of SABC 1’s Dance Yo Dumo season 1, is one of these creatives whose careers were boosted by cyber connectivity – an aspect of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). With dance studios closing down during the lockdown of 2020, he took to TikTok to showcase his moves on the popular video-sharing social media platform.

Justin, who has more than half a million followers and 5.6 million likes on TikTok, does what he loves for a living, and that’s dancing. “When I started posting on social media, there weren’t many white South Africans doing African dance styles,” Justin says, explaining what sets him apart from the millions of TikTok dancers and content creators. “I enjoyed dancing to amapiano, qgom and [Afrobeats], and that’s where I had an advantage, if I can put it that way. And people were really just enjoying that; I felt like I was someone to bridge that gap between cultures. So, I just continued to do so, and I felt like it was just making people happy.”

 

Justin has been able to monetise his work in a way he probably wouldn’t have been able to before TikTok. “I saw TikTok as a monetisable platform where I could do so, and I started posting all my videos and short clips of me just having fun dancing on TikTok and, before I knew it, there were millions of views and people were just subscribing, and started following me and keeping up. From there, I started getting collaborations with some big brands, and that’s when I started monetising,” he says.

 

As much as there’s a huge element of luck in becoming a viral sensation, there’s also a science behind it. As the adage goes, luck is when opportunity meets preparedness. “It’s always good to analyse what is up-and-coming, what is new, because there’s always something new to learn,” Justin explains. “As a Gen Z-er, I plan to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution by just learning new things, not being caught up in a bubble and always knowing that there’s so much more to learn. Because I started off thinking that I’ve learnt everything and I know everything but, in actual fact, becoming a content creator, I had to learn how to work a camera, how to work the latest cellphone, how to edit my own content, push out my brand and just build my business.”

This innate culture of learning explains Justin’s desire to study further. “It can be anything from learning new business management skills to new editing software; it can be anything, just as long as it relates to what I do. Like I said, there’s so much more to learn,” he says.

 

It’s important to note that, just because someone is doing what they love for a living, it’s not all fun and games. Creating content takes practice, and the process can be taxing and time-consuming. And, because it involves money, it becomes a business, which brings with it all the challenges of a formal business. While some content creators end up wearing many hats, Justin believes in outsourcing some services. “Because I monetise my content,” he says, “I feel that it’s good to have a good financial partner to rely on, just so that I can focus on my creatives and not have to worry about admin. So, being a content creator, I feel like I am my own boss. I work at my own times; I don’t have a set nine-to-five office job.” 

 

There’s more to 4IR than being a content creator on TikTok and other cyber platforms. But the common thread tying everything together is the need to keep upskilling yourself and familiarising yourself with new technologies that emerge, to take the world by storm. That’s how Gen Z-ers like Justin and millions of others remain ahead of the curve.  

How to become a viral sensation

If you are planning to become a viral TikTok creator or content creator, here’s how Justin did it:

1. Analyse – find your niche

“TikTok came about, and I saw people busy posting on here and I decided, I’m gonna start watching, and I just started analysing it and I saw the trends. I saw hashtags that people were using, and I realised there were specific creators who actually had a niche, and they stuck to that niche. And people would follow you and keep up with what you do and what fits with you. So, for me, I started with amapiano, qgom and Afro. Afro actually was the first thing, and that became my niche. I continue to post more of those videos.”

 

2. Create the content

“Step one: learn and remember a viral dance move and try to see what’s trending. Step two: apply your knowledge and use a viral song along with a viral dance.”

 

3. Adjust

“Step three: Analyse the content produced by other creators. Step four: evaluate and compare your content’s performance. Step five: create and adjust your content according to your learnings. For example, stick to what has been working best and do less of what hasn’t been working.”

This article is part of a series of masterclasses, powered by Capitec. You can find them here.

The post Capitec Masterclass: Justin de Nobrega on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and getting future-fit appeared first on HYPE Magazine.

Capitec Masterclass:

Bontle Smith on networking and building social capital in

the music industry

To establish their name, an artist needs to network to create the right relationships. Amapiano star Bontle Smith shares tips on networking and building social capital in the music industry. 

 

Bontle Smith may have blown up in the amapiano era, with hits such as ‘Amanikiniki’ and ‘Oga’ under her belt, but she released her first single in 2010 with Soul Candi’s DJ Giggs Superstar titled ‘Lose Yourself in the Music’.

 

Today, her long list of collaborators includes the likes of DJ Maphorisa, Cassper Nyovest, MFR Souls, Kabza De Small and Tyler ICU. She has a strong social capital, a phrase the Oxford dictionary explains as “the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively.”

 

Bontle was always singing, since the days she and her friends used to mimic what they saw on Jam Alley growing up. She found her niche while studying at UJ, where she became part of a singing group called Currents of Blackness.

When she decided to pursue music full-time, she found herself in the right circles. She brings up the importance of building oneself; social media is a crucial tool for getting your name out there. Your body of work and its presentation will do the talking for you when you network.

 

But where exactly does one network? “Anywhere,” she says. “Gigs, in the clubs, formal events… It doesn’t matter where, as long as it’s the right people.”

 

You’ll have to email and DM those people at times, she says. Whatever your medium, her advice on establishing those new relationships is: “When you approach people, just be yourself, know exactly what you want from that next person, what type of relationship you want to build with that person. Just be you, be genuine.”

 

By being yourself, you are able to stand out from the crowd; nobody can do you better than you, remember. As for Bontle, she knows herself and what makes her unique. “My dancing and singing simultaneously,” she says. “Not many artists can do that. Also, learning how to read the crowd. I can have three gigs in a night for example, and my set, my performance set, won’t be the same because of the different types of crowds that I have to experience. So, reading the crowd and knowing which songs to perform to them, not many artists are really good at that. Some artists have a set performance and that’s it for every show. So, I know how to read the crowd and know which songs to sing for the crowd.”

Social capital is volatile in that one needs to be constantly adapting to retain it. “The level of persistence, consistency and creating social relationships is very important,” she says. “You need relationships in order to grow. The music industry changes and you shouldn’t be afraid of change. And sometimes you need new relations to get to where you need to be in the music industry.”

 

She emphasises the importance of having a team as a musician. “My dancers, DJ and my driver,” she says. “Those are the people that I spend most of the time with and those are the people that impact my performance. So, even if I’m at my lowest, those are the people who pick me up and try to change my mood and bring me back to focus: ‘Listen, we’re about to perform now, leave your personal stuff aside, this is what we’re gonna do, you’ll come back to it when we get back home.’

“I need my road manager who makes sure that I get to my gigs on time and everything is running smoothly. When I get to the gig, I receive everything I need in terms of me performing. I need my dancers who I usually perform with, I need my DJ and I need my driver.”

There’s a lot that goes into building a strong brand as a musician in a world teeming with talented artists. It takes a team and other support structures for an artist to stand out as a brand.

Bontle shares more about the types of relationships one needs as a musician:

 

Producers

“You need to have a relationship with new producers that will produce the music, and not just producers, but good producers that will produce good music that is relevant at that time. Good producers make music that will last and not music that will just die out prematurely.”

 

DJs

“You need DJs who will play your music. Send out your music to all kinds of DJs if you can. As long as they play the music, people will hear your music at events, parties, weddings and the like.”

 

A manager

“You also need a relationship with a manager. Because there are so many things that we as artists can’t really do and then it’s like, the manager is the main person that just takes care of everything and takes that load off your shoulder. I need my manager who takes care of all the admin and deals and documentation that I don’t need to stress about.”

 

Public relations (PR) people

“You need PR; someone who will promote your brand, your image and your music.”

This article is part of a new series of masterclasses, powered by Capitec. The five-part series will run for the next four months.

The post Capitec Masterclass: Bontle Smith on networking and building social capital in the music industry appeared first on HYPE Magazine.

Jolly B is yet to witness the love he’s receiving in South Africa for his blend of Spitori and UK drill

One song can change an artist’s life and take them from underground bubbling into the mainstream. For Nasty C, that was ‘Juice Back’, for Cassper Nyovest, it was ‘Doc Sebeleza’, and for Jolly B, it was ‘Patience’. Released in 2021, the song went viral, with Jolly B’s effortless switching between a British accent and Pitori slang.

 

The rapper later followed the single up with an EP titled Godfather 012, with features from Blxckie, Focalistic and Herc Cut The Lights.

 

With the sound of Spitori-and-drill-blend making a sturdy come-up with artists like Roiii, it seemed like this was going to be the perfect time for Jolly B to take off.

 

But, unfortunately, after facing legal trouble in the UK and awaiting trial, Jolly has not been able to make it to SA or leave the UK to experience the newfound excitement around his name. HYPE caught up with the drilla to find out more about his music and life in the UK.

Firstly, take me back to the time when you moved to the UK from SA, and would only come to Pitori for the holidays…

I ain’t gonna lie, bro, after I moved, I wanted to come back. Bro, when I landed, I was wearing Carvela shoes with secret socks in the UK cold; it was freezing – I was not used to this. For me to properly settle in and accept that I might not come back took me a whole six years.

 

Most kids wish they could travel, go overseas and see the UK. What was making you want to come back so badly?

As you grow up and finish school, you become aware of the world and want to travel. But then, I was a kid back then; I only knew what I knew, and that was South Africa. Even with adults who move this side, they’ll tell you, it’s hard to adjust to the change.

 

How did you eventually deal with being that homesick?

To be honest, my bro, school really helped me adapt. I got here when I was still in year six of school, so it’s still primary going into high school. I learnt a lot from the kids at school. Also, I was young; it was hard, but not really that hard. When you are young, it’s easier for you to make friends.

 

In your music, you still retain your Spitori in your raps. How have you maintained that side of yourself? Also, don’t you ever feel a split between having to please your UK fanbase and your SA fanbase when it comes to the language use?

I kept coming back home every year, so I’d still use the language. No matter what, you won’t lose the lingo. In terms of the lingo in the music, I don’t worry about how people from both sides rate my music but, man, just follow my heart.

Your breakout single ‘Patience’ had a huge moment, especially when the video came out. It spread like wildfire and was taking you to new heights. Tell me how life has been since the single dropped.

I wouldn’t say it changed my life, because I haven’t been able to tour South Africa. I’ve always known the song was hot, because all my people back home always let me know that the song was doing the rounds that side. I haven’t been able to witness it all, but I know if I get the chance to tour that side, I’ll be able to feel it.

 

What was the mindset you had when you put together your EP Godfather 012?

You know what, I knew I was doing something right when I was hanging with Focalistic, DJ Maphorisa and Uncle Waffles when they were in the UK. When it comes to the project, I was really spontaneous with it. I’m always recording, so I already had the songs on lock, ready to go. I really never planned my project; as mans doing this music, it is already project-ready.

 

What’s usually the objective of the music you create?

Bro, it’s life. I’m living to die, and dying to live. Whenever I’m in the studio, I feel comfortable; I just release my problems. Mans really out here living this life; I put that in the music.

 

The future is a little uncertain right now. Do you have an idea of what the next move is?

Bro, I feel like, I don’t really want to drop projects. I just want to give people singles and videos, you get me? To be honest, bro, I really want to tour. I’ve been able to tour within the UK with artists like Silky, but mans really needs a tour to come over that side. I can’t come to that side because mans had problems with the law on this side, and I’m out on bail, but mans can’t do much.

 

With you still awaiting the trial, it might be a while until the people in SA get to see you. What are the words you want them to remember forever?

Tell Cyril Ramaphosa to tell Priti Patel and Liz Truss to Free Jolly B, because the people need me.

Written by Boitumelo Molamu, Images: Supplied

This article appears in HYPE #24, on sale here. [Link the word here to https://coolmags.co.za/mytfgmediamags/product/hype-magazine/ ].

The post Jolly B is bridging the gap between Pitori and UK drill appeared first on HYPE Magazine.

Versatile Cape Town hip-hop artist Kashcpt speaks to HYPE about relocating to Jozi, the importance of collaboration and his continuing expansion.

Written by ubereatzz, Photography: JR Ecko

Kashcpt took a big decision for his career when he moved from his city Cape Town to Jozi in August. This move, which he manifested on ‘CPT TO JOZI’, the opening song of his sophomore mixtape CAPE TOWN RADIO 2, released in April, has proven a good one. Kashcpt has been continuing to anchor himself in the music scene; recently, he was part of FILA and Drip’s promotion campaign alongside influencers Molly P, Azi and Crystal. He’s previously worked with Nike, Sportscene, Flying Fish and Standard Bank.

“I am a full-time musician, and I moved up here to Johannesburg also ’cause of my daughter, she’s in Cape Town. I’m just grinding up here, ‘cause everything’s here, the industry, from Monday to Monday, it’s going down. In Cape Town, it’s like a Thursday to Saturday thing, that’s the gap,” Kashcpt says. “It’s more laid back in Cape Town. If anything, there’s no pressure. This side keeps you on your toes. For me personally, I got regulated very quickly when I came up this side, I saw how quickly everyone’s working and is consistent about that. So, just matching that, I feel like it’s very important and I’m still trying to get there and have a routine just to match that energy and be on that level. But yeah, it’s definitely somewhere where much more can happen as opposed to Cape Town. I was very closed-minded at one point when I lived there.”

Born Kelsey Kyle Minaar in 1999 in Walmer Estate in Woodstock, the vocalist and rapper describes himself as a big representation of his city to the rest of South Africa in terms of what it has to offer musically. “My goal is to just try and do the most for Cape Town, being out of Cape Town, and show the world the creativity Cape Town houses. If anything, just being at the forefront of that and promoting that.” Which explains the CPT prefix in his stage name. “The name ‘Kash’ was inspired by Johnny Cash, who was extremely diverse in making music as well as making music containing sorrow and moral tribulations,” he says.

The world

One of Kashcpt’s biggest selling points is his diversity. On CAPE TOWN RADIO 2, he delivers hardcore raps on songs like  ‘Mobbing’ and ‘When I’m Gone’, makes use of amapiano’s log drum on ‘Pour Up’ and jumps on Afrobeat production on ‘Feels Like’. His range allows him to deliver laidback melodic songs like ‘Pray For It’, a gospel song with touches of Afrobeats, to the thumping ‘Mobbing’ with which he has started moshpits from Street Fest to Rocking The Daisies.

The word “world” reoccurs in the titles of songs on CAPE TOWN RADIO 2 – ‘Jorjas World’, ‘Change The World’ and ‘Running The World’. “I’m taking all of these inspirations, all of these elements, but I wanna make it my own thing, the world, but in my own way,” Kashcpt says, explaining the significance of the word. “I just like trying new things, in essence, trying new sounds. Everything’s experimental, there’s never one genre that I wanna stick to. I do have my favourite types of genres, but I like being diverse.”

But, in 2017, when he started making music, things were a little different. “When I started, it was just kind of raps, and from then until now, I’ve just been experimenting with different sounds and genres. Still trying to just find my own pocket,” he says.

His range of musical influences is quite wide: Travis Scott (“He would probably be at the front of all [my influences]”), Eminem (“Growing up, I listened to a lot of him; I was inspired by him”) and Afrobeats artists such as Omah Lay, Burna Boy and Wizkid (“I reference all of them a lot in my songs, even their flows”). On Chris Brown, he says, “My best friend put me on, I wasn’t even listening to his songs and I’d learned all of them just from my friend singing them, so I was always inspired by him, even the melodies, the harmonies, it’s Chris Brown mostly.”

This openness can also be attributed to his upbringing, he says. “My mom and dad weren’t together when I grew up, so I grew up in different households, but it was dope ’cause it gave me more insight; like my dad didn’t believe in God and my mom is very religious. My mom’s parents are Muslim, so I go to a Muslim household, come back into a Christian household, and then go to my dad where it was just like some energy-type of belief system,” says Kashcpt. “So, I feel like I definitely got shaped like how I thought, how I grew up and how I saw things. Just the perspective, I’ll say, gave me a better perspective than just seeing things from one view. And you also… you go to Robben Island and I learned a lot of history just from where he he was, I meet the people that he was chilling with and I’d learn from them. And being around my grandparents, they just influenced me, like there are different types of churches. So they were Baptists and Baptists play like bass guitars and sh*t in the service, and I liked that. I never saw that before.”

Collaboration

His diversity has led to interesting collaborations. One is with fellow genre agnostic artist Blxckie on ‘Denims’, one of the biggest songs on CAPE TOWN RADIO 2. The music video is currently sitting on a healthy 260k views and counting. “I made ‘Denims’ before Blxckie was on it. It was just like a vibe when I made it. And then I sent the record to Blxckie, I was like, yo, you feeling this? He was like yo, this is hot! Sent me the verse literally ASAP. And then yeah, it was just one of those things that we didn’t have to force,” Kash says.

Another major collaboration is ‘Ja$mine’ from 2020’s CAPE TOWN RADIO, which features Never Broke labelmate J Molley who also appears on ‘Running The World’ on CAPE TOWN RADIO 2. “That collab was crazy for me, man, because at the time, it was someone that I looked up to… still look up to him and I’m still grateful for everything that he inspired me to do. Yeah, that was big for me,” Kashcpt says.

He feels Durban singer Kaien Cruz whom he featured in ‘All of Me’ on CAPE TOWN RADIO 2 is as versatile as he is. “We actually knew each other outside of music before we started working together, a year later she just became gang also,” Kash says. “She can also do any genre, that’s what I like. I sent her that record, she was also feeling it and sent it back relatively quickly.”

Some of these collaborations come about in a very interesting way. “All of my songs up till now were freestyles,” Kashcpt says. “I freestyle everything and I don’t sleep, I work better at night than I do in the day. Still trying to fix that also. But most of the sessions that I’ve had with anyone, they’re never planned. I just pull up on them, or we’ll be out, and then I’ll say, let’s go to the studio.”

The other side of collaboration

But some of his collaborations have lead to clashes. One of Kashcpt’s most memorable songs are ‘Late Nights’ and ‘Up and Lost’, which he worked on with FLVME for his critically acclaimed CandyMan project, which dropped in 2019. He later spoke out on his dissatisfaction with working with the talented artist on Twitter. A series of now-deleted tweets addressing his concerns got the streets talking. “Eish, I won’t lie, I don’t wanna bad mouth anyone, but we’re talking about facts at the end of the day,” he says, when asked about what led to him venting that day. “I was thinking about a lot of things that day when I posted the tweets about not being paid for those songs and that was the one thing That was on my mind, it was eating me. And so, I was just like yo, my n*gga, I gave you these two songs and you didn’t even care.”

He goes on to explain certain conduct that he doesn’t fully agree with on how FLVME handled the distribution and crediting of featured artists he had on CandyMan. ‘Late Nights’ is one of the most played songs on the album on Spotify, and only comes second to ‘Ride For You’, which features The Big Hash. “It was just on some weird vibe, like yo, why you not showing who’s a part of this project? Even Malachi, Hash, and everyone who’s on CandyMan, no one got credited. And that was my issue with that. Eventually, it got sorted out. My publisher and my team reached out to him and told him that they’re gonna take the legal route if these issues aren’t addressed, and after months and months of nagging, FLVME and his team fixed it. It didn’t have to take as long as it did, but yeah, eventually it got sorted out,” Kash says.

One would think after all this hassle, Kash would be reluctant to work with FLVME again. “It was weird for a while, and I was hearing the stuff that he was making, and I just thought, wouldn’t it be dope to be on that same wave as him? The gents in the team weren’t too happy with just moving on and being cool like nothing happened, so it only became a chilled environment or a chilled space now recently, I would say. So now, moving forward, especially ’cause I’m this side, I do wanna collab with him. I wanna definitely lock in with him.”

Intentional: Mansa Musa is Never Broke

Kashcpt, formerly part of Mansa Musa Ent, signed to Never Broke in March 2018, the same management and label that J Molley is under.

The story of how he ended up signing with Never Broke is encouraging, as it shows Kashcpt was intentional about who he wanted to handle him and his brand. Wherever Never Broke artists were booked in Cape Town in 2017, together with his producer, Baker, he would do his best to perform at the events for free to get their attention.

“At the time, there were a few people trying to sign me and it was just weird chats; people just wanted too much or I couldn’t own the music I was making,” he says. “So, I spoke to Nav [of Never Broke] and he broke it down and told me what his vision was and what he wanted to do with my brand. And I liked what he was saying and I saw how I could be a part of that and I chose them, just ’cause I felt like I have more creative freedom, to be more, not ownership only, but I wouldn’t feel like I’m selling all the work that I’m making, I could still own it.”

As part of Never Broke, Kashcpt has gained mainstream attention as he is one of the most consistent musicians we have in South Africa and he’s always dropping appealing visuals for his songs. “We are always shooting something, I think out of the 16 songs, we’re doing six videos. So far ‘Pour Up’, ‘Denims’, ‘Mobbing’ and ‘What I Like’ have visuals out already and I just came back from Cape Town where we were shooting ‘When I’m Gone’ with YoungstaCPT, and that visual is gonna come out next, and another song, but I’ve forgotten which one.”

CAPE TOWN RADIO 2 charted at number 5 on the hip-hop charts on Apple Music and continues to be the best tape to gauge how good Kashcpt is in these genres he loves dipping his talent in. He mentions his wish to make different EPs dedicated to each of the genres he loves – like hip-hop, R&B and Afrobeats – in the near future. “I want to expand so that I can’t be labelled as just this one artist, I wanna be the unexpected guy. And, whenever I come out with a new genre, I want it to be like a body [of work] people can hear, and not just like one song that I’m pushing out and I’m just trying something. I wanna put something together that makes sense before I drop it,” Kashcpt says.

This interview appears in issue 24 of the monthly HYPE ezine available for purchase here.

The post [Cover story] Kashcpt to Jozi appeared first on HYPE Magazine.

Written by HYPE Staff, Images: Supplied

In an interview with Tagged, Sanaa Mothabisa recounted how a PRO music video shoot for the song ‘Uthini Ngo Pro’ in 2007 marked a turning point in his life. Hailing from Pimville, Soweto, the same hood as the South African hip-hop legend, Sanaa got to witness the video shoot and decided there and then that he would get into filmmaking.

Now an accomplished filmmaker, who has worked for the likes of Bomb Productions, released his own short films and was recently part of MultiChoice’s Origins campaign, Sanaa still hails PRO as his main inspiration.

Of course, the late kasi rapper’s influence expands beyond hip-hop; as a skilled yet accessible rapper, PRO was the people’s storyteller. His breakout hit ‘Soweto’ cemented him as the face of Soweto. The intro of his 2005 debut album Heads and Tales, where ‘Soweto’ appears, was a recording of PRO (then PROKid) walking in his hood to take the taxi to the studio.

Similarly, one of Sanaa’s most loved TikTok videos is a POV video of him walking in the hood.

@fro.sanaa

Take a walk around my home with me. my uncut love for iKasi. #TikTokShortfilm

♬ original sound – Sanaa

The clip opens with him saying, “Awuthi ngibabonise ikasi” (let me show them the hood), before displaying a series of clips showing kids playing in the streets, a drum majorettes’ procession, amajita chillin’ in the corner, a cameo from The Co-Founder, a dog barking at him behind a fence and more beauty.

In the interview below, Sanaa speaks on the similarities between his and PRO’s work, his experience of the Origins campaign, creating content in the social media age and other topics.

Editor’s note: This interview has been slightly edited for clarity and length. 

In the beginning of the minidocumentary about you for the Multichoice Origins campaign, you kick a freestyle. Are you also a rapper?

That comes from my love for PRO. I am a crazy PRO fan. And you can even see from my work that I listen to him a lot, but obviously, we are using different mediums – he’s a rapper, I’m a [visual] storyteller. But we’re basically from the same township, we tell the same stories, so I usually draw a lot of inspiration from him.

That is definitely true; PRO was a kasi storyteller. What is it about him that inspires you?

I see him as someone that paved the way for us to be us. I see him as someone that took the time and was confident enough to celebrate where he’s from. Whenever I listened to his music in high school and varsity, I would see myself in the music. Because it’s a reflection of our community. So, taking that as an inspiration and translating it to video format. I feel like he’s one of those people that pioneered everything we do. So, I feel like he’s my inspiration, my core inspiration of everything.

Read: Back to the streets: Pretoria and Cape Town are leading the resurgence of street rap in South Africa

What’s your favourite PRO album? It’s almost unanimously agreed that Dankie San is his best work.

Different albums represent different times in my life. So, if you wanna go Dankie San, I’m like but I was struggling when that one came through. (Laughs)

If you wanna say, “yo, mfana besogrand uhlanganelwa,” I’ll go Continua. Like yo… (Starts rapping Continua’s ‘Intro’.)

So, it’s like eish, I don’t know… he’s the first microphone holder… DNA, Snakes & Ladders, Dankie, Continua. So, yeah, I don’t have one specific album.

You mentioned in the minidoccie that using a phone is less intimidating to subjects as opposed to when you’re using a camera. How do those nuances affect the actual image?  

 There’s a huge difference and disconnect from the pictures that I took with the camera. Because when people see a camera, even if they’re not scared, they [become] performative in how they would love people to see them. So, they won’t be themselves. But when you take out a phone, it’s not intimidating, as I mentioned. So, I feel like I found a way to get great and authentic performances from people using my device, as opposed to cameras.

However, I still do shoot with my camera, but in a more controlled environment. Because I understand where I’m from and I don’t want a lot of questions and just the negative business that comes with that. People already know what I do; I’m on TV now and when you take out that camera, it’s like, ‘you’re making money out of us’. So, you have to also understand where you come from; understand the environment and the people that you are photographing.

As advanced as phone cameras have become, they still have limitations. So, what would you say were your challenges when you’re shooting using a phone?

 If there’s always one thing in your life that you always have, whether you’re using the toilet, at a stadium or travelling, that’s your phone and it will follow you wherever you’re going. And if you wanna go in-depth, you can also edit on your phone, that’s an advantage.

 But, I love to print my work. I don’t get a lot of texture, mfana, from images that I took on my phone. As someone that would love to archive actual prints and sell them as well, I feel like, even though in post I try to bring in more grey… try to texturize it, it doesn’t quite get [to camera standard].

However, I do feel like I’m privileged to also live in the generation of social media. Sometimes you need to overlook what you actually love and be the purpose of the generation you represent.

What was the experience of being part of the Multichoice Origins campaign like?

Uyabona, there are campaigns, but this was literally the campaign. Just from how they approached us; the treatment from the first meeting, you would feel that they’re gonna tell your story in the most honest and genuine way. And, also them allowing us to come in and direct… for me, as a film director, I had a perspective on how I want to be shown and I add into my story.

You have to remember that we’re not models or subjects, we are actually storytellers. Sometimes you are insecure about giving someone your story because you’re not sure how they will interpret it. But just them allowing us to be us, really made me so comfortable.

And during shoot day, there was a time when I was with my family; I invited my whole family. This is driving me to another point; that our parents are old and they struggle [to fully understand] what we actually do. Because I was so comfortable with the campaign and how they were doing it with me, I wanted my family to come see what I do when I say I’m working. So, my parents were there, my siblings were there, everyone was just there. And it felt good. The treatment they got as well when they were there… hhayi, no, MultiChoice really really put in a lot of effort.

And it was a passion project for them as well, so you can imagine that they’ve been pushing this for the longest time and it worked out really well.

Your short film Zion explores faith. Why was that subject a subject you wanted to tackle at that time when you made the film?

So, the story really comes from this one particular Sunday when I noticed that everyone from my house was wearing a different uniform, we used to go to different churches. So, seeing that, sparked some level of curiosity while I was still young. Seven different perspectives, seven different faiths, if you want to say that, but you can still be a home.

When I went to varsity, I met someone called Jodie, he is a Jewish brother, and then I shared about this thing and I really started my research then. That’s why I also took so long… because I needed to talk to people. Before shooting, I needed to actually see the practices.

And then as the love was growing for that project, I did more research and then I decided to shoot and get someone to represent or celebrate all religions under the umbrella that God is one.

The post Photographer and filmmaker Sanaa Mothabisa draws inspiration from PRO to tell township stories appeared first on HYPE Magazine.

Capitec Masterclass:

Lerai on personal branding, reputation,

image, tone and attitude

TV presenter, model, actress, creative entrepreneur and social changemaker Lerai details how to manage a personal brand. “You need to embrace the things that naturally make you, you,” she says. “If you are a quirky or weird person, embrace all of those things. It’s what makes up your personality and makes you charismatic.”

 

Lerai knows a thing or two about personal branding. As the face of Nickelodeon Africa, Lerai successfully represents both herself and the kiddies’ TV channel. It starts with your social media, she says, which she approaches as a CV. “Everything that is on your social media platform has to reflect who you are as a working professional,” says Lerai. “So, if you are a creative, make sure that you have a body of work that someone can easily find on your social media. If you dance, if you act, if you model – whatever it is – we need to see that body of work on your social media pages. But, we’d also like to see a bit of your personality, so make sure that comes through.”

Lerai is a natural on camera; she’s the right amount of animated and captivating; an overall star. She was born into creativity, especially performance. “When I was about five years old,” says the 19-year-old creative entrepreneur, social changemaker, conversation strategist, television presenter and actress, “my mother put me in modelling school. I was quite a tomboy, and so she thought I needed some ‘polishing’. Little did she know that was going to equip me with all the confidence I needed to carry on. I started doing drama when I was about 10 years old, and I really put in my 10,000 hours from then on. When I was 15 years old, I started working professionally within the entertainment industry. I actually started doing a web series.”

 

She may have gotten a head start, but Lerai believes anyone can get to where she is. “It’s never too late to start,” she says, emphasising that one can start at any age. “It starts with knowing yourself; your strengths and weaknesses; identifying your x-factor. You need to embrace the things that naturally make you, you,” she says. “If you are a quirky or weird person, embrace all of those things. It’s what makes up your personality and makes you charismatic.”

 

After identifying and deciding on your place as a creative, Lerai encourages building a portfolio. It’s a realisation that hit her at 15. “I had been doing this modelling and acting for such a long time,” she says. “But I didn’t have my body of work on my social media. So, there was this confusion among my followers, which was: ‘What is it exactly that Lerai does?’ So, from there, I was like, I need to post the stuff that I do. So, I started posting about my interests; I started going live and talking about the things that are important to me; engaging in conversations about gender-based violence, politics… I love politics – I mean I’m studying politics.”

It’s such activity, she says, that generally leads to more audience engagement and, inevitably, growth. She mentions, however, that growing one’s audience can take time, and plateaus are to be expected. “I’ve gone through that so much, where I was like, why is my audience not growing?” she recalls. “I can even say I’m going through that right now.” The solution? “What you need to focus on as a creative who doesn’t necessarily create content is that social media is an extension of what you do, so just focus on having fun. You’re gonna stress yourself out trying to push engagement and all that. Make sure that you enjoy the content you’re creating – you would do it even without an audience.”

 

Lerai and several of her counterparts have moved strategically to the top. But social media is fraught with accounts that rely on low-hanging fruits to grow their brands (if we may). Clicking on a trending hashtag on Twitter often leads a user to people shamelessly plugging their hustles under popular hashtags. The snobs sneer at it. But not Lerai. “It’s a form of marketing,” she points out.

 

“It’s strategic, in a way; you are riding a wave of what people already have eyes on. If reach is what you want, then yeah, but if you want real engagement – people who want your content and will engage with it – make sure you use the relevant hashtags and also post valuable things. What you post is directly linked to your brand.

“We have to be very mindful of all the things we post online,” she adds. “Remember, the digital world is a permanent world, so even if you delete it now, somebody has a screenshot, has saved it or shared it, or it’s just up there in the cloud. You can never run away from these things.”

 

So, as much as there’s no need to be stuck-up or boring, it’s important to maintain professionalism both on social media and in the physical world, as a personal brand. “That means showing up to set or showing up to work on time and making everybody you work with feel invited,” says Lerai. “They must feel your presence. You also need to make sure that you are on top of your game – that you can do what you’re doing if someone wakes you up in the middle of the night.

“We are in a digital world right now, in light of the fourth industrial revolution. So, how do you build your brand on social media? You need to make sure you have a professional presence on social media.”

 

Lerai lives up to her principles – on the day this interview was conducted, she showed up on time and exuded a positive aura; she was energetic and polite, and respected those around her. It’s always the little things.

“We are in a digital world right now, in light of the fourth industrial revolution. So, how do you build your brand on social media? You need to make sure you have a professional presence on social media.”

Lerai shares five tips for managing your personal brand:

 

1. Have a mission statement

“The first thing is that you need to know who you are. Put a mission statement together for yourself where you highlight three important things: who you are, what you do and how you do it. Who you are – talk about where you come from and who you are as a human”

 

2. Be strategic

“You cannot have strategy without having a mission statement, because you must know who you are, what you do and how you are going to do it. Then, you’ll be able to define what your strategy is. What I like to do is to put a three-year plan or a five-year plan in place. For example, when I started working when I was 15 years old, I put together a plan of the people I could picture myself working with. The words that sort of resonated with me. I wanted to do something fun, but I also wanted to speak to the African youth because that is something that I am very passionate about.”

 

3. Dedicate yourself to your craft

“My third tip is to dedicate yourself to your craft. There’s something that I heard from a scout from the US at a pageant I was doing. And what she said has stuck with me to this day. She said that, as a model, you are just a hanger for clothes. Now, it may not be a nice thing to process at the time, but it’s true. You are literally just a hanger for clothes, and it’s your job to make the clothes look good. Now consider your craft as those clothes. Everything that you do – who you are as a person – has to be for the benefit of the craft, especially when we are looking at ourselves as brands; as a personal brand.”

 

4. Invest in yourself

“Make sure that you invest in yourself. If you want people to invest in you as a human being and a brand, you also need to invest in yourself. Make sure that you look good and that you carry yourself as the person you want to be.”

 

5. Be flexible

“Make sure that you are flexible. If you have a strategy in place and you know who you are, you can work around the boundaries of all those goals. So, if something doesn’t go right – for instance, if one door closes in one area (perhaps there’s a project you really wanted to work on, and it didn’t work out), it’s okay, if you’re flexible. Something else will come up.”

being.”

This article is part of a new series of masterclasses, powered by Capitec. The five-part series will run for the next five months.

The post Capitec Masterclass: Lerai on personal branding: reputation, image, tone and attitude appeared first on HYPE Magazine.

Written by HYPE Staff

Photography: FlashedBySanele

Make-up: Camilla Mlilwana of @facebeatstudio

Styling: Nkuley Masemola

A pioneering figure in the contemporary Joburg party and dance music scene, Lelowhatsgood wears many hats. If not rocking the party behind the wheels of steel (he’s played UMI: Our Music Festival, AFROPUNK, and is soon adding Johnnie Walker x Rocking the Daisies), he’s organising VNJ BALL – a series of ballroom parties that aren’t only a notable entity in the Joburg nightlife but are also a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Lelowhatsgood, who’s also a curator and writer, describes himself as “an ever-evolving being. I’m multifaceted, [multi-]dimensional, soft yet strong.”

Ahead of his performance at Johnnie Walker x Rocking The Daisies this weekend, Lelowhatsgood speaks to HYPE about his evolution, his latest single ‘Demon’s Kiss’ and what to expect in his Daisies set.

You recently released your first single ‘Demon’s Kiss’ with Dee Traits. What has the reception to this release been?

The reception to this single has been incredible, and an emotional journey. Stepping into a new field and becoming an artist is something I’ve always wanted to do, and now that it’s happening, it felt like an accomplishment. I’m learning new things about the music industry, and I want to be disruptive. I don’t want to do things the normal way, which is why exploring a new genre with this song feels like the next level.

South Africans have a tendency to obsess over one genre. Gqom is alive and kicking, but all people seem to want is amapiano. Based on your experience as a DJ with versatile taste, what can you say about that dynamic?

The dynamic between these genres can be subjective. My honest opinion is that South Africans generally have a diverse music palette. Although it might feel like one genre is dominating, there are still so many subcultures and underground communities that keep a lot of genres alive, apart from the mainstream.

Please take us through the production process of ‘Demon’s Kiss’ and the upcoming EP.

It’s a collaborative project. Dee Traits and I joined forces on selecting songs, the sound of the EP, how long it’s going to be and how to structure the visuals around it. We went for a darker, heavier approach that matches the mood of the EP.

What story is Lelowhatsgood trying to tell – or is he telling – right now?

Right now, I’m trying to show that I’m more than just a DJ. I’m still trying to go back to my roots of writing, as well as curating more cultural events such as VNJ BALL.

You once said the aim when you started VNJ BALL was: “placing queer people at the forefront by celebrating each other, supporting those who need it most and making sure the scene is safe enough.” How would you say those objectives have been achieved?

We’ve achieved those through all of our collaborative events this year with major brands such as Until Until (through Genesis) as well as others such as Nike; placing our culture at the forefront and making queer people celebrate each other. There is still more work to be done, however. We’re just at the beginning.

Building a property of the magnitude of VNJ BALL takes a whole lot of collaborative effort, I can imagine. How important is collaborative input in your process?

It’s very important to me that we collaborate. We cannot work in isolation, and that’s why we’re at the place where we can grow, learn, teach and make these spaces better for each other.

How has Johnnie Walker aided your work as a creative director in the queer community? And why should brands continue to uplift creatives and organisers within this community?

Johnnie Walker was able to make my visions happen as a curator. Without any brand support, I don’t think we’d be where we are today. Both brands – VNJ and Johnnie Walker – have a perfect synergy with messaging and overall future commitments on where we should take the queer community. I’m excited for the future.

How does it feel being one of the DJs on the line-up at a huge festival like the Johnnie Walker RTD?

Being able to play at Rocking The Daisies has always been my dream. I’m super excited to get to showcase an incredible set and play some of my own music for a new audience as well.

Johnnie Walker has implemented “Keep Walking Towards Safe Spaces” and the Oasis at Rocking The Daisies, which will be marked safety zones for any queer/woman that might feel unsafe during the festival. What does queer/ women safety mean to you at such festivals?

It has to be top of mind for any festival and the promoters who are involved. Revolutionising the dance floors not only affirms people who attend but it makes them comfortable enough to come again the next time. Spaces and initiatives like this are super important.

Name three essential things you are packing in your bag for the festival.

Sunscreen, earplugs and sexy sunglasses.

What should people expect from your Johnnie Walker RTD set?

A whole lot of gqom, Afro-house and dancing.

Which five artists are you most looking forward to seeing at Johnnie Walker RTD?

DBN GOGO, Uncle Waffles, Desiree, Gina Jeans and Kid Fonque.

Johnnie Walker x Rocking The Daisies is taking place 7 – 9 October in Cape Town and Johannesburg. More details and tickets on the official Johnnie x Walker Rockind The Daisies website.

The post Spotlight: Lelowhatsgood is always evolving appeared first on HYPE Magazine.