Local rapper hopes to make waves

After winning a poetry competition at school, rapper Happy Moropane never looked back.

His love for rhymes has seen him climb the ladder to become a star on the local hip-hop scene.
The 32-year old Daveyton native draws inspiration from a spot not too far from home.

He said he was inspired by Daveyton’s Lebo Mathosa who was a force to be reckoned with before her untimely death in 2006. He said that South African hip-hop pioneers Skwatta Kamp were also his drawcard into the rap industry.

“I was inspired by a lot of great artists, one being my homegirl Mathosa. But the greatest inspiration was Skwatta Kamp who, in their prime, was untouchable in the hip-hop industry.”

Moropane, known as Hapivaal, started writing at the age of 13 but his career took off in 2010 when he met kwaito artist Drenko.

“He took me under his wing. He introduced me to a producer called Fundi whose company was making waves in the hip-hop scene. I got to perform with renowned artists and that shaped me as an artist,” he said.

In 2011 he was part of the group, Hapivaal and Maffa.

The group focused on Maskandi music and hip-hop because, he said, it was popular and in the demand at the time.

He said his rap style has elements of traditional music and kwaito and he hopes it will appeal to his target market.

“I have released a song called Dali and it’s doing well on Spotify. This is the next big song in SA,” he said.
“I would like to thank my fans for not giving up on me. Their patience will be rewarded with good music.”

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