On the DJ Lemonka podcast, ProVerb shared that he had an insatiable passion for rap and for making a career out of it.
For many South Africans watching TV on a Sunday afternoon, ProVerb is known as the clean-cut Idols SA host with a smile and decorum to match.
However, for ardent hip-hop heads who would be at a particular event that Sunday afternoon, ProVerb is known as one of the most respected lyricists to come out of South Africa.
This shift from being one of the best rappers the country has ever produced to a much-loved broadcaster on both television and radio was not easy.
It was a practical decision to leave his passion, rap, and focus on what would bring in money to help raise his kids.
“If you were to ask me to show you what I benefited from this 20 here effort, I’d be hard-pressed to show you,” said ProVerb speaking on DJ Lemonka’s podcast.
Real name Tebogo Thekisho, ProVerb opened up about his rap career in his conversation with entrepreneur and producer Lemonka.
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ProVerb’s passion for rap
In the conversation, the Kimberly-born media personality shared that he had an insatiable passion for rap and for making a career out of it.
So much so that he was forced to drop out of his studies at Wits Tech and at an institution in Midrand because he was building a name for himself as a rapper in the noughties.
“It’s indicative of how desperately I really wanted this dream that I was willing to sacrifice anything. As soon as they put me on a bus to Johannesburg, my first thought was, ‘finally, I can achieve this thing’,” he said.
After being unsuccessful at two institutions and having to return home to Kimberly, Proverb’s late mother suggested he study sound engineering.
This was a lifeline his parents gave him after he dropped out twice.
“ ‘This is the last opportunity we’re giving you, from here on out, we are redirecting all the resources to your little sister’,” said ProVerb, quoting his parents.
“I took that threat to heart, and that’s when I began to blossom and started to do well.”
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Getting into the industry
He completed his sound engineering studies, lectured sound engineering students, served as a student advisor at the same institution, and soon after that, he got a job at YFM.
He worked at the station as a technical producer on DJ Fresh’s breakfast show.
Working at the youth station put him in proximity to several industry folks who knew of his rapping ability, which led to his signing with Outrageous Records, a stable known for recruiting the finest emcees at the time.
In 2005, he released what is today still considered a classic album, The Book of ProVerb.
He followed that with the Manuscript in 2006, Write of Passage in 2009, 2012’s FourthWrite and his last project, The Read Tape, in 2015.
Despite the revered body of work, ProVerb says he has nothing to show for it today.
“Other than perhaps a name, a little bit of a brand, things I was able to pivot into, other ventures. That was my biggest takeaway…or that I can walk to the car now and somebody will say, ‘Hey ProVerb, that song of yours, I have a dream that whatever’,” shared ProVerb.
“That’s the best I have to show for my hip-hop efforts because I never thought of it as a business. In fact, not even as a career, either; it was just a passion.”
The former Idols SA host, who also co-produced the reality show, says it became impractical to sustain his rap career, but he still raps, albeit to himself, because the passion remains.
“Even now, it would be a lie to pretend it’s not my passion; it’s not something I think about. If I hear a dope beat in the car, Lemonka, I will break out into a freestyle on my own,” said the now Metro FM DJ.
Focusing on what’s important
He said he came to a crossroads when he looked at his finances—how much he had invested in his music, juxtaposed with the cost of his kids’ education.
“I had just spent a hundred and something odd in buying the masters. I remember trying to exploit it and putting it on digital platforms, and they said to me, ‘You can’t put up any of these songs because a lot of them have samples’,” he said.
His debut album isn’t available on streaming platforms because it requires many clearances for the samples used, which weren’t done at the time of its release.
“That morning, I had gone to get the quote for my kids’ school fees and I remember sitting in the car asking myself, I had just spent a R100 000 odd buying the masters, I’ve just gotten a quote of a R150 000 to re-record this whole thing, my kids fees are about a R100 000 each at that time, and I’m thinking to myself, am I going to pay for something that I’m not likely to make a dime from or am I going to pay for my kids’ school fees?”
“And I tell you Lemonks, that day was the crossroads. That day I made the decision that man, I’m going to pay for my kids’ school fees, and I haven’t been back there since.”
In 2020, ProVerb released a memoir, The Book of ProVerb, which is a title borrowed from his debut album.
He recently released another book, To Health With It, which is a guide to wellness.
This year, he also earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, following his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in 2024.
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