Leon Simphiwe Ndlovu, also known by his stage name Teddy Flows is a 17-year-old musician from Homelake.

“I could say that I am one of the finest and determined artists because my sound is super different. I believe that I bring soothing and perplexing flows in my songs. I’m also known for doing mosh pits at my performances and letting people go crazy.”

Leon said his love of music started developing when he was three years old.

His parents bought him CDs of famous artists like Michael Jackson, Ringo Mandlingo and many more, and when he watched their live concerts he picture himself as them. At the age of eight he began playing drums and the piano at his parents’ church.

In my primary-school years I found my passion for hip hop and started rapping. My friends and I could record songs using two phones – one was playing the beat and the other was recording. After recording we let our school mates listen to it. The quality was really bad but hey, they loved it!”

When he turned 14 in Grade 8 he recorded his first studio single.

“People loved it and I got my first stage performance because of that song. Since then I recorded many other songs. At 15, when I was in Grade 9, I got my first radio interview and it was the first time my music was ever played on radio.

“At first my parents didn’t like the fact that I did hip hop, but later they started supporting me because they saw that I really loved music. I was on the highway to success.”

In Grade 10, when he was 16, he got an interview at Sportscene.

“I really thank God for his blessing upon me because my career is doing well because of him. My ambitions are that I want to be one of the world’s biggest artists. I’m going to make sure I put the West on the map!

I want to show other kids all around the world that the sky is not the limit, the sky is just the beginning. You should keep pushing, even when they tell you that you cannot win. Turn that negative statement into something positive. People should always know that earning a salary at a young age should be normal.”

Currently, Leon is planning on working with many brands and companies as he continues to grow in the industry. He is also working on his latest single Energy (Prod: Bouzer) to go live on all digital platforms on Friday, 28 August.

Check out Leon’s work on Instagram: @teddyflows_universe.