‘Signature’ style for OP Panther’s first album
Matlhaba Morapedi (32) says his love for music started with poetry and writing.
MOKOPANE – OP Panther is a talented hip-hop/rap artist and very few people know that he has already created a signature album of his own.
Morapedi’s love for music started with poetry and writing. He looked at the writing of poems in a different way and converted it into music. He said that music is what he lives for and does not mind going to great lengths for what he loves.
He explains that it took him years to enhance the art of rapping and writing, but at least feels good now that he has started mastering it.
This young artist has performed all around Mokopane to show off his talent and recently released his first album, Signature Mixtape Vol. 1.
“It’s called Signature as a reference to the way I rap and write rhymes. It’ s distinctive and impossible to duplicate just like a signature. I’m unique as an artist. Six of the tracks in the album are in English while the other six are Motswako (mixture of rap lyrics in local languages). I feel like this shows the depth of my rap skills and the extent I’m willing to go to accommodate everyone,” he says.
Musically, he is inspired by Khuli Chana, who he feels has consistent and very sharp lyrics.
His favourite songs on his album that he enjoyed writing the most are Emanyana (Wait a bit), which is about a relationship that has gone sour and a guy who decides to leave because he can’t take it anymore and Show Love, which is about where Morapedi started and what he aims to achieve as an artist. The song asks fans to create room for new artists, to show unconditional love by downloading and paying for the music so that emerging artists can also grow.
OP Panther hasn’t studied music but has always been fond of creative writing. He says that he believes the lyrical state of any rapper shows his state of mind.
He says that with his music there is no rest and that new music will always come to mind and he will definitely create more albums.
“My dream is to see my music reach the four corners of the world, to make people happy, to spark love and hope. I am also reaching out to radio stations to keep an open ear and mind to take a look at my music and put it on air for everyone to listen to.”
His music is available on SoundCloud as well as on his Facebook page, OP Panther.
For more information, he can be contacted at 071 784 2854.
