Jaykay chats about music and making moves
"I learned early on that music is a form of art that enables musicians to convey messages, entertain, comfort, and educate at the same time."
LIMPOPO – The music scene is constantly evolving and if you don’t adapt your approach, you will be left behind.
This sentiment is shared my many in the industry, including Limpopo’s Jackson Tshepo Phogole, aka Jaykay, from Mphanama village. According to this hip hop musician, the definition of South African hip hop is constantly changing.
His love for music started in 2008 when he saw the hip hop crew, Mysterious Survivors, performing at Makelepeng High School and this was the start of his love for hip hop.
“In 2010 Terrance Officious Masemola, introduced me to the industry and I have never looked back. I did my first song with Veno, called Am from Limpopo, the song was unsuccessful due to poor quality. From there Officious and I dropped a lot of mix tapes because he was producing beats. I worked with Glowzay in 2013 and we recorded about 10 tracks in a period of a month or more and didn’t complete the whole project because we knew how a rushed album sounds. As Glowzay said, at least it was practice,” Jaykay said.
He finished high school in 2014 so took a break from music in that year. He then decided that he was going to achieve his goal, which is to release more music for Jaynation.
“After school I decided to follow my music career but was struggling to find a recording studio as I had relocated to Pretoria. A few months later I met Nasty Dawgh, who is lyrically a killer beast, producer, beat maker, sound engineer, as well as my mentor. The thing that motivates me and keeps me going is the love and support that I get from Jaynation,” he said.
“I grew up listening to a variety of music. I learned early on that music is a form of art that enables musicians to convey messages, entertain, comfort, and educate at the same time.”
He added that his family is very supportive, especially his mother.
“I remember last year when I was going to perform at the Mr and Miss Ledep beauty contest, she told me not to forget to perform the tracks called Mama you’re the best and Fizzy Chic, and I thought wow, my mother knows my songs. I won’t allow fame to change me, I am still that young boy who grew up on the streets of Mphanama. The challenge I encounter as a rapper is that most people compare me with other rappers around my hood, so I decided that I would not listen to them, I have to do what I love,” he explained.
