Interview with Music Man Moga Jazzkid - Friday Feature

Mncedisi Mvuka or Moga Jazzkid was born and raised in Bekkersdal until the age of 8. When he moved to Mohlakeng with his siblings and parents, it was there where he later discovered his love for Hip Hop. It was only until Grade 4 that he got a taste of Hip Hop when a friend introduced him to Tupac Shukur's Life Goes On and Nortorious BIG's More Money More Problems - this then became the catalyst to his career where he would perform the more popular songs at school concerts, and writing his own lyrics where he went by the name Mettle. Typically, in his struggle to find an identity, Moga would subsequently change his aliases, eventually landing on CatMoga. It was by this time that he became a self-proclaimed Producer, Songwriter and Rapper. He is also one third of a music and art movement called Ban'kok. We had a little chat with the cat! And here's what he had to say.

RVL: When did you first fall in love with Hip Hop?

I was introduced to Hip Hop in primary school by a good friend of mine, Tshepo Mosimane, and carried out my curiosity about it all the way through into high school. It was only after I saw music videos by Gangstarr (Guru & DJ Premier) that I fell in love with Hip Hop and I started writing my own raps.

RVL: Describe your genre of music.

I draw influences and inspiration from a lot of artists and that helps me with my approach to different production styles. I like a blend of Hip Hop, Jazz, Neo Soul and Lounge when it comes to my music. I love telling stories, so the sound I’m writing for has to accommodate the space I am in at that time. Some of my favourite artists include Slum Village, Little Brother, Little Dragon, Dwele, Peven Everett, Samthing Soweto and The Layders amongst a long list of others. That makes for interesting discoveries when creating new material.  

RVL: The 90s played a big role for a lot of artists musically and fashionably. Describe your relationship with music in relation to the 90s.

I believe there was something special in the air during the 90’s. As a country we were transitioning from political unrest to Kwaito superstars and at the same time there was a very healthy dose of conscious Hip Hop that we were exposed to right at the beginning of experiencing the music. I was oblivious to a lot of it because the love hadn’t hit me yet. It was only in the late 90’s and early 2000s that my ears started opening up and I started to listen more to understand what the people were saying in their lyrics and how it made me feel and think when a song played.  

The spirit of the 90s will forever be part of global music history; it gave us albums we’re still learning from 16 years after the millennium bug. I think maybe the excitement or anxiety of reaching a century climax influenced the output of artists everywhere. There were fashion trends, new technology, boundaries were being pushed and that gave us experiences we are fortunate to have documented through the recordings of our favourite songs and movies from that era.

The Golden Era of Hip Hop was the 90s, evident in how we still cling on to the memories by making reference to back then when a conversation about real Hip Hop comes up. For me it holds the guidelines to balancing your willingness to grow and your obligation to your community and supporters as you become successful, because the lyrics that were written back then were aimed at uplifting the listener. I want to continue doing that, putting substance in the forefront with every creation.

RVL: Love that! - As a young lad, between the years 1994 and 1998 you moved from Bekkersdal to Mohlakeng due to political unrest. What influences did you draw from the changes; creatively and politically?

Moving wasn’t easy for me, I was leaving behind a life I’ve always known in Bekkersdal. We couldn’t find a school to take me because we had moved at a time when the school year was a month or so in if memory serves me right. When we eventually did find one I was in a class with my cousin, and that made it easier for me to settle into my new situation. But I also had to learn to settle into the new township as well, making new friends. Luckily I was surrounded by family so I was never short of happy times.

Having moved when I was still young I only started getting into my creative abilities years later in Mohlakeng and I would meet my now long term friends who are also artists because the Hip Hop scene wasn’t big then, everybody knew everybody else who either raps, beat boxes or does graffiti.  Through those connections we were linked to people outside our township which broadened our horizons and made us feel that we weren’t alone as much as we were misunderstood in our communities prior to what Hip Hop is like today.

These changes taught me that life keeps moving, anything can change and will change somehow, things won’t stay the same and you need to make the best of every situation, though the latter is being hammered in with my current experiences in my late 20s. Creatively I draw from the memories I have of my childhood in Bekkersdal, the contrast between the two townships and how I see the past in my mind is how I formulate my music, I was moulded here. 

I can only talk about what I know. We have a beautiful history and a beautiful community. I want to create music that speaks to them and about them. Politically it’s more peaceful than it was when I was younger, those were violent times. There were clashes between the community and the police. The community itself had an internal war because of cultural differences. Things are much easier now.

RVL: You describe yourself as A Man of Great Abilities, a child and student of jazz who gave birth to hip hop. Take us through that experience.

Man of Great Ability is basically an affirmation of the spirit I carry within me. I believe I am destined for great things, so is each one of us if we truly believe it. The name serves to remind me of this whenever I lose my way and start to wonder about my path and the challenges that come with it. 

As I'm learning to create more in line with where I am in life I'm starting to realize that there’s a lot I don’t know and still have to learn about. Jazz music has a huge influence in the birth of Hip Hop, how could I deny the parent. A lot of the music we cherish in many different genres was influenced by Jazz. 

Many of the classic Hip Hop samples came from Jazz records, there’s so many of them that one cannot possibly know every song, so for as long as I love Hip Hop, class will always be in session. The aesthetic I'm chasing is musical. I want it to be appreciated by different generations. The music has to be accessible, it might not be as accessible as I would think it to be yet, but I'm a work in progress.

RVL: What does revolution mean to you?

Revolution to me means true freedom, the freedom to be human and dignified. To be respected. To be able to care for family in an environment that gives opportunity for success for each person living in that society. It also means progress in the fight for equal rights for people.

     RVL: As an independent artist, what are your thoughts regarding bridging collaborative minds to create a bigger picture?

The way I see it is, if I’m an artist sitting on a fan base of say 250 people and I meet another artist sitting on the same number we have 500 people watching and listening if we start working together because supporters will continue supporting as long as they see that you continue working; also to avoid sounding like a broken record one needs to collaborate in order to be challenged into finding alternative means to progress. The lessons you take from the collaboration will remain with you way after your work has been published. It makes for new experiences too for those that appreciate your work.

RVL: Very few people know about or have heard about The Ban'kok, tell us about the movement and your role in the movement.

After the forced dismantling of a crew I was in, I spent some time finding myself as a solo act. I wrote some songs and performed a lot at different sessions until I felt like I had hit a ceiling in my creativity. The next step for me was to start a new project that would serve as vehicle for a new approach I was yearning for. Botlhale Alter Ego Masokoane and I had a conversation where I expressed my intention to start a band - I was looking for instrumentalists at the time. He similarly wanted to start a band and we decided to combine our efforts. Soon after that we heard about the return of a great producer from Mohlakeng, Brian Beatz, who used to drop off beats at some of the sessions I was a part of organizing for cats to rap to. We paid him a visit and asked him if he was interested in being exclusive music director on this new project we were starting and he jumped on board under terms that we would see it through.

Initially starting with about 8 members, that number would crumble down to 3 in a matter of months leaving myself (raps), Alter Ego (raps) and Jequee Mahru (vocals) with production by Brian Beatz. We created great music in the process because we did not limit ourselves to one genre. We ended up hosting one of the most successful events at the time, The Ban’kok Sundays.

Vusi Ngxande offered to handle branding for us and that put us forward as a force to be reckoned with, that coupled with the sound Brian created and our willingness to go into unknown territories made it possible for us to shoot “The Ban’kok Epsiodes” a 3 part documentary shot by Vus Ngxande that profiles the crew and what we do. A great influence on our musical direction is The Foreign Exchange. 

We also delved into traditional music influences that spawned “Buyela Ekhaya”, a single that proved to be somewhat of an underground breakthrough for us and made it possible for people who wouldn’t normally check for us to sit up and listen. We have a music video for a song titled “Change” on youtube. We are currently on somewhat of a hiatus but we have recently been getting love from overseas off of Buyela Ekhaya so that might push us to getting back into the swing of things.

RVL: Talk to us about your debut EP, Lip of Faith: What is it about? What motivated it? How many tracks can people expect? Who's on the beats, which produced it?

The title is a play on leap of faith, but because as a lyricist my instrument is my lips I use that as means to making that leap toward the things I want in my life. I wanted to explore how we use our words in the music we make, the implications they have in bringing us failure or success depending on our execution of the conversation we as artists have with ourselves in the studio and the people that subsequently receive an invite into the conversation and use our words to examine themselves because art is supposed to provoke something in the recipient. 

It was also a leap of faith because I had just come off the success and challenges of The Ban’kok and I was transitioning back into the realm of the solo artist, where everything depended solely on the strength of my lyrics as a rapper for success to be possible. Now it was back to the drawing board, looking for new producers to work with. There’s no band mate support structure as well and wanting to show a maturity in the music while keeping my cool under pressure. It was fun kodwa, I would do it again in heartbeat. God came through in a major way for me on this one. I hope the people will love it. Expect 9 tracks with production from myself, BeaTsOul, Slam Tactics, Mo’Touch, RIBZ and Sabz.

RVL: Do you think musicians nowadays give themselves time to study the history of their craft, or do you think they rely solely on natural talent, and is it a case of accessibility would you say?

Some do give time to studying and you can tell in the execution of their craft. The learning process is an everyday thing for as long as you’re still willing to create, but your history is very important in understanding the discipline it takes to be successful. It makes you appreciate the fact that you are now carrying the torch and will someday pass it on to the next bearer to make good of the foundations built in order for you to exist. At some point though as a creative one needs the space to just be and innovate, blaze a new path.

  

RVL: How important is it for women to unite in the Hip Hop industry?

It is very important for women to unite in the industry and show a different side to what is currently the norm when it comes to the portrayal of women in the current state of Hip Hop. A few men can stand up for women by making songs of endearment without the use of profane language that makes our mothers cringe when these songs are played but ultimately if women don’t take the respect by force it will never be handed over. 

It’s very refreshing to see a woman rapping as opposed to the male dominated cyphers we usually find ourselves in. Even the perspective is different as far as lyricism goes. Young ladies need to see less booty shaking and higher mental vibrations on the videos, female rappers should give them that light. It’s important for the culture as well as far as teaching young men to not see women only as sex objects.

RVL: What do you feel you represent in your music within the South African hip hop        landscape and what do you aim to teach?

I feel I represent the love for good, honest music. I aim to teach trust in ones abilities and a total trust in the product you create despite what is the industry trend, but also that you can balance. And just because you’re considered conscious because of the contents of your lyrics it doesn't mean you should shy away from talking about your need for financial gain. How you gon’ put food on the table? It’s not all about the money kodwa?

RVL: Where do you see your music going as far as travel is concerned?

I would like to be part of the roster in the major music festivals of the world. I think I'm on my way to making that a possibility, God Willing. I would like to travel around the world and experience for myself what my music means for somebody across the globe who hasn't been to my community but finds a sense of familiarity with what I'm talking about in my music. I would like to also visit countries that have a great musical heritage to see how people there care for theirs in order to come back and implement the lessons in the revitalization process for the love and support of our music as South Africans. But before all of that I want to see for myself what success in my country feels like when the people open up their hearts and embrace you as their own and show you support as you tell their stories through the music.

Twitter: @Moga_Jazzkid

Facebook: Moga Jazzkid

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Bookings: mogamvuka@gmail.com

Twitter: @TheBankok

Facebook: The Ban’kok and The Ban’kok Music

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© Revolution Validates Life 2016