Interview with Mojeaux The Anti - Friday Feature

Who is the man behind Sunsets and where is he from?

Mojeaux: My name is Ngwato Mamiane, but for the purpose of this journey you can call me Mojeaux. I'm from a small town in Bushbickridge Mpumalanga called Green Valley.

How long have you been doing music for and what is your relationship with it?

Mojeaux: I'd say my whole life but I've been consciously making it for 8 years. It is my solace, peace and refuge.

You've mentioned that you don't fancy being referred to as a rapper, why is that and how would you "define" yourself?

Mojeaux: Rap is my medium so I suppose I am a "rapper". The relationship I have with my work and what I do feels like so much more than what being a rapper entails. Not quite sure what to call myself but I'm a problem, the good kind.

And do you feel that artists should put more emphasis on "defining" themselves or rather let their art and their work speak for them and therefor defying them, (considering the many stereotypes that come with being an unorthodox creative)?

Mojeaux: I believe artists should define themselves. Some terms are restrictive or misleading.

With the many transitions that music is going through and the revolutionary complexity of genres, how would you describe your music?

Mojeaux: Hmmm there's a lot of "Me" in what I make, with slight flashes of "Society". It's like my favourite sauce mixed with society's favourite sauce in the form of sound.

Do you feel that there is recognistion for alternative and independent music in S.A.?

Mojeaux: Yeah, actually not that much. It's very hard because most don't even call my music alternative, they call me "underground", which is far off. But yeah, we could do with a little more love.

What inspired the mixtape and what motivated you to drop it now, how long had you been working on it?
Is this the first of many more?

Mojeaux: Losing my Granddad got to me, surprisingly in a good way. I found a creative way to grieve. So yeah, my Granddad inspired it, especially because he was a priest and my role model, so I found myself conflicted knowing that I could never come close to his level of divinity due to the way I live. Grappling with that helped me turn my flaws into gold. The songs on the tape were all recorded between last year and a week ago.

Talk to us more about the music video for Sunset Gospel. The amount of chill in that video is exciting. Who's behind the camera etc.?

Mojeaux: Right?!! mad chill for days. ArkahKing and I were just ourselves and we didn't want to emulate an idea which is not us. It all happened naturally; even the shots were made up at that moment. It was shot by Uria Simango. Good man.

The song Holy Water is one of our favourites from the tape. It features the lovely Ms Phiwe. Who is behind that particular beat and who's on ALL the beats?

Mojeaux: Funny thing about that song is it almost didn't make the tape because I couldn't write a verse for it until a day before the tape dropped. The beat is by a guy named Derrick Thomas. The other beats are from various producers I found online.

Your work ethic is one to be reckoned with, there wasn't much hype around your mixtape, one just had to be on the lookout for it. Are you genuinely aloof?

Mojeaux: Hype is good, it means your product will reach more people, but the product needs to be worth the hype. I had no hype; did I deliver something that deserves hype? You decide

Hahahaha yeah, I rate I am. I'm working on it though.

And as far as work ethic is concerned how important is it for creatives to focus on the product rather than the hype? Is it a matter of preference or character to pull rabbits out the hat; to keep people in suspense?

Mojeaux: I think it's just my character. I've been spontaneous from the jump, but now the spontaneity is bringing positive outcomes.

The Bohemians is an event's management company that you're currently a part of, should we expect more from that?

Mojeaux: Yes!!! Expect so much more from it. This movement is by artists for artists and we're building a network of people who own the future.