New kid on Hip Hop's block

2004-02-19 13:20

Thandee N'wa Mhangwana

Giyani - Barefoot and relaxed, with a neatly combed afro, Villain-aka-Native is one rising star who has kept his feet firmly on the ground.

The 18-year-old from Giyani in Limpopo is the new kid on the Hip Hop block, but his music is fast gaining popularity because he's true to his roots and sings in Tsonga slang.

"When I sing Tsonga slang, I feel like I'm representing, speaking and addressing issues in a lingo people around me understand," he says. "I also feel like I am uplifting my culture."

He launched his album, Native Tongue, in what turned out to be one of Giyani's biggest events during Christmas last year, and is already turning heads on the streets.

"My CD is not out yet, but people I don't even know come to me and say they like my music and ask where they can get copies," he says.

"I must admit, it feels good to be famous," he adds, somewhat shyly.

Villain-aka-Native was born Amukelani N'wankoti, but chose the double-barrelled name to represent his mission.

"Villain represents the controversial side, the side that says it like it is, while Native represents the heir, the indigenous, the one who's been here and is here to stay," he explains.

He writes his own songs, saying he draws inspiration from his life experiences.

He was bitten by the Hip Hop bug when he was just nine, even though it was unusual music to his peers who preferred South African kwaito to American rap.

He didn't find his preference strange because all his life he had felt like the odd one out anyway.

"Everything I did was different. From a young age I never hung around with people my own age. I felt like they couldn't feed my curiosity."

He had his big break with the record company Virgin Child Productions last year.

His producer, Richard Hlungwane, says: "This guy bugged me all the time saying he could rap but didn't have the money to cut a demo, and eventually I gave him a try and the rest is history."

Villain-aka-Native is currently studying a four-year General Management course at Pretoria Technikon and hopes to become a music entrepreneur.

"I hope to own my own record label one day and my scouting will begin right here in Giyani because there is a lot of talent here," he says. "But for now I still enjoy the vibe and ecstasy I feel when I perform in front of a live crowd."

- African Eye