Mthizo is a Rapper, Songwriter and Composer from Zola, Soweto. “I just love making Music” ~ He says
Who or what got you into Hip hop?
Kabelo and Keabetswe, My Cousins from Meadowlands. I used to visit them during School holidays and at that time I was attending at a local School and they were at a multiracial, so they were already consumers of hiphop and would introduce me to different kinds of artists.
What is the good and the bad thing about hip hop around your hood?
The good thing about hip hop is that it is very informative. Music is a go to medium of information for young people and that alone possesses the power to influence them positively. The bad thing is that we fall under a sub genre called Kasi Rap which is sorely considered as underground and deemed not marketable by industry leaders because it’s raw, forgetting that it speaks directly to your layman or ordinary black South African, so that comes with a lot of struggle for the artist as there is little to no monetary value to sustain the artist/culture.
What made a lot of people to know or love Mthizo?
I am just unavoidably good lol. Yeah that, and I guess how I always push myself to the limit to try and be versatile as possible because even with us being “kasi rap” and all, I’m always pushing to be heard by everyone. They just don’t make them like me anymore, I’m unique.
Mthizo… what’s the story behind this stage name?
It’s simply a nickname you get for your real name ekasi. For example, Jabulani would automatically be Sjava or Javas. I’m Themba so that would make me Mthimbana or Mthizozo so I went for Mthizo because I wanted to be authentic, I mean just by intro, you already have an idea of the kind of person I am or where I come from.
How was the experience winning the 10K challenge by Back to the Cuty Festival?
It means a lot! I mean, it’s ten thousand rands lol. But really, it’s an achievement because it’s a segment of the biggest Hip-Hop festival in Africa and with winning I got to be one of the many names to look out for and also that the accolade will be written in history books, it really feels amazing. Getting rewarded for what you’re passionate about and what you’ve been working hard for, couldn’t feel less than great.
What Challenges have you had while you were preparing for the 10K Challenge?
Honestly, none! I was ready to kill anything and everything that was in my way. I could feel that I have everything that I need in me. No better way to explain than that I almost got disqualified for going AWOL after a short break in the competition. When we had those breaks, others would stay out and maybe rehearse or stress and whatever. Me on the other hand, I would just go to the other side and watch performances on the main stage, easy.
Before and after Winning the 10K Challenge, how has your life changed?
What I love about it most is the recognition from people who would not even look at me twice before and some of those are names that hold weight in the industry. So it opened a lot of doors for my career, a real stepping stone.
If they say you had an opportunity to work with One great Rapper in the World… who would you go for and why?
Honestly the thought hasn’t crossed my mind yet. I believe those that are best, when they happen organically or when I’m working on a song and I suddenly get the feeling that actually so and so would sound good on this.
What can we Expect from Mthizo from now?
More music of course, more content because ya that seems to be the key these days so I guess that’s where I’ll be focusing more on.
Who is your Celebrity Crush?
Lol I’m a married man
Shout Outs
Shout out to everybody that’s riding for SA Hip Hop. Shoutout to everyone that’s ever given me a shot, everyone that’s been rooting for me. Last but not least, shoutout to my team. Thank you!
