Sipho Mnguni is An upcoming artist from Johannesburg who always dreamed of becoming a musician and sharing his sounds with music lovers. He pursued his music career at age 21 while enrolled to do his first-year studies in multi-media at Boston Media House.
In 2016, Mnguni dropped out of school due to lack of funding. It was during this period where he found himself in the darkest place, which pushed him to find an alternative hiding spot. His calling to make music kept him going, and he responded. Mnguni started out using borrowed equipment and learned how to make beats, before long he had started cooking up his music. In 2018 Mnguni released his first single titled “Broken Up”
Who or What got you into Hip hop?
My late cousin Khaya Nkabinde introduced me to Hip Hop. The very first Hip Hop album we religiously listen to after school was Dr. Dre's Chronic 2001. The production of that album was amazing and ispired me later on to make my own beats.
If you were not into Hip hop, what would you be doing?
I'd probably be a scriptwriter, or a director mainly because I've toyed around with both roles and I've found that I'm actually good in those fields but, i can never spend too much time away from music because that's my first love.
What is the best and the worst thing about Hip hop according to your experiences?
The best thing about Hip Hop is that there's a lot of variety and sub-genres of the art form. The worst part of it is that a lot of guys in Hip Hop follow trends (maybe a little too much) and they tend to sound the same. Only a few are truly original.
How is the Response from Family and Friends towards your music journey?
My friends are obviously more supportive than my family. My family will only understand my vision when the money starts to come in but for now, they just see it as a hobby.
What is the motive behind most of your writings?
I talk about things that happen in my life and my views on the world, so the listener gets a glimpse of what it's like to be me. True songwriting seems to be a lost art form nowadays, especially when most of the guys in Hip Hop usually talk about the same things.
What can the fans expect from your coming single?
The fans will get something unusual or unexpected in my forthcoming single, its about falling in love and the mistakes people make when they meet their potential partner- which is obviously uncommon in this day and age.
What is the story behind your stage name?
7. My stage name is actually my government name- my real name- Sipho Mnguni. The reasoning behind this is because, why does Kendrick Lamar or Jaden Smith sound normal? I'm African, so it should be okay to use my own name, right? I figured if the music is good, people will accept my name. And for non-English speaking people, they'll have to learn how to pronounce my name... It's really not that hard.
How was the response from your Previous hit?
The response was lukewarm, mainly because i had just started releasing music and wasn't fully confident in my sound. I love trying out new things but now i feel I've grown more into my style so we'll see what happens.
What do you think is the problem with Upcoming Rappers not getting breakthrough in the Hip hop game?
There's no problem with that actually, people will always gravitate to what's dope you know? So they should work harder, if they keep at it- their time will definitely come.
What are the wise words that keep you going as an Artist?
Be yourself, stay working and always aim to think outside the box because the game is so competitive and people will know when you're just riding other people's wave you know? You'll never lose if you stay unique.
Shout Outs
I'd like to send a shout out to the all the upcomers out there, and obviously my team Luyanda, Young Tchix and Varo.
