I’M A RAPPER! Lol, first and foremost, I wanna put that out there so there isn’t confusion cos I do a lot of other things like produce, shoot and edit, mix and master etc but it all starts from the love of rap and bars. Like you probably heard on the Tswyza jawn, I was born in P.E and raised in Joburg, those are actual facts.
I’ve been at this hip hop thing close to 11 years now in one way or another. I used to run a label called Guerilla King Music, we had some pretty dope acts like myself, ASAP Shembe, Thomas Hazey, Daev Martian, Space G, Swish 808, Deenodee, Sizi S, Oblique (RIP), IamMelloBoi/wehMelusi and a few cats around us like Dj Skinniez, Chxrlie Brown/TheFxde… You get my point tho, just a bunch of mad talented, crazy young niggas, and I was part of tryna coordinate all that and figure out how we all make it.
Later on I formed a duo with my partner Marley BloO called The Us (Welcome To The Us). We also did some cool things with that from like 2018 in terms of touring and performing, it was dope. To date The Us has 2 albums out, an EP and over 30 instrumentals released, TV appearances, countrywide shows, it really as a good time pre-COVID lol!
Who or what got you into hip hop?
Who? 50 Cent. I was in like middle of primary school when 50 really started getting TV/Radio famous. 50 was so famous my dad bought me his first couple projects. When I heard Get Rich Or Die Tryin, I wrote my first rhyme later that day. Obviously, saying a whole bunch of bullshit considering what my input was (gangsta rap) but thats really when I figured… “hey, I could probably do this”... Then obviously you dig and discover REALLY good rappers so like MF Doom is a huge inspiration, Roc Marciano, Kool G Rap, later on Tyler’s earlier stuff like Bastard and Goblin, Earl (FOR SURE), Mac Miller (my biggest benchmark since we were the same age, I always wanted to be as good/better than Mac in terms of raps at least) and currently the Griselda guys are cool too.
What is the good and the bad thing about hip hop around your hood?
I’m in the west side of the city homey, aint no rappers really popping from here to be quite honest with you. I wouldn’t even consider myself “popping” if you keeping it a buck, I reside in the underground B. So the bad thing is there’s no real light on cats from this side of the city. The good thing is the people in my city that do fuck wit me do so wholeheartedly and I’ve had the chance to forge some dope connections just by rapping.
Which song made a lot of people to know or love Ta Longz?
Damn, I wouldn’t put this down to a song bro. Ta Longz is a continuation of Daddy Longstem. Under that old alias I have tons of music out. On streaming platforms the numbers are terrible cos I put shit out and didn’t care to let people know then abruptly changed my name and handles (dont ask me why, artists are crazy) but I did that. People know me from my raps bro, both live and on radio. I did have a single called “Manje” that did kinda well (20 plus stations countrywide etc) but it wasn’t really the sound I was tryna have people know me for, if anything I was spoofing how other niggas sound and it turned into a song.
Ta Longz… what’s the story behind this stage name?
LMFAO! Ayt so I started out calling myself Daddy, I kinda felt that way with how things were at GKM, I found myself playing that role of taking care of niggas, its in my personality to care about what I do. So one day, I’m in a studio session with Youngsta CPT (before he blew up and became a mega star) and we were partaking in natural medicinal substances. If you’ve ever smoked homegrown, you’d know sometimes it leaves a long weed stem when you’re done smoking. The first person to ever call me Daddy Longstem was Youngsta on our song “Aweh” and it stuck lmfao. Years went by and I just shortened it to Longz or Ta Longz (respectfully) cos my son Sizi S would call me Longz all the time. Niggaz would could me Vader, Timer, Pa, uBaba and everything else under the sun before I was ever a father, now I am one (lol)
How was the experience being on The Tswyza Show as a Guest?
Incredible! Tswyza is that nigga for real! And I wanna shout out SPeeKA one time! Without me being on SPeeKA’s Sotra Cyphers, Tswyza woulda never found me probably lol! So shout out Tswyza for getting me this interview and shout out SPeeKA for getting me on Tswyza. Isn’t that amazing? Thats hip hop!
What challenges do you have when you are busy dropping freestyles live or in public?
Actually freestyling! That shit is crazy if you think about it, making something from nothing, and my niggaz like BlackAce and Tony Dangler do that shit every Friday at InnerCity Cyphers in Braam like its nothing bro, I once watched nigga rap for 2 hours straight. Thats the kinda shit that inspires a nigga!
Who would you say is the King of Hip hop or The Best Rapper in SA and Why?
In real terms: Me (I have to say this. You are not ACTUALLY rapping better than me, might just be doing something different, but not better. As an MC I stand by it and any nigga can come battle me for it)
In industry terms: Ginger Trill (Now take everything I said above, forget about it and realise that Ginger Trill is actually the best and most probably the most likely person we have who could save this thing of ours if he got all the right opportunities at the right time with the right people. He’s killed everyone this year)
In cypher terms: Tony Dangler (now with everything else considered, you are not getting into a freestyle cypher and rapping better than Tony Dangler. Tony really does this thing of ours and he really loves it, you can tell. He founded Inner City Cyphers just cos he likes rapping so much, its actually crazy! I dont get to pull up as much as I’d like but he is there every single Friday, rapping. How many rapers who claim they are rappers can actually say they have the discipline and passion for this thing of ours just to do that? Crazy right?)
What can we Expect from Ta Longz from now?
Music, videos and probably some shows? I mean thats the formula right? I have tons of music just waiting to come out
Who’s your Celebrity Crush and Why?
I’m in a relationship so I wont answer this respectfully, sa;ute to all the baddies tho keep workin!
Shout Outs
Man shout out everyone I named in this article, shout out Allah even tho I’m Anglican, shout out my son, and most importantly shout his moms and pops you shnow, shout out Oscar the plug and last but not least shout out you niggas for this. It was dope!
