A music producer of a different kind has come to surface in South Africa’s music industry.
“I’m a hip-hop artist, but not limited to just that genre. As a producer, I explore many other genres, but hip-hop is my main genre,” said Junior ‘CJ Haiku’ Kalwandu, an independent rap artist based in Kensington who is also from a collective known as Mapped Out Squad.
The aspiring superstar started making music at the age of 17, but began rapping at 14 with his little brother, who was 12 at the time.
CJ Haiku even wrote comic books at the age of nine, so storytelling comes naturally to him. After nailing the art of telling a story, he found inspiration in the sounds of some famous musicians on the global stage.
“My passion for music came from listening to Kanye West, at 14, and trying to sound like him on songs. I thought he was the coolest guy ever. I would listen to every song repeatedly. As I progressed with the music, I found ways to create my own style, but kept that Kanye West influence there.”
Now he has released his very own album and is confident about the content, which means so much to him. “Rori is my little sister’s name, she was born last year. So that title meant a lot to me and helped me in knowing where I want to take this project. It’s an EP [short album] that not only helps me share my struggles with the world, but also tackles everyday life scenarios that affect young black males in a good and bad way.
“The EP was inspired by what I was going through at that stage in my life, much of the songs on the project come from past high school experience to current things that I face now. Basically, this EP was a way for me to share my coming of age as a young male adult in the big city.”
Already having appeared on the TV show, The Coke Studio, where he was able to collaborate with other artists on a massive platform, he is excited about the future. “I’m just here to create a new era of South African hip-hop, along with my team the Mapped Out Squad, and I believe when the people hear more from us they’ll know we mean business. It’s honest music that we put out.”
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