Rapping is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates rhyme, rhythmic speech and street vernacular.
It is performed or chanted in a variety of ways, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment.
Naledzi Mathibe (29) from Lambton is making a name for herself as a female rapper, though that isn’t where her musical journey began.
Originally from Mpumalanga, Naledzi moved to Germiston in 2010 to further her studies.
“I studied fashion at SewAfrica Fashion College before studying credit management at the University of South Africa (Unisa),” she explained.
A year after moving to Germiston, Naledzi’s musical journey began.
“My cousins, Noxolo Nisbande and Thandekile Sibeko, and I started an all-girl trio in 2011. We called ourselves Blak Beaniez,” she explained.
“We wrote and produced our own music.
“But as school started becoming more demanding we disbanded.
“I restarted my career in 2017, after leaving my job and going back to Mpumalanga for a hiatus.”
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However, that isn’t where her passion for entertainment began.
That spark was ignited years before.
“I always knew I wanted to be in the entertainment industry.
“When I was younger, my sisters Nothando and Lizzy and I would pretend to have radio and TV shows when we got back from school.
“When I was in Grade Five I started writing songs,” Naledzi said.
“Then in Grade Seven we took part in an Arbor Day presentation.
“I wrote a song for our group called Mama Africa, and I didn’t want to be the one who did the rap part, but the group forced me to.
“I was so nervous, but the crowd’s reaction was amazing and I decided then and there this is what I wanted to do.”
When asked about her stage name, Naledzi explained she decided to stick with her own name.
“Most people have pseudo names, but I decided to stick to my own name so as not to forget who I am and become an alter ego,” she said.
As a female rapper, Naledzi has faced some challenges along the way.
“Unlike male rappers who seem to easily find friends or find people along the way to work with, I feel it is difficult for female rappers to do the same,” she said.
“This is a concern which other female rappers have agreed with me on.
“Nonetheless, we keep working hard and breaking boundaries.”
In her almost three-year musical career, Naledzi has had the opportunity to have her music played in Botswana, Namibia and Nigeria, which has been a highlight for her.
“I am also lucky enough to have had some international interviews done, which has really made what I am doing worthwhile,” she said.
In the future, Naledzi dreams of producing and writing music for other musicians.
She also wants to create an artist development programme where she can cultivate and groom musicians to reach their full potential.
Her message to other female rappers to encourage them to follow their dreams?
“Without a clear idea of what you want to do as a musician you will not get very far,” she said.
“Also, get into the habit of searching the internet for articles, books and blogs on the music industry because knowledge is definitely the key to everything you want to pursue in life.”
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Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za, Leigh Hodgson (News Editor) leighh@caxton.co.za or Busi Vilakazi (Journalist) busiv@caxton.co.za.
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