Producer, songwriter, performing artist, Jack Daniel’s Scout 2015 and 011 Joburg awards competition finalist, Thabiso Mkizhe, prefers being called Thabzero.
“People often ask why I call myself Thabzero. I came up with the name when I was still a troublesome teenager who people thought will end up in jail or useless in life. That is when I combined Thabiso and zero and came up with Thabzero,” he said.
Growing up in the township of Umlazi in Durban was a bumpy ride for Thabzero.
“I was raised by my grandmother and my single mother,” he revealed. He stated with great pride that his family did everything they could to give him the best childhood.
“They taught me to work hard for what I wanted and not to spend money carelessly,” he said.
Thabiso matriculated in 2007 before relocating to Eldorado Park to study sound engineering at the Academy of Sound. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, he was not able to complete his diploma and ended up going back to KwaZulu-Natal to work as a petrol attendant.
The unforeseen turn of events left him feeling defeated for a while, but all through the part-time jobs, he ended up taking here and there over a few years, he never forgot his dream.
Thabiso lost his mother in 2012 and he credits music as being the only thing that could heal him. The artist wrote a song titled ‘Mama Wam’ dedicated to his late mother, he released the music video on Mother’s Day.
Every minute outside of his job is dedicated to his craft, with a mixture of Kasi Rap and a lot of soul. Thabzero’s music is motivational and speaks about the trials and tribulations of everyday life – something his fans can relate to.
As a rapper, he is aware of the value of making his mark and his clever lyrics are bursting with puns, metaphors and punch lines. He draws inspiration from local artists such as Proverb, Pro and Skwatta Kamp.
His well rounded and diversified sound makes his music appealing to both urban as well as Kasi hip hop communities. Thabzero has been nominated for Best Rap Artist of the Year. SMS 011 Thabsero to 35029. SMS cost R3.
