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Kwesta Africa Now
South African hip-hop star Kwesta joins Nandi Madida via FaceTime on Apple Music 1 to talk about his latest single, “Joy (feat. Nkosazana Daughter).” He also discusses his forthcoming album, ‘The Big Bro Theory,’ why he loves collaborating, how education systems can embrace creativity, and his musical evolution.
This Week’s Hottest New Tracks
Nandi Madida shares the hottest new African tracks of the moment. This week’s selection includes new tracks from Olamide & Wizkid, Simmy & Jnr SA, Kold AF feat Prettyboy D-O, De Mthuda feat. Zawadi Yamungu & Sipho Magudulela, and Simi & Kizz Daniel.
Tune in and listen to the full episode this Friday, May 2nd at 9a Lagos/London / 10a Johannesburg/Paris / 1a LA / 4a NYC on Apple Music 1 at apple.co/_AfricaNow and broadcast on YFM Accra every Sunday at 2pm, YFM Kumasi on Saturdays at 3pm and YFM Takoradi on Saturdays at 6pm.
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Kwesta Tells Apple Music About His Journey as an MC
In the early days, I didn’t not care too much about the songs. I just wanted them to hear me rap. I come from an inspiration of ProKid (rest in peace) and ProVerb. They were about bars! It was only later that I understood that they also make really amazing songs that are smash hits. Balancing that out has pretty much been the story of my entire career. I came in wanting everyone to know that I’m dope—now, I want everyone to appreciate the music too.
Kwesta Tells Apple Music About Embracing Creativity Within the School System
I can only urge the schools to try and [be] a bit more accommodating to the creative child or the child who has slightly different interests. It’s not like we’re producing robots here. It’s human beings. We’re developing human beings that want to excel, that want to feel a certain freedom in whatever they do, and that want a joy and a happiness in whatever field that they choose. If a school doesn’t provide that, then they often don’t have any option [but] to be seen as delinquent. I think that is something we need to fix. It has nothing to do with how I feel about the importance of education in general.
Kwesta Tells Apple Music About Naming His New Album ‘The Big Bro Theory’
I’ve had a good 18 years of being able to see things that happened in and within the industry, that influenced me, and have shaped the country’s sound. Every artist wants to feel like they just came out yesterday. Everyone wants to feel like, “Yo, I still got a hundred years in front of me.” Which is good. Everyone wants to feel young, but in reality, there was a point where I couldn’t stop everyone from calling me “big bro.” I tried—I was in denial. In reality, I’d been here 12 years, 15 years, and to those artists, that’s just what I am. “Big bro” is a small role in a family tree, but it’s very significant, because it’s like the closest older person that you have.
Kwesta Tells Apple Music About His Goal With His New Album, ‘The Big Bro Theory’
It’s a contribution more than anything. It’s not one of those albums where it’s too personal, and you feel like you’re just listening to your therapist, and I’m just a guy complaining. I don’t want that. I really want people to enjoy the music, while I’m trying my best to put it out creatively, and be honest in my output. I didn’t approach this music as therapy, I wanted it to be enjoyed—and if it does work as that for another person, that is unbelievable! But it is not what I made it for. I wanted other people to enjoy it more than anything.
Kwesta Tells Apple Music About His Track, “Joy (Feat. Nkosazana Daughter)”
When I started looking at myself and looking at the game, I saw that maybe the game needs a bit more joy. And then also myself, I need to put myself in situations where I am closer to joy than further. Chasing joy is not just a song, it’s a thing that I try and do in real life, every day [when] I wake up. I think that comes with age and with time. I feel like it’s a needed sort of project to take on as a big bro. I’m here maybe unintentionally, but I’m embracing the fact that I see that I am needed, one way or another, in this position—so I’m promising that in musical form, and also setting examples in my personal life.
Kwesta Tells Apple Music About His Love for Collaborating With Other Artists
I’m very big on collaborations, which is not a very common thing in rap. When it happens, it’s always monumental and unbelievable, because of the competitive nature of it. I run towards collaboration, man. I like picking from artists, and getting artists to pick stuff from me, and just us creating something together that didn’t exist before we were in that one room. It’s always like, a feeling that never gets old for me.
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