Interview With Multi Award Winner Morale
Award winning rapper Morale has been in the music industry and the music business since blowing up. The Neo Shanty boss signed himself under his own label and went on to win several awards. We got the opportunity to chat with the legend about his career and his perspective on the game. This is what he had to say:
Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like?
I grew up in Zone 1 Meadowlands, Soweto. My parents sent me to boarding schools cause they were busy hustling to build a future for the fam. Life was split between two worlds for me. The one was the township life and the other was the Model C Life in white neighborhoods and having multi racial friends. Hip Hop for me seemed to balance both worlds. At some point in my life my folks stopped sending me to boarding schools and my dad dropped me off at school and fetched me. On our way he blazed classic music and that’s where my love for music began. In high school I had to catch taxis & the bus to school and I would join cyphers in town in Ghandi square before and after school. The cultiure and life of local hip hop started there.
What are you working on?
I’m in the process of mixing and mastering my new album “Only Gotta Lifetime” due to drop in October or early next year latest. In the beginning of the year I dropped my single Lotto that got me the biggest tv score music deal of my life. My song Lotto is now the theme music for the national lottery show on Wednesdays and Saturdays on SABC2 at 9pm. I will be producing a future game show that will be on tv because of the deal I got with the national lottery. God is great.
I’m preping to shoot the music video for “Year On Fire” early September. Dropping it in September and end of October I’m droppping my december single ‘Monate’ produced by Sam Magic.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I draw my inspiration from the culuture of hip hop, I live, dress and speak the the culture. Life in its own is inspiring. Listening to other artists and constantly bettering myself inspires me.
You are more poetic with your raps as compared to most of the Hip Hop in the mainstream today. How long does it take you to pen a song and what’s your creative process like.
Well that’s what rap to me. Rap is beats and poetry. Painting a very intimate picture with words. As a rapper you a director of your own movie that you will put together with words , flows and metaphors in a song. When the audience hears it they should be drawn in. The listeners should understand you and feel the emotions you go through and understand your life’s perspective.
If I feel a beat I can write the whole song same day. I usually write and rewrite. I wrote Lotto but my lyrics were too hard for the beat and I had to re write the lyrics so they flowed with the beat. I had to dumb down to actually follow on that beat. It took me a day to write each verse. I also had to re write my verse for “Year On Fire”. I re wrote it and then Maggz came and laced his verse, Reason was the last to record his verse.
The beat to a song needs to speak to me and there after God just tells me what to write and I write. I hate repeating same ideas or concepts. I go thorugh phases were I feel like going deep or sometimes I wanna be simple and all about good vibes. I try picture the video of the song I’m writing and the performance and how the audience would react. That gives me guidelines on execution.
What made you decide to start your own label instead of trying to get signed to a major?
I had no choice the record labels weren’t trying to hear our story at the time. They didn’t believe in SA rap, and they weren’t trying to record us. So we put home studios together and learnt on our own to record and mix our own songs. We learnt how to press our own cds, get radio spins and shoot music videos by our selves. Once you get to that point you actually realize that you are not only an artist but a record exec, CEO, producer, manager and a record label.
We know you are pushing Neo Shanty as a group aswell. What made you take that path and what do you plan on achieving with it?
Neo Shanty is my record label and company. I wanted to introduce new talent and also pass my knowledge to the next generation. I feel its time I give back and be a part of the industry that I’ve spent most of my career trying to grasp. Neo Shanty is the future and it will give birth to many other talents.
What are your thoughts on the current state of Hip Hop and what do you think could be done better?
I’m loving the state of SA Hip Hop and I’m thrilled that this moment is here when local hip hop is the biggest genre in the country. We used to dream about these times and they are finally here.
What I don’t like is when media channels show napotism and favoritism to certain camps in the bizz. When certain artists get first preference over others and good talent goes unnoticed. Tired of the same two cats getting first preference cause they’re family works for SABC or their manager owns shares in a music channel. We also have people who compile/play the music on tv and radio acting like they are the stars and gods that can make or break careers. I hate it cause its no longer about music its about personal feelings.
Where do you feel SA music can be best monetized? Sales/ Endorsements/Shows why?
The internet and cellphones are the best bet for SA music. If we can be efficient on internet sales and cell-phone sales we’ll hit those big numbers. Everybody is on the internet and has a cellphone. We can get global sales and spread the music worldwide.
How has watching SA Hip Hop grow shaped your perspective on the genre?
We are one step from going international, right now we are Africa, next is the world.
You are responsible for shaping careers of a number of hip hop acts. Whats your formula and what are your plans for the Neo Shanty members?
Yeah cats like L-Tido and Sean Pages were heard through me first. Although we started this whole movement together I was the first to break into the market and I pushed Glitz Gang and the guys focused on their own careers. I’m happy cause as individuals we made an impact in the SA Hip Hop scene.
I plan to give new artists a stepping stone into the music business. I have One Way a very talented rap artist who is a flow beast and battle cat from Soweto. I also have a female artist by the name of Chazzola from Soweto Zola who also got crazy talent. We are currently working on singles and mix-tapes. I have a super producer called Sam Magic, he is gonna give most of these producers out there a run for their money. The last guy I put on the team is DJ Trevor P, his gonna get the ladies hollering and his talent is also beasting. Its gonna take time to be visible like I want but our movement has started.
Top 5 SA Hip Hop artists?
1.Morale
2. Khuli Chana
3. Aka
4. Tumi
5. Maggz
Top 5 SA Hip Hop songs on your playlist right now?
1. Morale – Ft Maggz & Reason “Year On Fire”
2. Khuli Chana – ft Patoranking “No Lie”
3. Anatii – ft AKA “Saga”
4. Casper- ft Cassie Veggies – 428 to LA
5. L- Tido – DlaKayona
What advice would you give to an up and coming rapper?
I would say, get into the music bussiness not the music industry. A lot of up and coming rappers don’t know why they in the industry, they out for the fame, the girls and the praises. They don’t really think about their sustainability. Build a legacy, make music that will play forever. Work with people that have been in the industry for years cause they can help you not make the same mistakes they made or many failed artists have made. I would also say know what your forte is, know that you one of a kind and you should’nt be like someone else. Be you and don’t be shy about it. You can only learn from the Caspers, Aka and us but don’t try be that rather be you.
Any word of wisdom to the youth?
Love your culture and preserve it through education and breaking new grounds. Have respect for yourself, your collegues and your people. Be positive and surround yourself with positivity.
Where can your fans reach you?
For all enquiries [email protected]
Twitter & IG handle: @Morale_ZA
Facebook: Morale Veritaz.
