Before Amapiano, Gqom was and still is, the genre that took the country by storm. While it continues to leave a huge footprint by taking on the world, we catch up with one of its renowned DJs, Lwazi Gwala, popularly known as DJ Lag.
His music experience ranges from HipHop to Kwaito, but Gqom is his beat of choice. Having made several big hits with industry heavyweights, we catch up with the star from Claremont to hear a little more about him and his journey.
-ai-1.jpg)
PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF, WHO IS DJ LAG?
I’m Lwazi Gwala, from Claremont, and I’m a DJ and producer.
WHERE DID THE GQOM JOURNEY START FOR YOU?
I started producing Gqom in 2011, before I was doing Hip hop, producing beats for my cousin. And I changed from Hip hop to Tribal House, from Tribal House to Kwaito. Then I ended up doing Gqom.
YOU WANTED TO QUIT SCHOOL TO PURSUE MUSIC, IS THIS TRUE?
[laughs] I felt like school was distracting me a lot, I failed grade 11, and then I got taken to boarding school. So, I had to move and stay with my aunt, and that's when I finished my matric. I started focusing on DJing in 2015.
Related article: Q&A with Zakes Bantwini
IF SOMEONE HAS NEVER LISTENED TO GQOM, OR IF THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE GENRE, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT TO THEM?
For me, I'd say it's a mixture of different genres. When you listen to Gqom, you can pick up Hip Hop, sometimes you’ll hear a bit of Tribal House. There are different types of Gqom beats too.
YOU’RE KNOWN AS THE KING OF GQOM, YOU'VE WORKED WITH SOME BIG NAMES, AND YOU’VE PRODUCED SOME HITS. TELL US ABOUT YOUR ALBUM, MEETING WITH THE KING.
This is going to be my first album, and it's going to be different because most of the EPs I released were all acoustic. This is the first time I have had a lot of collaborations, there are producers on it. It also fuses in other sounds, like Amapiano. There’s JazziQ, Mpura, Amanda Black and other international acts.
YOUR MUSIC HAS BEEN GRAMMY-NOMINATED, WHY A DEBUT ALBUM ONLY NOW?
It wasn’t the right time yet, but now the time is right.
YOU’VE GOT A SINGLE WITH AMANDA BLACK. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE SONG, DESTINY, AND HOW YOUR COLLABORATION WITH AMANDA CAME ABOUT?
So, I met Amanda Black at Channel O, and she was cool. I took her number, told her about my album, and that I want her to be on it. I sent her some beats and she chose one. She then recorded, sent me the track, and I finished it.
Related article: Mandisi Dyantyis: Intentionally Living in The Now
YOU HAVE AN UPCOMING TOUR IN MARCH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? PLEASE TELL US MORE ABOUT IT.
I have to be back on the road because COVID messed a lot of things up for us, most of my shows were cancelled. So, I’m really happy to be back. I’ll be going to Spain, France, Germany, and I think I’ll be doing another tour again in America.
YOU SOUND LIKE YOU'RE HEAVILY INTO MUSIC, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF MUSIC?
[laughs] I do, but I’m not that interested in other things – my biggest focus is on music. I also do events.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO RELAX AND UNWIND IF YOU'RE NOT MAKING HITS?
Visit my family, visit my son – yeah, just spend time with them. That’s what I do most of the time.
WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HAVE FOR UPCOMING ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, AND PRODUCERS?
Don't give up because even I thought I’d never work with artists like Beyonce, so anything is possible.
BY NTHABISENG MAKHOKHA
MEET THE KING OF GQOM: DJ LAG
Reviewed by Michelle Pienaar
on
February 08, 2022
Rating:
Reviewed by Michelle Pienaar
on
February 08, 2022
Rating:
