There’s nothing else that Vosloorus born hip hop artist FLVME would rather be doing with his life than making music. He sat down with us to talk about how it all started at church for him, his first release for 2022 and the SA music landscape.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?
I grew up in a lot of places, different places. I was born in Vosloorus but then I went to stay with my mom's older sister in Germiston. After that, I went back to my mom and then I had to go stay with my grandmother in Pretoria North.
What inspired you to become a hip hop artist? We know you started when you were young. Has this always been a dream of yours?
Not in particular. I always just wanted to make music. It didn't matter if it was hip hop or any genre. I just really wanted to be found making music in general. I've always been involved in so many situations where I have to make music, and I just like being in a music setting.
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Back then when I used to stay with my mom, I think when I was five until seven, I would go to church choir practice with her. So I used to sing for the church choir. When I left, I met other kids where my grandma used to stay and they used to do traditional music. That's where I learned about music in general.
When I went to school, I actually ended up going into the choir and this is when I started learning more about the notes, my techniques of singing and all that stuff. So for me, it wasn’t really about just making hip hop, I just wanted to be involved in music in general.
I grew up in a lot of places, different places. I was born in Vosloorus but then I went to stay with my mom's older sister in Germiston. After that, I went back to my mom and then I had to go stay with my grandmother in Pretoria North.
What inspired you to become a hip hop artist? We know you started when you were young. Has this always been a dream of yours?
Not in particular. I always just wanted to make music. It didn't matter if it was hip hop or any genre. I just really wanted to be found making music in general. I've always been involved in so many situations where I have to make music, and I just like being in a music setting.
Related article: Reason HD on exploring amapiano as Sizwe Alakine
Back then when I used to stay with my mom, I think when I was five until seven, I would go to church choir practice with her. So I used to sing for the church choir. When I left, I met other kids where my grandma used to stay and they used to do traditional music. That's where I learned about music in general.
When I went to school, I actually ended up going into the choir and this is when I started learning more about the notes, my techniques of singing and all that stuff. So for me, it wasn’t really about just making hip hop, I just wanted to be involved in music in general.
And since you've been in the industry, what are some of the challenges you’ve faced?
That’s an interesting question. I kind of understand problems of life in general, and all its ups and downs. So me understanding that helps me not dwell on those challenging situations. It could be the highs or the lows, I just try and keep neutral.
The biggest war has always been the war from within. My biggest challenge has always been waking up trying to be a better version of myself.
Please tell me a little bit more about your first release for this year, Let Me Down. What's the story behind it?
So the story behind it, basically, is just me speaking about my past relationships, being disappointed by them and also me disappointing myself in the same sense. I kinda see where I went wrong and where I did myself dirty, but at the same time, it’s also addressing all the people that I had to cut off from my life that did me dirty.
That’s an interesting question. I kind of understand problems of life in general, and all its ups and downs. So me understanding that helps me not dwell on those challenging situations. It could be the highs or the lows, I just try and keep neutral.
The biggest war has always been the war from within. My biggest challenge has always been waking up trying to be a better version of myself.
Please tell me a little bit more about your first release for this year, Let Me Down. What's the story behind it?
So the story behind it, basically, is just me speaking about my past relationships, being disappointed by them and also me disappointing myself in the same sense. I kinda see where I went wrong and where I did myself dirty, but at the same time, it’s also addressing all the people that I had to cut off from my life that did me dirty.
The South African music landscape has evolved so much over the years. Where do you think the future is headed for hip hop in the coming years?
Honestly speaking, I would say that depends on us, the people that are involved with the genre itself. I'm not one to make assumptions or to think of stuff like that. If we fail to do something good, now, in three years’ time, we probably might have to change the whole landscape again and have new people making the rules.
I'm just glad that people are releasing music. At least there’s that momentum now. I also feel like everybody's so stuck in competing so much that they forget why we’re even doing this thing in the first place. It dilutes the value of music because everyone wants to worry about “oh, I have this beat”, or “I have this flow”. Just make the best music, that’s how I look at it.
If you weren't an artist, what would you be doing?
I definitely wouldn’t be doing anything; I’d probably be at my mom’s house doing nothing. I was a very great student in school, I was an ‘A’ student, but I just never had any interest in doing anything in the real world. Like I just wanted to live my own life and just be happy. Doing music is one of those things that make me happy.
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I'm just glad that people are releasing music. At least there’s that momentum now. I also feel like everybody's so stuck in competing so much that they forget why we’re even doing this thing in the first place. It dilutes the value of music because everyone wants to worry about “oh, I have this beat”, or “I have this flow”. Just make the best music, that’s how I look at it.
If you weren't an artist, what would you be doing?
I definitely wouldn’t be doing anything; I’d probably be at my mom’s house doing nothing. I was a very great student in school, I was an ‘A’ student, but I just never had any interest in doing anything in the real world. Like I just wanted to live my own life and just be happy. Doing music is one of those things that make me happy.
Related article: Q&A with Faith K
KEEPING THE MOMENTUM GOING WITH FLVME
Reviewed by Edgars Mag
on
September 15, 2022
Rating:
Reviewed by Edgars Mag
on
September 15, 2022
Rating:
