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LK BABA: FATHERING THE STYLE OF ESWATINI'S URBAN MUSIC
By Timbuktu Library

With over a decade since breaking into the Eswatini Music Scene, LK BABA is a brand name that is heavily entrenched within Skom as a place of birth and Mbabane as his home city. The influence of his sound has birth many artists like Young Zesh, K Darrow and many more. Tasked with giving a top 5 list of artists that come from his hood 'Skom', LK BABA names himself as the first, 'Lyrical Busta' is second on his list, 'Rawva' is third, fourth name on the list is 'Movement' and the fifth name is 'Koblaz'.

Skom is (the hood/Kasi) area a little outside the city of Mbabane, its has given birth to countless number of legendary local artists, sports figures, LK BABA makes a note that 'Skom' is like a community and most of the talent groomed there grow up together and share alot of the spaces they need inorder to express their artistic talents.

'Skom' has given birth to so many talents that have gone on to play for continental stages and some global. Being a son of the soil, LK BABA feels himself to be established in the game especially as a solo artist, having started his music career with Mvilas and together forming the duo group Chakalaka.

A decade has passed since then, its 2025 and the Southern Hemisphere just entered its new years spring, the winter energy is cleaning out and in the midst of it all LK BABA has a new song and its titled 'Phoyizeni'. 'Phoyizeni' by LK BABA expands on his signature sound, coined over the years and refined in pursuit of mastery. Koblaz is the producer of the beat for 'Phoyizeni', LK BABA has a name for the new approach towards his music, he doesn't reveal yet citing he only wants to give it a name once the sound fully lives in form through his upcoming project.

The streets are talking about the change in sound, as far as LK BABA and many other artists, the common problem is marketing as the Eswatini Entertainment industry still lacks in backroom players, the drivers and connectors of culture with audiences and potential investors. " I would not necessarily categorise it as a change in sound but a show of range and versatility. I didn't want to be boxed in as a one dimensional artist, my core fanbase is aware of my range but my new followers may not know so i thought it would be the perfect time for them to get acquainted with this version of me who experiments with sound. " LK BABA

'LK' is an abbreviation of the artists full name, 'BABA' is derived from the African linguistic meaning father and this is in connection with his real life fatherhood journey, also his influence on younger artists that his had the honor to groom.

Every father seeks to provide for his own, immediate and extended family, LK BABA has made a conscious decision to put a price on his worth and made a decision to stop performing or giving vocal services for free, more artists can heed to this way of professionalism and fortunately this decision has yielded more positives in an environment that sometimes wants to exploit the artist instead of protecting them which always yields a positive for the Entertainment industry locally.

MUSIC REVIEW: THO8ISA PRESENTS THE MTK MIXTAPEZ EP
By Mr. Muzik

Painted Pictures With Words

Since cave paintings, stone carvings in heirogyphs (Mdu Ntr 'Divine writing/words') and beyond papyrus, the need to express one's inner world or self to further interpret their environment is second nature, and at times presents itself in layers. As our ancestors would have it music is spiritual, and it deserves reverance, to many it is a hobby, to some it is a means of serving one's inner existence.

Artisans are like platinum, rare and THO8iSA is one of a kind, skilled; as well as cultured at serving soul food on his soon to drop mixtape, 'THE MTK TAPES EXTENDED PLAY'. A soulful exploration of human consciousness taking up a Southern African perspective, enriched by western influences especially sonically.

'THE MTK TAPES EXTENDED PLAY' begins its sequence with the intro song 'The BIZness'  featuring Teshiselo who vocally blends with the medley, as THO8iSA declares his country code and nationality as if to avoid any confusion, the production by CJ Vegas provides a blanket synth that envelopes the wordsmith in THO8iSA.

Music as such is a gift given by the gods to humans which keeps the practicioners of it connected to them all whilst gathering the human family under one dance. The irony is we call it the 'universe', one song and dance, and on 'Real Fine Speak Your Mind' one is reminded of the magical experience one got the first time they discovered music is translucent.

A beatmaker himself thus a true artisan at heart. Hathor, the goddess of art, is said to be the mother of all muses that whisper songs in the ears of art practicioners, beatmakers are true listeners of the whispers and tend to create magic from 'nothing'. Five of the nine songs on this project 'THE MTK TAPES EXTENDED PLAY' are produced by THO8iSA himself.

With the recent new year of the spring equinox in the Southern Hemisphere, and a spike in higher consciousness in the arenas of RAP and an audience that demands authentic energy, 'THE MTK TAPES EXTENDED PLAY' offers that and more.

ONE AFRICA, ONE VOICE:
An Africa without borders…
By Black Shakespeare

I have dreamt of an Africa with no borders, an Africa with no Western influence, an Africa that was proud of its roots and diverse cultures. Africa has and continues to be the birthplace of heroes in all spheres and I for one would like to see her return to her former glory.
I recently learned of a handful of libraries that were situated at different places in Africa once upon a time; one of them being the Timbuktu Library in Mali. It is said that when Westerners invaded and colonized nations in Africa, these libraries, which had a wealth of ancient knowledge, were burnt down and any information worth knowing was either looted or destroyed.
According to historians, ancient Africans already had technology and medicine/herbs that far surpassed Western civilizations among other things. It is said this information was stolen and is being packaged and sold to us in contemporary times. Africa has become a continent of follower nations that were looted of not only their resources but identity.
It is time for all Africans to task themselves with informing future generations of our former glory. Our children have a warped sense of identity because we have forgotten our history and Western influences further drive the narrative. It is true that if the lion does not learn how to write, the hunter will always be the hero in the story. This means Africans must take hold of their destinies and rewrite their own stories. We must control our own narrative.
Here lies the crux of this piece; if Africa had all this wealth and knowledge, why are Africans suffering so much and most of their countries are follower nations and colonies? When I was studying towards my Audio Engineering Diploma, I discovered that Egypt, known as Kamet at the time, was the first place in history where music was played for entertainment purposes as it was only prior used at spiritual ceremonies like funerals. Hence I strongly believe creativity and art is our future.
For a long time it was believed that the only thing Africans had in common was poverty, but I’m here to say we are more than follower nations or colonies that need aid. We are Africans and if we can learn to speak in one voice, winds of change would blow from Cape to Cairo. Our people have become victims of substances and we are preoccupied with all the trivial things while our nations’ coffers are plundered by capitalists whose ancestors robbed us of our humanity.
It is a pity that some of our own people have contributed to the downfall of this great continent. However, I will say, I am not a revolutionary figure or a politician, but I am a citizen of Africa. With that said, it is my responsibility to help steer this great land to prosperity in any way I can and mine is through creative expression of art. I implore our great leaders to look within for solutions as opposed to looking for external assistance. Let us learn to trade amongst ourselves and yes, no man is an island so when we do lobby for external assistance to African issues, it should be done as a unit that can speak in unison and understanding.

JEN13: What's happening in eSwatini!? Catch up on this week's news; Theatre Club, Velemseni, Mandisa Mamba, Bushfire, Gig Guide and more...
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JEN12..Watch the news! Hipnotik updates, Eswatini Lifestyle Awards, Gig guide and more....
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CREATIVITY : A REMEDY FOR THE WORLD
By Sizwe Mthethwa

Arts have always played a role in society and artists generally represent what they see and feel in their respective environments. Painters and sketch artists draw pictures of their surroundings and every creative, no matter what industry they are in, is a product of their surroundings.
The adage, better people create a better world rings true in this context because art can bring one to emotional or mental equilibrium. A stable mind and heart surely yield fine fruits of labour. If this does not stress the importance of keeping the world inspired then I do not know what does.
Rap music per se, was more political in the 80s because that is what was dominant in society. In fact, it was not only just Rap music that was addressing political and social issues, but almost every genre had its ‘activists’. It was not only political matters but issues like teenage pregnancy in 2pac’s ‘Brenda’s got a baby’ and world peace in Michael Jackson’s ‘Heal the world’. Art always has a way of addressing what we are facing as humans.
If we take a look at contemporary music, you will notice the focus has shifted to mostly mental health related issues and having fun (groove culture) because those are the prominent traits of society, which these artists are a direct product of.
In America, during the civil rights movement, music played a critical role in inspiring, mobilising and giving a voice to the movement. Martin Luther King Jr. said: “Music gives people new courage and a sense of unity…”
According to Wikipedia, The civil rights movement was a political movement and campaign in the 50s to 60s in America to abolish institutional and racial segregation, discrimination and disenfranchisement throughout America.
It is also a well-known fact that music has somewhat united some of the oldest gangs of Los Angeles; namely Bloods and Crips, which are known for being fierce rivals. The emergence of musicians from all over Los Angeles has eased tensions in some areas and we are now even witnessing artists from Crip and Blood neighbourhoods collaborating on not only just music but community and peace related projects. The point being, art is the initial driver of this initiative.
Some might argue the negative effects of art and creativity like the common stereotypes being high exposure to drugs, violence, sex and alcohol among other things. It is true that art in the wrong hands can inspire a plethora of negative events. For example, the emergence of record labels like ‘Death Row Records’ in the 90s saw a lot of youths getting caught up in the allure of a criminal lifestyle and all it comes with. As much as these were authentic stories being told by the artists, the media became a tool used to glorify the violence and negativity it came with, hence there was a ‘boost’ in the crime rate.
This leads me to a pivotal point in this conversation, responsibility. Any seasoned artist will tell you about accountability and how much it matters what kind of an impact one’s art has on society. So with that said, it is wise for people to guard their ears and be inspired by positive things that will help move the world and their lives forward.
As prior mentioned, music and art is key as it helps people find common ground and addresses the issues everyone can relate to. With this in mind, Eswatini creatives have a lot of work to do in uniting the nation and making sure that they translate a true picture of our society to the world stage. As we know, arts have the power to alter public opinions through visual imagery and complex emotions.
When we look at the pictures that were captured during ‘slavery’ in the United States or apartheid in South Africa; those captured images tell a story and they take us to a place and time in history through photography or visuals. That is how we are able to relate with those times even though we might not have lived in them. That is the power of art, how we are able to relate to Bob Marley and the music that he made during his time because he addressed serious issues of injustice while opening his audience’s minds and eyes to the social ills that were happening around the world.
The arts fraternity can contribute positively to our society in helping to build a better tomorrow. We are more than voices on radio, frequencies on the internet and brushstrokes on a canvas, we are creatives and we have the power to change the world through the talents God gave us. In 2025 and beyond, we hope the arts and entertainment sector grow to unlimited heights and creatives take their place in society. Art is responsible for a lot of joy and happiness and it is known to convey the pain pretty well too, so artists please heal the world. Let us all sing a song of remedy.

JEN Ep.11: Catch up on what's happening in the kingdom! Hipnotik, Velemseni, Amarii, King Kanga and more...
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IS THE COPYRIGHT BALL ROLLING?
What this means for the creative industry…

By Black Shakespeare

MBABANE: The Eswatini Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Society (ESWACOS) is a Collective Management Organisation (CMO) established to protect the economic interests of copyright holders in Eswatini's creative industries, from music to literature and visual arts. While the society's formation is a significant milestone, implementing a working system for compensating creators is a complex process. Even large organizations like the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) are continuously working to improve their royalty distribution systems.

A key part of SAMRO's success is its ability to license music users, collect fees, and distribute royalties to creators. This protects intellectual property and ensures creators are compensated for the use of their work in various formats, such as radio airplay, live performances, and streaming services. The Eswatini copyright office has a mandate to register works, license them, track usage, and distribute royalties.

While the formation of the ESWACOS is encouraging, there is a significant information gap between the copyright office and local artists. Many artists are not fully aware of the 2018 Copyright Act or how it should benefit them. ESWACOS has attempted to bridge this gap through educational workshops, but a lot of work remains.

ESWACOS had a three-year plan when it began operations in April 2023. This plan included training staff and seeking guidance from established royalty collection organizations like GHAMRO in Ghana. The board's role is to ensure ESWACOS meets performance targets and protects the interests of copyright owners. The day-to-day operations are handled by an executive director and other officers.

The initial task was to set up a registration mechanism—either a physical or online platform—for creatives to register themselves and their works. Once this database is in place, licensing, tracking, and distributing royalties will become more streamlined.

This process is a marathon, not a sprint. The current team must lay the groundwork so that future teams can continue to build upon it. For now, creatives in Eswatini must wait. Questions still remain about what this new system will mean for artists who are already members of organizations like SAMRO, and how digital royalties will be tracked and quantified to meet international standards.

For this initiative to succeed, it will require significant resources and extensive research into a royalty collection mechanism that works for Eswatini. With informed guidance and strong leadership, the ESWACOS can eventually ensure that local artists are fairly compensated for their work. The ball is rolling, but there is still a long way to go.

JEN10: Watch the news! Catch up with Deo_Gratias and see what's happening in the kingdom!
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JEN_Watch the news!Catch up on what's happening in the kingdom..
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SKHULILE NXUMALO, FROM NURTURE TO NATURE, TAKING A FRESH LEAF FORWARD
By Timbuktu Library

Inclination towards nature and natural products by humans since after the 2012 awakening has caused many businesses and entrepreneurs to change their business models and align their endeavors with the natural order of the day. Our grandmothers and father's knew the insights and secrets of life are found in nature, the saying is the best teacher is nature.

Skhulile Nxumalo is one such student of nature, a nerd with social skills as he describes himself. A young man with a propensity to think outside the box, Skhulile Nxumalo found 'Freshleaf' with his wife who had become a statistic to the current unemployment rate in the country of Eswatini. In the midst of searching for a means to an end Skhulile suggested his wife use her family's farm to get 'Freshleaf' off the ground.

Freshleaf offers fresh organically grown herbs, botanical in some of their produce, Freshleaf has strategically aligned their brand with Explorers and were part of the recent Luju Festival experience where Skhulile exhibited his mixology skills.

An actuarial science background forms part of Skhuliles' education, "when it started getting bigger, i took the time to build some pricing and projection models to see the overall profitability, my forecast was 10 to 15 years into the future and the results were very promising" Skhulile Nxumalo.

More investment followed into 'Freshleaf' added with a fresh focus informed by the forecast conducted by Mr. Nxumalo. That fresh focus culminated into a youth woman farmer of the year award in 2024, as Mr. Nxumalos' wife Nokwanda Nxumalo won the award as part of the top ten finalists in said competition.

Life is not without its challenges and business takes similar shape, funding being one of those challenges, infrastructure to automate certain operational processes like irrigation, adding to it; unpredictable weather that presents instability, which would be mitigated by building greenhouses.

Rewarded for his risk taking Mr. Nxumalo had fortitude to see through his vision, Skhulile  Nxumalo mentions telling a family member, that he would be taking a break from writing his Actuarial Board Exams, to focus on scaling up Freshleaf. Skhulile Nxumalo finds it is key to have proper systems in place for all business records, "it is crucial to record all expenses and sales to always have a view of where you stand" Skhulile Nxumalo.

Freshleaf recently announced a partnership with Spar, Mbabane, Checkers and Ezulwini, Corner Plaza under Freshmark, supplying herbs such as Sage, Rosemary, Basil etc.

THE REALISTICALLY UNREAL ARTISTRY OF NATHI TEMBE
By Thandeka Khoza

As Eswatini’s art scene steadily gains international recognition, artists like Nkosinathi “Nathi Jay” Tembe are leading the charge. A self-taught sketch artist and painter, Tembe’s work blends lifelike realism with surrealist elements, producing pieces that not only turn heads globally but also raise the bar within the fine arts world.

Tembe discovered his passion early. As a teenager, he would draw for fun—faces, cars, and celebrities like T-Pain from magazine clippings. “I remember in Form One, I did this terrible drawing of T-Pain,” he laughs. But that early experimentation laid the foundation for his signature style: surrealist realism. Over time, his fascination with the bizarre and unexpected began to shape his art. “Weird is what I’ve always liked doing,” he says. “I mix figurative stuff with something that doesn’t exist… like a face with too many eyes or patterns that don’t quite make sense.”

This blend of realism and the abstract has evolved into what’s now recognized as his distinctive Figurative Surrealist style. It’s a striking balance—hyper-detailed, often photo-realistic images that somehow feel dreamlike or otherworldly.

Despite his impressive talent, Tembe credits his success not to innate ability but to perseverance and discipline. “Learning a skill is hard,” he says. “No one starts good. It’s impossible! In art… there’s no such thing as talent. It’s all skill.” He references the well-known idea that it takes 10,000 hours to master something, emphasizing that constant repetition and learning are key.

That work ethic has paid off. Tembe is now a resident artist at Yebo Gallery in Ezulwini, one of Eswatini’s most respected galleries. Through this platform, his work has reached international collectors and has taken him abroad—most notably to Germany, where he completed a three-month residency with the Leipzig International Art Program.

Beyond creating, Tembe is now committed to giving back. He teaches at Yini Loku, an independent creative space in Mbabane, helping other aspiring artists develop their craft. He sees this as a crucial step in building Eswatini’s art industry. “Being a creative here is looked down upon,” he says frankly. “We’re overcoming it slowly… thank God the Internet exists! We’re learning how to look for things out there.”

Tembe believes that with persistence, exposure, and support, more Swazi artists can thrive—locally and globally. “We can still build skill locally, push ourselves out there… and hopefully those same people will come back and rebuild.”

Through stunning visuals and a grounded philosophy, Nathi Tembe continues to prove that world-class art can emerge from anywhere—so long as there's passion, patience, and pencil in hand.

MUSIC OR DENTISTRY, DR. WANDI WANTS TO SEE YOU SMILING
By Timbuktu Library

The Culture of Hip Hop as known today has become more music, fashion and entertainment, than a way of life. The culture lives within Dr Wandi Nxumalo, a dentist whose love for poetry and Hip Hop music has not dwindled becuase of profession; An entrepreneur and a practitioner, Dr Wandi Nxumalo runs his own dentist practice at Listemba Park, Sdwashini in Mbabane called Real Relaxed Dentistry.

Seven years and counting; Dr Wandi Nxumalo grew up wanting to be in the medical space, despite the pull towards music and countless flirtations with the art form, his gift comes in the form of healing and the past seven years has seen him establish himself amongst peers and patients. Dr Wandi prides himself in his work stating "when a patient is genuinely grateful for the work we've done, that brings me satisfaction and is the main reason i love my job".

Growing up in a household with two older brothers and both parents fostered a pathway to a more stable life. Dr Wandi recalls how the family environment helped in grooming positive traits like respect, kindness and not taking anything for granted. " Education has always been pushed as a key factor to success in this lifetime, so tertiary education was non-negotiable" Dr Wandi.

Authenticity and genuineness are key words Dr Wandi keeps reffering to when speaking on his work and transition; from a musician to a medical practitioner. Dr Wandi represents the common climate of our Eswatini Entertainment industry, where one has to balance between two worlds inorder to ease tensions struggling artists usually have around them; Dr Wandi takes a practical approach towards balancing the two worlds, his love for music is passion driven without any pressure for "success" or fame, his medical career is his profession.

What sets Dr. Wandi apart is the great respect he shows the arts and his perspective on both the worlds he exists in, stating "I have always connected to music especially when i was going through dark times". Dr Wandi's source of fascination with music is in how one can capture a state of consciousness or feeling as a file format, save it, replay or redistribute it at any point in the future, and it still translates the feeling to the effect of changing the mood of an audience; he calls it magical.

Dr Wandi does not see these two worlds as conflicting, he has learnt branding, and taking himself and his business serious through Dentistry, he's learnt how to take the mentle of seriousness and not allowing a lack of seriousness around his business, coupled with a well groomed personality; Dr Wandi believes those lessons can be applied in the creative arts the only difference being he would replace the word 'patients' with 'listeners'.

Dr Wandi plans to keep the fire of passion going as he hints at a mixtape under works, with no date set yet, the mixtape will be titled 'Profession vs Passion'. Dr Wandi states "However it is more a peek into my little black book, than an attempt at superstadom or fame. I love music so i will always bring what i have to the table especially becuase it is a healthy release or form of expression".

AYANDA GININDZA: WALKING IN A DREAM
By Thandeka Khoza

Life can be so unpredictable at times. One day you're just a normal Swati boy casually moving through life, steadily chasing your dream of becoming an actor with each day. The next day, you find yourself starring in one of the biggest shows on the entire African continent. This is the kind of life we live! And this is what happened to one Ayanda Ginindza, a 23-year old actor from Malkerns who landed the role of King Sobhuza I on the Mzansi Magic epic, Shaka iLembe.

The casting call was sent out last year to all aspiring Swati actors and Ginindza saw an opportunity of a lifetime. The characters to be portrayed included the likes of Princess Hletjiwe, Queen Regent Lojiba, as well as King Somhlolo (formally known as King Sobhuza I)—the founder of our nation as we know it. Hundreds auditioned to be a part of this prestigious project and Ginindza managed to be called back for the role of the great King. “A casting call from Facebook calling everyone who is interested in acting and the auditions were held in Mbabane,” he explains, “I won the first round and I was called for the second round which were in Joburg and I also won that. Ngayitfola kanjalo”. Not that he was an inexperienced thespian; he already had some acting roles under his belt. He had already starred on a local production titled ‘Bucili Abukhokheli’ that showcased on Channel S, as well as working on upcoming seasons of shows like ‘Ekhaya’—an Eswatini TV original show, and yet another historical piece called ‘Baka Ngwane’ where he played another Swati royal figure King Mtfonga, the brother of King Mswati I. Ginindza has indeed been hard at work familiarizing himself with the craft as though the universe knew that he was about to secure the biggest role of his budding career sooner rather than later.

The irony of him starring in two historically inspired pieces is not lost on the actor. If you were to ask him, it is like a confirmation from a divine power that he is on the right track. He shares, “these two shows were not just a show to me but a spiritual journey. Telling our own history. And I’m very lucky kutsi they used me as their vessels". As a man with a genuine passion for stories and storytelling, the direction of his career seems fitting, particularly in regards to drama, since it is often overlooked as an avenue for storytelling in the Swazi context. “I always wanted to tell stories to people. Edutainment,” the actor shares, "I’m so happy, blessed and so grateful to God and to my ancestors because this is what I was praying for all along these years kutsi nge talent yam’ ngifise kufundzisa phindze ngijabilise bantfu.

The actor has certainly come a long way from his days of doing comedy skits on YouTube with his friends. In a country where the dramatic arts are extremely underrated, it is so refreshing to see somebody go out there in the world to represent us in that manner so proudly. Ginindza does, however, have glimmers of hope for the art form’s future in spite of the situation. “Kona akukabi lula kutsi basi-recognise-e”, he says, “And we are still pushing kutsi one day bayihloniphe njengoba other countries bayayihlonipha and bayitsatse serious”.

PRIVACII
By Timbuktu Library

A generation driven by limitless energy, intrigued with possibilities, optimistic rather than pessimistic, genre bending Swati born artist producer Privacii, symbolizes the new gen artist; equipped in multiple genres or creative expressions but business savy, yet very present in his young family's life.

In the age of digital art the value of the art has been declining but the buying power for art has not dwindled according to Privacii, a multi faceted artist himself, Privacii who's full name is 'Lungelo Vilakati' admits to the lack of economics in the digital era for the artist, yet points out the benefits the consumer has gained from having all the music or art in the palm of their hands.


A producer himself, Privacii has diversified his portfolio through his media production and distribution company Vinyl Avenue group, this broadens his perimeters of influence in the music space, allowing him to be off service to fellow artists and businesses. Vinyl Avenue was founded in 2020 but has already amassed strategic partnership deals with 'Symphonic' an American distribution company from Florida, Kaphonic Records in France and Proton LLC in Germany .

When speaking to Privacii you are reminded that knowledge is power, that research is the ultimate driving force behind his success, we have a long conversation about the seismic shift currently taking place in music globally, in the midst of him moving houses in Johannesburg, South Africa, he makes time and details how sync deals aside from his bookings as a Dj, have been his main source of income. "Despite my high streaming numbers on Spotify, YouTube and the likes, I've got less revenue from streams in comparison to music licensing/sync deals".

A Bachelor of arts in media communications and culture degree holder from Nelson Mandela University with 14 distinctions, Privacii mentions how he used to be entrenched in culture around campus, leading to vice presidency of Golden key and a member of the black management forum.  Laying groundwork for his genre bending production "African electronic dance music", when he explains the music genre; Privacii coins it as music built around African drums and precussions, but further uses the example of Black Panther as the aspiration the music is meant to inspire, adding how Sci-fi movies like star wars and star trek hardly starred black representation.

Part II

In the midst of our conversation Privacii mentions his love for hip hop too, revealing his connection to Hip Hop as the catalyst behind his altar ego 'LeVae', a vocal recording Hip Hop artist who's music centres around ambition, introspection and a vulnerability. The signs of a well thought out blueprint are visible, he giggles at the fact; despite his lack of popularity in the South African Hip Hop community commercially, it is still one of his most viable revenue streams of income, becuase of sync deals and the likes.

Privacii details how Hip Hop became a big part of his life, citing 'Stillmatic' by Nas as the album that drew him into the genre and 'One Mic' by Nas as his favourite song, although he was always a Kwaito and House lover, citing 'Brothers of Peace' as early influencers off his during early primary school years (grade one or grade two) . Making sense of the differentiation in split personalities, 'LeVae' jokingly recalls how he used to love books that had poetry in them, during his primary school book presentation days.

With a sense of humor that lights up a room and is contagious, Privacii details how the name LeVae came to be, owing it to his personality and name abbreviation, he's quick to remind one about his come up, as he details the projects he's released under his altar ego 'LeVae'. Recalling all the successes each of the three full length projects yielded (Read Between The Lines, Better Safe Than Sorry & Medicated) , nonchalant about it; he mentions his nominations at the 041 awards for Best Producer and Best Artist.

Privacii is set to retire 'LeVae' this year and is working on his last Hip Hop project, a sixteen track full length project which is meant to showcase all of LeVae's colleagues, and his collaborative friends in Hip Hop. Still without a title, the album won't signal a total end to the altar ego LeVae, "I will still give priority to feature verses and maybe focus on making music for movies because i have always wanted to score movies".

There is a sense that there's more to his decision to retire 'LeVae' than what some may deem quitting, "I also do copyright through Vinyl Avenue as part of my advertising protfolio, I've also been thinking of going back to radio or start looking into voice overs for animations". The motion is certainly high with LeVae, even though Privacii has taken the wheel and has become the breadwinner.

FOURTWENTY STARGAZER AND THE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION
By Thandeka Khoza

At this point, we can say that the kulture is in safe hands. All hope is not lost in the world of hip-hop. There are rappers in the new school that are ready to take on the mantle of handling the game in this country and treat it with the honour it deserves. One such rapper is none other than Fourtwenty Stargazer, the 25-year-old creative wonder carrying the new wave in the country. His contribution to hip-hop aims to set a new precedent in the quality of work put out by artists on this side of the planet as well as in the rest of the world, and it is just beautiful to see.

Born Siniketosenkosi Dlamini, Fourtwenty Stargazer exhibits a certain intentionality in his craft—something that tends to be a wavering value among many of his peers. His respect for hip-hop, not only as a movement but also as a sophisticated art form, reflects in his own music through the high quality work he consistently produces. For him, it is imperative to refine all aspects of his music in a way that him and his management team are, “comfortable enough within those spaces to know that put us in any room; play this music to whoever is overseas, they would know how much work was put into it”, the rapper shares. He goes on to say, “That’s why we’re working even with the top sound engineer in the country, Ryan X…he’s very established in his own space as well. It’s kind of like packaging it with the best quality: you have the best artist with the best sound engineer and the best production. Those are the small steps we are taking into solidifying the brand”. In as much as he is a perfectionist at his core, the rapper is still very much aware that he is not above learning and being teachable—in fact, Fourtwenty has tasked himself with the responsibility of sharpening his craft so as to prepare himself for that fateful day when he finds himself at the centre of global attention. “My main focus is within understanding what we’re doing as a team [him, his producers and management],” he says, “understanding where the craft is in itself because I wouldn’t wanna be in a room and I’m not confident with what we do. It’s like if I get called by Jhené [Aiko], for instance, and she’s like ‘Yo! We like your music. Can you come through and do this feature’? I don’t wanna be in that room and feel like ‘Yoh! The pressure is so high”. Therefore, when it comes to him and his craft, it is of utmost importance that he does his due diligence in improving it and its quality as much as he can in anticipation for that long-awaited moment, which is something that he is ready to explore.

The rapper's love for performing showed itself first through his love for dance. As a child in primary school, he was a hip-hop dancer for the most part. The switch to rap only really happened when he was in high school though a prior attempt to venture in that avenue did take place when he was in grade 4—an attempt which nearly completely discouraged him from following that pursuit. Fourtwenty recalls, "This one girl who was like ‘oh, you rap’? She was like, ‘yeah, let me hear something’ and when I did, you know, present to her what I had written she was like, ‘Mxm! Get outta here with that!’ and I was like, ‘okay! I know I can dance for sure, so I’m not gonna be in the music space as far as that’”. All fond memories on his part that fortunately failed to deter him from his path, as we would have all missed out on this world-class talent as a country. From then on Fourtwenty has been hard at work nursing and perfecting his skill. He is extremely grateful for his friends during high school that helped in swaying him in that direction by providing a much-needed ear when it came to his music and overall ambition as an artist at that time. “I had friends to give me the ear to say ‘what are you doing’? The likes of Jody Brown—greatest, you know—Jody Brown is another artist in the country who has played a significant role within my establishment as an artist”.

Musical inspiration for someone like Fourtwenty Stargazer comes from a plethora of diverse artists. People like Tory Lanez, Nipsey Hussle, and the singer Summer Walker to name a few, have helped him come to the conclusion that paying close attention to craft as well as providing a valuable message in one’s art are key in making one into an exceptional comprehensive artist. According to him, “There’s a certain appeal to it when an artist knows who they are and they don’t get themselves mixed up with things that don’t stand for who they are…I can have fun with it [the music]; at times I do have fun with it. I put it in spaces where we gonna see if we can do this [and that], and it works. But then at the end of the day, I love to remember that, yo, I need to remember that there’s something I need to find that I stand for”.

M. SETH: A MASTER OF SIMPLICITY
By Thandeka Khoza

MBABANE—The beauty of art is often found in the simple things. It really does not take much to create a masterpiece in many instances if you actually think about it. Case in point: the producer/rapper, Master Seth (or M. Seth for short). A huge proponent of “stick to what you know”! He goes about his creation process in the most basic way but still comes out with the most sonically pleasing productions, and its safe to say that this approach has served him well over the years.

Having started his music-making journey all way back in 2009 after completing high school, M. Seth, born Manqoba Dlamini, was known even back then for his quality beatmaking skills. “People would hear my music and then they would say ‘I like your stuff, I like his production, I wanna go there” he recalls. This would be as a result of him finally learning how to make original compositions on FL Studio (known as ‘Fruity Loops’ at the time). Prior to that, M. Seth had only been making intro mixes for dance battles on that software. A friend of his introduced him to the concept of making beats and from then on, Seth applied himself to perfecting that skill. Making original music garnered Seth the right amount of attention in his neighbourhood. Many aspiring rappers at the time would work with him, which included the likes of LK Baba and Lyrikal Busta, who would go on to become prominent figures in music within in the country.

M. Seth’s weapon of choice when is comes to creating is mainly a keen ear for music. “Music is all about the ear,” he says, “If it sounds nice, it sounds nice”. This very sentiment is how Seth even landed on the name ‘Eardrumzz Studios’ for his recording space to begin with. “My trademark was the bass. The baseline—it’s more like—it hits the eardrum,” he says, which is quite evident to anyone who listens to his music, as he is mainly a hip-hop and RnB producer—two genres of music known to be bass-heavy. From just that, he is able to make some of the cleanest and well-mastered songs in the local music industry. According to Seth, “Quality is key to everything you do. If you selling something, you have to sell quality and quality brings you more customers…I just give myself time in whatever that I do. I dedicate myself to it”.

With the landscape of music being the way that it is, it is comforting to know that there are still those capable of evolving while still maintaining the core of what makes them who they are. Seth, being the versatile artist that he is, he has been able to incorporate the newer sounds of the era like the ‘logdrum’ that is found in Amapiano beats. These are the sounds of his surroundings, seeing that he is in the Southern African region and a Skom native at that. It’s not a stretch for him to make those kind of beats or use elements found in that type of music in his own sound of RnB/Hip-hop. His awareness of the environment has even helped him detect and determine the rising trend of producers reverting to the older sounds. He notes, “We going back to the basics. That’s what I’m seeing now. We’re starting afresh”, and that is why, for him, trend-hopping is not something he would ever encourage. “As a producer or as an artist you have to stick to what you know. Yah, don’t try to flow the trends. New trends—yah—you have to master what you are well known of”, he says.

Watch the news! Millin Market, Wellness Summit, Buntfu Fest. and more..
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UNDERRATED: The Untapped potential in Africa
By Timbuktu Library

The wealth of collaboration is manifested when a group doesn't identify itself by their differences but rather similarities. Where two entities meet a third is born and in 2021 Sphiwo 'Sylvester' Dlamini and Venda Mandavha became Underrated, a team of South African content creators who have amassed a following of 349.2k followers on the social media site Tik Tok. Since inception Underrated has garnered 1.7million likes on the social media site, turning a High School dream into a business venture with their recent collaboration with Garnier.

Tracing their roots back to Eswatini and Venda their cultural dynamic has not proven a hindrance but rather a springboard, a creative hardworking duo that has touched the hearts of their people. Creating people engaging content, Underrated has become an outlet for self expression and a way in which the duo connects with people of an area they choose to visit.

Intrinsically living out 'motho ke motho ka batho babang', and shinning light on different personalities within our African communities, Siphiwo Dlamini Also Known As "Slyvester", details how reconnecting with his roots helped add authenticity and a unique perspective to content creation, whilst fueling his passion to facilitate culture exchange and understanding.

Young but matured, "Underrated has a keen interest in fostering community building projects" says Venda Mandavha, with an awareness of two lifetimes, the duo is cognitive and cognizant of the journey their on, and how much it requires one to be rooted and invested in their mental health. "My advise to young creators is to prioritize your mental health, be authentic, and don't compare yourself to others. Your well-being is the key to your success"  Venda Reiterates. 

This recipe of success has all the right ingredients, and Slyvester details how Underrated was built on simple basics of consistency and building trust with their audience, he further says "understanding the audience and their needs was essential and in doing so it kept us current with industry trends"; Venda adds "being a content creator is not as easy as people think it is, it is very important to not compare yourself to others and focus on your journey; stay true to yourself."

Singing from the same hymn sheet the best friends' working relationship is incredibly enriching according to Sylvester, stating how the importance of collaboration, adaptability, and trust has taught him flexebility in approaching problems. Meanwhile Venda further states "Our partnership has also shown me the value of celebrating strengths and supporting each other's weaknesses. Through our journey, I've gained not only a business partner but also a friend who pushes me to grow both personally and professionally"

What seems to make this  partnership perfect is the seamless blend of complementary skills, shared vision, and open communication between the duo; balancing each other's strengths and weaknesses. Underrated supports each other's individual passions, and celebrates each other's successes. "Our friendship is the foundation that makes our collaboration not only productive but also incredibly fulfilling. We genuinely enjoy working together, and that passion translates into everything we create" Underrated.

FIBONACCI APPAREL: BACK 2 BASICS
By Thandeka Khoza

MBABANE—Fibonacci Apparel is a fashion brand that has been slowly making its mark on the country’s fashion scene. Established officially in 2018 with the intention of creatively improving on designs they saw in stores, the brand is now on a mission to reinforce that ideal as an effort to anchor their artistic identity in the industry, and have it shine throughout all phases of their evolution.

The earliest incarnation of the company was actually in 2016. At that time it was called “Swag Syndrome”, and it was a collective made of photographers, graphic designers, models, and a tailor, named Tshuku; whom they had outsourced since neither of the founders had yet learned how to sew.

Clifford Dludlu, one of the founding members of the collective, explained “if we weren’t making it [the clothes] straight from scratch, we’d always be tailoring something that’s already made into maybe adding an extra pocket. That’s when maybe we started falling in love with it and then that’s when Patch decided he doesn’t want to outsource, he’d like to learn how to do it.” Patch, who is now the senior tailor at Fibonacci, soon started his own tailoring business called “Fits by Patch” some time in late 2017, where he made custom pieces for clients. Dludlu says, “I came back from my first semester break [from university] and he shows me one his first few designs he had already made…I think it was a windbreaker”. As he recalls it, that windbreaker would be the first piece that would have the name “Fibonacci” on it.

As the business progressed, they found themselves mainly having to focus on dropping collections and capsules, which are basically more standard cuts and types of clothing that people are familiar with. Dludlu, who presently acts as the brand manager and director explains, “we’d make a typical t-shirt as you know it, as opposed to what we used to do when we started; which was if we want to make a sleeve 5 inches we’ll make it 5 inches; [but] just because we know it, doesn’t mean we have to make it like that”. Basically, client preferences became important so as to build a proper customer base and just keep their business running. Now that they are on this journey of regaining self in art, they have been attempting to strike that balance between how they express themselves as a fashion house and addressing customer’s expectations.

One of the ways they plan to apply this desire for self-expression is by fully embodying the Fibonacci principle that inspired the label’s name. As Dludlu explains it, “if you look at what math is in the sense of Fibonacci, is the sequence of endless numbers, right? So what we do and how it aligns to what we do with clothing is instead of it being infinite numbers, it’s the infinite possibilities of what we do with material”. The upcoming collection of varsity jackets aims to introduce this concept very well. Dludlu says the pieces are “the doorway to showing people that this is what you know traditionally a varsity jacket to look like, but this is what we envision it to be and this is what we want to offer you”.

THE LARO BAMBINO WAY:Tapping into a flow state in creativity and music making with the latest project 'Throw Away'.

A rising tide by the name of Laro The Bambino is on the Horizon, and like a good surfer would know timing is everything. Laro The Bambino, a rap musician from Mbabane seems to have an understanding of pacing himself and allowing 'the flow' to lead him to shore.

'The Throw Away' his latest offering is inspired by pure experimentation and the non-stop burning desire to create music, "so with this one it was mostly tapping into a new different sound" Laro The Bambino said.

A seven track project with Conjure on beat production, 'The Throw Away' has a do it yourself energy about it, Laro The Bambino details , "I recorded myself with the guidance from our sound engineer Ryan-x for the final touches".

"The meaning behind “Throw Away” is basically just not giving any serious attention to something and getting rid of it, as at the end of the day we do create music for ourselves and others to consume of course so it has to be released hence “Throw Away”" Laro The Bambimo reiterated.

Allowing the flow state to be the creative force that drives the whole project, Laro The Bambino stated that the Title is self explanatory as the E.P is called “Throw Away”. "We were basically just enjoying ourselves while creating, I would leave that to the listener to decide on how they feel about it".

"Throw Away" E.P a modern day Hip Hop project in sonics and in subject matter which shows its strengths in versatility, unpredictability and Southern African & American cadence. Laro The Bambino details his favourite songs from the project "My favorite songs would have to be “Save Me” as it originated from a true story as well as “Your love” as that also originated from a true experience, but we couldn’t have more of “Polystyrene” because we might have burned down the studio, I am kidding".

Laro The Bambino assures his following that More music is dropping "I am so hyped, got a lot of juice in me to exhaust,we will be dropping visuals to accompany the project as well". Laro The Bambino is also dropping a single on the 29th of June “titled “June 29” then another project is dropping titled “On This Earth” and a date for it is yet to be announced.

Congrats to Where The F is Nosi

Jelele Entertainment News No.6 - Luju, Flowe, Fakazi Samuel, Laro tha Bambino and more.
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Check out our feature article, 'The Story of Purp' - From Rapper to Fabric Art
https://jelele.com/posts/1856

STORY OF PURP: FROM RAPPER TO FABRIC ART
By Thandeka Khoza

Mbabane— A career in the arts is a scary endeavour in the context of our beautiful country, Eswatini. Only a few are brave enough to even bother pursuing it. This is a reality that former Standstill Mafia rapper, Purp, is all too familiar with but is still up for the task of exploring all his creative capabilities through his fabric customization business, ‘Tattooed Clothing’.

Essentially, what Purp does is you give him whatsoever clothing item you have, preferably one made from denim and all he does is paint some beautiful artwork on it. “I want people to be free and to express themselves,” he says, “they shouldn’t be afraid to wear things that are colourful and standout”. In as much as most people would recognize him more for being a rapper deeply involved in the country’s music scene, Purp—born Mkhuleko Mngomezulu—has understood clearly the importance of answering one’s calling in the arts and possibly making a proper living out of that passion. This became more apparent and necessary following his experience during the global pandemic where he lost his job and found himself without a stream of income. Thus he developed this idea of denim customisation. “I started off thrifting clothes for myself and customizing them just for myself until people who would see my designs began complimenting them and started asking me to do some items for them personally”, the rapper said. The inspiration behind even going this route also fed into his rap aspirations since it “did associate with the art ‘cause I wanted to have an image to as a rapper…as to how Purp is gonna look all customized and it was working for me”.

Though Purp has not received any formal training in fine art, his God-given talent has been sharpened over the years through being in friendly competition with the friends in his circle who had a knack for drawing. He perfected it also through practicing on his own by, as he states, “seeing something and copy and pasting in my mind and then replicating it”. The latter would then be the method he would use in coming up with ideas for the type of art to paint onto his customers’ fabrics. Much of the inspiration for his drawings is from the Internet and specific customer requests. This is due to the fact that denim customization has limitations. He mentions “I feel like fabric painting has those limits ‘cause you’re not patching things like uyatfunga, you’re just painting.
So you kinda have to get what the customer wants and then you can work with that”.

Regarding plans for his business, Purp does aim to move into other avenues of creating artwork. “My future plans; I’m definitely starting a tattoo parlour!” he says, “I’m just all about art. From drawing funny comic book things to drawing portraits ebantfu to fabric design to tufting, I’m definitely venturing into all that”.

It just took 3 Awards in Durban watch it here!!..

PUT THAT MUSIC OUT
By COLLEN -TROHH

Put that music out

I seen a meme recently on facebook, and it stuck with me so much because I can relate with it entirely. It was one of those Tupac and Biggie memes that says "it's 2025 and I still listen to 90s music." It stuck because I still do! On a daily basis lol. But it really made me think about how durable music really is and how important it is to release that music.I can't be the only artist who's been sitting on a whole folder of unreleased music until god knows when, and I can't be the only one who sees the flaw in that. Stay with me for this one.

Not releasing the music leaves the whole world out of just how dope that music actually is. There's a youngen somewhere out the waiting to discover his favorite artist and he can't because you're sitting on the damn product! Let's release that fam. Yes, we may have a plethora of excuses why we haven't done that yet, but honestly, we aren't doing the music consumers any justice if we don't give them any music to consume.

There's also visibility. You're an artist and you do music,right? Where's the damn music then!? It doesn't have to be a whole 17 song mixtape like Drake did or a full body project or nothing like that. It just has to be SOMETHING! Imagine a furniture shop with no furniture. An artist is a brand, and brands without product die out, simple as that. And the truth is there will be hundreds of other musicians putting out good music regularly, and they don't have to be better or want it badder than you do, they just happen to have the product whenever the consumer comes around for some. Do you know the taste of Fish n Chips when you're in the mood for some Pizza? Exactly.

You've got to hit the iron while it's still hot. You know, as much as we say music is timeless, ideas are. And as creators, we're often inspired by the world around us, and the music we make is relative to the situations in the environment we are in. Now, doesn't it best serve the impact of our art to release it while it's still fresh? I mean, imagine if I were to drop a song today lamenting about the lockdown situation and COVID-19. I know right? Then whatchu doing with that love song you did last Thursday? Are you gonna wait till you and Jessie break up and it bugs you everytime you have to perform it? And you can't be releasing that beach vibes joint next winter fam, honestly.

And doesn't it feel good to just grow? We do it every other day, don't we? Think about back then, how we used to dress, how we used to walk and the way I talked to that girl I liked that didn't like me back much. Then why aren't you availing that ever so satisfying nostalgia to your audience? The music you do today is a direct reflection of who you are currently as a creative. So drop that single, that EP, that album or mixtape. We're all hungry for it

Jelele Entertainment News No.5_Cach up on what's happening in the Kingdom! upcoming events and new releases
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