Twizz Alfa
Being a university student has exposed me to so many different people in the past two years. On top of which, I have been exposed to their tastes in music, which is what lead me to Sive Marasha’s single ‘Clouds Above’, aka Twizz Alfa. Hip-Hop, originating in the South Bronx in New York City, has become universal and spread throughout the world since the 1970s. Twizz Alfa, an 18 year old aspiring rapper from Gugulethu, Cape Town, currently studies at Stellenbosch University and is slowly making his name known in the Western Cape. With accomplishments like winning the chance to perform on the iPotsoyi Festival stage alongside names like Emtee, Nasty C, and Riky Rick, as a fellow Matie and music lover, of course I had questions.
Q: How has your production process changed since moving to Stellenbosch?
A: Since I left high school, I get to see the real world. When you’re still in school, you are in a sort of bubble where you think everything will go your way, but then you get a reality check once you leave. Being here in Stellenbosch taught me that if I want to be a successful musician I have to work hard to reach my goals.
With regards to my actual production, now I have to manage my time much more efficiently than I did when I was living at home. Everything I work on I used to make in my bedroom, so now that I’m here and I can’t go home every day or every weekend, I have to make sure that I’ve handled my university assignments before I can go home. Had I taken a gap year, I would have been free to record whenever I want and just focus on making music, but at the same time, I’m glad that I came to university because I’ve met other people that believe in me and want to be apart of my success.
Q: How did you feel performing at the Tailored Market in Stellenbosch on July 30, 2016?
A: It was very humbling to see everybody go wild over my performance. The Tailored Market was the first gig I ever booked, literally the first time I ever performed ‘Clouds Above’, and I ended up doing an encore at the end [performance below]. The first time I did the song, the crowd responded very positively, so the organizer of the event asked me to come back to close the event. That’s really helped me because now that I know how people react to my music I am more confident when I have to get in front of people. For instance, I performed in the #OMGWAP competition and I was not as nervous as I was the first time I performed ‘Clouds Above’.
Q: You’ve mentioned that hip-hop as a lifestyle, but it has its own negatives and positives. If there was one thing you could change about hip-hop what would it be?
A: I think I would want to change how hip-hop is perceived more than anything. Hip-Hop is an art form, and it can be controversial depending on how the artist makes sense of things. There are people who still see hip-hop as “the devil’s music”, but that was never the purpose of hip-hop. I mean, I’ve experienced people finding out that I rap and automatically assume that I’m a delinquent or something. People from more rural areas who I have spoken to were taught to see hip-hop in a negative light, and even if you grow up to learn that isn’t true what you learn at home stays with you for the rest of your life. I would want to change how people view hip-hop and have people be more open to it if I had to change anything about it at all.
Q: What was your first call to music?
A: Music for me was not a one time call or moment where I felt like that was what I needed to do with my life. I grew up around music. My older cousin, specifically, introduced me to hip-hop. He would play the greats from the west coast, like Tupac and Snoop Dogg, as well as greats from the east like Biggie, and I remember mumbling along to it growing up. As a family, during hard times, we listened to music to help us through, and when we were happy or celebrating there was always something playing that showed just that.
Q: What is your plan with regards to university and pursuing a career in music?
A: After my course right now, I want to study accounting, but at the same time if my music takes off I might drop out. Music is my first passion in all honesty. The decision to study in university wasn’t necessarily mine alone. Granted, it isn’t as if I hate school or as if I am being forced to apply to study accounting next year, but more so that my family still has a huge say in what I do with my life right now. I mean, I could study music but my mother is concerned about whether or not I’ll be able to make a life for myself doing music alone. Studying accounting is something to make sure that I have a fall back plan. At some point in my life, I would love to study music. I really want to know more about how music is made and what the ins and outs of it are. Especially relating back to my own sound, I want to know how to make my music better with regards to the production side and not just the lyrical side.
Q: How did you come to interact with Fred Kayembe (Editor) of HYPE Magazine?
A: Just after I posted the download link for ‘Clouds Above’ online, I also tweeted it to the people I look up to in the music industry. I’ve watched some of Fred’s interviews online and I knew that him and hip-hop in South Africa are synonymous. It was kind of one of those moments where you shoot your shot, and he took time out of his day to go listen. Later he messaged me and told me he enjoyed the song and later asked when more music would be coming out. That kind of nod from someone as deep in the industry as Kayembe means a lot to me, and even if it isn’t that huge I still recognize it as an achievement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhSwbxKdKCwFacebookBookings: twizz2505@gmail.comDownload 'Clouds Above'!Images provided by HAMU Creatives