Molemi

Molemi – Amantsi
Biography

One of the most hotly anticipated hip-hop releases of 2007 has arrived – and it doesn’t disappoint.

Indeed Molemi’s solo offering ‘Amantsi’ far outstrips the expectations heaped on this quite exceptional “king of Twana rhyme”, as many have dubbed him: End-to-end, through a massive 17 tracks, ‘Amantsi’ is the sound of an artist able to create his own reality and distinctive sound through beats and rhymes that qualify Molemi for the title of newcomer of the year.

In fact, even though ‘Amantsi’ is Molemi’s debut solo offering, he’s been on the scene for some time, initially as one of the founding members of Morafe which Molemi says he’s never left and subsequently as a collaborator on several projects.

To gain some insight into where Molemi is from and what his lyrical intentions are tune into track three on ‘Amantsi’. The ‘Q and A wit Lee’ sees Lee Kasumba take on Molemi in an interview that allows him to lay his position out for all to see.

First up, as he reveals in the cut, Molemi is intent on speaking for the “Blue Collars”, “People who work the hardest, but earn the least,” is how he puts it. The people “at the bottom level” who are not benefiting from the political freedom that came in the wake of the 1994 elections are those who benefit from the rhymes of this highly literate individual, who takes his inspiration from the lives of “powerful and influential people, like the Cuban revolutionaries”.

That Molemi is so aligned to South Africa’s labourers and hard working folk is no surprise to those who know just what drives him – and even those he’s set his sights on making an impact on the South African music scene, it’s not music that propels Molemi forward.

“It’s farming,” he says, simply. “Molemi is a rap character but the person behind him is a horticultural specialist.” And he’s not kidding: Molemi may be living in Johannesburg, firing his music career along but when he has a chance, he’s back home on his farm near Mafikeng, where he specializes in hydroponics crop production systems (growing vegetables in secured environments like greenhouses to ensure quality and quantity for competitive markets and food security).

Molemi is the first to confess it took a while for him to find out what he truly loved in life. “I tried going to university and studying but that wasn’t for me. In fact I tried a few things before discovering the art of hydroponics.” Molemi pays tribute to his parents for believing that he would eventually find his calling.

That Molemi represents a deeply-rooted assimilation of traditional consciousness and contemporary music trends is partly due to the way he was raised – and is evidenced all over Amantsi. Tracks like’Molelo’ and ‘Uhuru’ speak of a heightened sense of consciousness and Molemi’s collaboration with the likes of Omphile (on ‘Freak Out’), Kaygizm (‘Magnificent’) and Tuks Senganga (‘Cover Charge’) also elevate ‘Amantsi’ into a broader zone. 

As Otsile Ntsoane says on Molemi’s website, “An advocate of Indigenous languages Mo’ remains a native who has not assimilated the culture of Ghetto and imperial America to despise his own. He uses Setswana expressions undisturbed, and remembers what he is, what he stands for musically and lyrically amidst the ever growing hip-hop genre”.

Molemi is unashamed about the fact that he wants to create stories that provoke debate – something that his career until now has also resulted in. High speculation over when and who would release his debut album saw Molemi notch up a significant amount of press inches, as did his relationship with HHP (who, incidentally, turns up on the track ‘Manong’).

In the end, ‘though, in ‘Amantsi’ Molemi has created an album that stands out with ease; crafting a singular sound that is likely to see the release make it onto many ‘best of’ lists of 2007. Musically, it’s a fusion of many influences including Motswako, and Marley’s reggae, and much more. As Molemi says, “It’s a journey through the road less traveled.” And it’s undoubtedly one that many music fans will want to take.

The History

* 1981 - Born, Motlapele Morule, the how many-th?
* 1997 - Co-founded il-tribe with Towdee, Kaygizm and Khuli

* 2000 - Changed group name to Morafe

* 2001 - Featured on HHP’s 2nd album, maftown, on ayoba

* 2002 - Resigned as a full member of Morafe, who cares why?

* 2003 - Undertook a vegetable production project with the help Of my dad on the 
family farm, Bakang.

* 2005 - Planted 50 hectares and harvested 36 tons of dry sunflowers
• Featured on HHP’s 5th offering, yba2nw

* 2006 - Resigned as a full member of Morafe, who cares why?

More info on www.molemi.co.za & www.myspace.com/momolemi