Blxckie Tells Apple Music How He Grew His Profile During the Pandemic

South African hip-hop star Blxckie joins Nandi Madida via FaceTime on Apple Music 1 to talk about his latest single, “show u luv.” He also discusses his new album, ‘see u soon,’ how his upbringing influences his sound, and his plans for continued growth.

Tune in and listen to the full episode this Friday, July 26th at 9a Lagos/London / 10a Johannesburg/Paris / 1a LA / 4a NYC on Apple Music 1 at apple.co/_AfricaNow and broadcast on YFM Accra every Sunday at 2pm, YFM Kumasi on Saturdays at 3pm and YFM Takoradi on Saturdays at 6pm.

Blxckie Tells Apple Music How Signing to Def Jam Helps To Expand His Ambition
I’m in a good space right now. Creatively, sonically, the songs are sounding crazier. I think because obviously I have something to prove. I’m not super out there in the global community, and that’s the point of the project; that’s the point of the signing. We always have to elevate. It’s all good and well doing stuff in South Africa, but in order to grow and learn more, yeah, it’s time for me to go out there and see more.

Blxckie Tells Apple Music About His Upbringing in Sydenham Heights, Durban
So, yeah, Sydenham. The Nims is where I grew up. It’s a small town… I like to say town… in Durban. I grew up in the flats; it’s a small community, mostly populated by mixed race people, or coloured people, if you’re here in South Africa. I think a lot of people that grew up in Sydenham have big dreams. It’s not far from the main city, the CBD, and there’s a lot of opportunities there. There’s a… great primary school, a lot of different things going on there. I think that’s how I was able to get [an] academic scholarship because my library teacher was actually just someone stepping in to help us with English and creative writing and reading, and stuff like that. So I feel like there’s a lot of dope opportunities there, and it doesn’t limit a kid from there. I still talk to people from there, the kids from there right now are also very ambitious and stuff. But then obviously with the place that it is, it does have its downsides.

Blxckie Tells Apple Music How He Grew His Profile During the Pandemic
I always say that there was a lot of work that went into just the first sort of utters of my name in Johannesburg. Because in Durban there was a lot that we did as Clout Internet Boyz. There was a lot of work I did with Distruction Boyz. I was staying with them for a bit. Witness the Funk. And then when I got to Joburg, I think it just sort of sparked, because obviously there’s a lot of Durban people in Joburg, and in the industry. So when the first sort of “hit” came out, which is “Big Time Sh’lappa” with LucasRaps, it was easy for people to recognise the name. I didn’t know it was going to be that quick, but I always knew that at some point something was going to click. Because I listened to everyone that was doing what I was doing, even people that weren’t doing what I was doing, just listening to the music and hearing what people have out. And I was like, “Okay, I do have something different. And even if it’s not that different, I can do what’s being done.”

Blxckie Tells Apple Music About His Track, “all faxx”
It’s inspired by growing up in Durban, specifically Sydenham with my best friend, Leodaleo, who I always speak about in most of my interviews. All the conversations we had. All the stuff we went through. I feel like that’s the longest song on the tape also. It’s like a two-verse one, where I’m just talking about everything that’s going on, and how everything has changed, also. So, yeah, I feel like it’s a dope one. We did a nice video for it out in New York too. So, yeah, it was just a very full circle moment because in the song I’m speaking about all the dreams of being in these sort of spaces. And then in the video the contrast is just I’m there and I’m rapping about it. So it’s pretty cool.

Blxckie Tells Apple Music About Making R&B and How the Album ’see u soon’ Showcases His Talents
Of course, when I started, the whole rap stuff was what people were liking me for. So I did that a lot. But when I got into the debut album and I started showing people what else I can do, then they started being like, “Okay, cool, R&B Blxckie is the thing.” And yeah, for ’see u soon,’ I wanted it to mimic ‘B4now’ in the sense that it’s not super conceptual, it’s more of a showcase. It’s more of just, “This is what Blxckie can do.” And then, yeah, after this we’re going more crazier.

Blxckie Tells Apple Music About Flexing His Rap Skills on His Track, “amazon”
Sometimes you got to… You know how Kendrick says, “Sometimes you got to pop out and show…” you know? You got to pop out sometimes and let people know who you are. So “all faxx” was part of that. “amazon” was also part of that. Because even just this whole transition and trying to cross over and stuff, there’s a lot of work to be done. I don’t want to take it lightly. So there’s a lot of artists that I listen to that are super great, and they all big up themselves and make sure people know that they’re there. And I feel like I have to do the same thing, because I’m here to do the work. I’m not here to act like, “Yo, I’m big and South African, so you guys have to see me the same way.” There’s a lot of work to be done. There’s a lot of people to touch and stuff like that. So, yeah, I feel like “amazon” is part of that.