Sepedi rap music fanatic encourages mother tongue usage in song

MONSTERLUS – Johannes Lehlokoa AKA Hlokoa la Tsela, an entrepreneur, artist, song writer, videographer and actor, calls on rural artists not to shy away from their mother tongues for foreign languages when they make their music.

Hlokoa la Tsela is an independent hip-hop music genre artist from Sekhukhune district’s Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality in Monsterlus Township outside Groblersdal within the Hlogotlou area.

The musician says he started his venture at an early age in his life at 15 years-old and became a recorded artist in 2009 in his first studio track before he released his first EP Limpopo project with six tracks back in 2018.

He brags that he is proudly a Limpopean and is proud of his mother tongue, Sepedi, which is the reason he raps in the language as he does not think that the mostly used English language is any better.

Hlokoa la Tsela revealed to the paper his aspirations to make it big nationally and world-wide using Sepedi in his musical projects.

“I want to inspire all artists from Limpopo province whose dream is to be in the industry not to be ashamed of their mother tongues in their music.

Lehlokoa mentioned Sepedi language not being taken seriously with a minimal participation level of artist in vernacular projects as a major problem.

“Pedi rap music is not yet clearly understood by many people and that makes it difficult to draw followers.

The Sepedi rap music fanatic wishes to work with big names such as Makhadzi, Ishmael, Speedy, Mopedy and Mokapoteni in his next projects.

“I have worked with Eleven Blacknote, DJ Calvin, DJ Mar-Ques and Innovation as producers as well as Miz Bee, Juicy, Confidence, Luther Act as vocalists. I have also worked with Thapedi, NK28 Moquan, Myztry and Driller T as rappers,” boasted Hlokwa la Tsela.

The artist calls on all aspirant youngsters, especially from rural communities, to use their mother tongues to their advantage and occupy the large unexplored music space.