Young, ambitious hip hop artist, Athenkosi Vundisa, known as Snip Mabhakethy 97, has released a new single.
Isilolo talks about growing up in the township and not allowing your hardship to derail your spirit from chasing your dreams.
The song seeks to encourage his peers and young generation that they should never give up on life simply because they were born and raised in the dusty streets of the township.
In an interview with Vukani, Snip Mabhakethy 97 sounds confident and speaks with the tone of someone who is eager to achieve greatness in the music industry.
The 24-year-old says when he penned the song he was inspired by his humble surroundings which are the key ingredients in packaging the powerful lyrical content of his song.
He says through the song he wanted to remind the young boys in the township to look for positive role models they can look up to.
He says in many cases there is nothing good said about the township and he wanted to be counted among those who were changing that narrative.
He says when people talk about the youth of Khayelitsha they mention crime and violence and but rarely the entrepreneurs and creatives.
“I see myself as a innovator and motivator to peers and those younger than me.
“I want to leave a legacy in the township and let my work speak volumes for what I have done for my township. It is the time that the township embrace one of their own and support my musical career so that I could plough back to ekasi.
“I hope this song changes how young people from ekasi are perceived,” he said.
Talking about his musical journey, says he started dancing with Amapantsula groups in his area of Site B in 2014 and that is how his love for music was developed.
He then got involved with a number of arts projects in his community with one thing in mind – to learn as much as possible about the industry and also hone his skills.
He decided that this was what he wanted to build his life around. However, convincing his parents about this still remains a major challenge.
He says in 2017 he enrolled for Film and Television studies at City Varsity but dropped out to pursue his music career.
He says that decision did not sit well with his parents as they could not understand why he would drop out of school for something that does not bring anything on the table.
He says his relationship with his father has taken a knock, but he understands where his parents are coming from and knows that as time goes by they will understand his choices.
He also knows that to get a breakthrough in the music industry, he will have to work on his craft every day and double his efforts.
Snip Mabhakethy 97 says he also has a clothing brand called Isilolo and has urged the people of Khayelitsha to support his art.
