MEET NALEDI SKYES; THE MORNING STAR WHO IS THE FUTURE OF SOUTH AFRICA RAP [INTERVIEW]

Time is 8:04 on a Friday evening when I place the call through. Clearing my throat when I hear him pick the call and the first words gush out; ‘Hi Naledi, this is Ejirhoghene from Nigeria, You good?’

‘I’m good bro, could you let me go outside so I could get better reception, I can’t seem to hear you well?” Doors open, I hear voices, shuffling feet and dogs barking and in less than a minute everything is sorted out.

His reply is chilled, not forced, his voice is deliberated, not so much energy put into it. But it holds the promise of someone who has a lot to talk about.

Naledi Skyes christened Naledi Makuye is from the south of Johannesburg. Birthed near a city called Vanderbijlpark which comprises of four townships, one of them Bophelong is his.

A place where the people are known to live above their means — where they buy expensive clothes while living in raggedly places. A place where even when broke, they rock designers.

His foray into music started in high school from poetry and having cyphers in school cafeteria coupled with the heavy influence of 90’s music he was exposed to as a youngster. For Naledi, it is important to talk about what other people are going through. He knows he is blessed and there is more to the music.

His 2020 debut EP ‘Broke in Designer’ an impressive body of work with an appluadable storytelling game. A skill he has ascribed to the music of The Notorious BIG, 2Pac, Snoop Dog and Dr Dre he was exposed to by his brother who would pick him up from school and have all these songs blaring from his car speakers.

An EP that he admits has opened a lot of doors for him; Astronomical streaming numbers and more show bookings.

21 years of age but he is assured he is far ahead of his time. Hungry he is, but all he wants to do is to represent Africa on a global scale with Hip-Hop and elevate hood rats from the grimy streets of South Africa and by extension Africa.