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J Speedsta s newly released single, Don t Panic, featuring one of Mzansi s successful female rappers Nomuzi Moozlie Mabena is blazing on one of the local radio stations in the car.
Soon after a text comes through from his publicist telling me that the 23-year-old DJ, whose real name is Lesego Nkaiseng, is running a bit late since he had just landed from his vacation in Mauritius.
I patiently wait for him at the plush Pata Pata restaurant, one of the busiest eateries located at the centre of Maboneng Precinct.
Just as my colleague and I are about to order our drinks, a lanky, light and handsome figure stands staring at our table from the door.
I wave at him and he walks towards us with a phone in one hand
car keys and fancy shades in the other. He looks refreshed, jumpy and very energetic. He tells us he is ready for the year ahead.
A scan through his social media pages shows he went away with his girlfriend Oneida Cooper, for a vacation, the in-thing for all famous folks who have enough money to spare for a trip abroad with their loved ones.
The year is set to be a very busy one for Speedsta as he has just started his new job as a presenter on
and still hosts his Thursday night show on Yfm.
I got the Vuzu job through an audition. I should have started sometime last year but I felt I was not ready, so I was busy with training. Now I am officially the new face of and I am happy to work for a brand like this because it s young, funky and it s so me he says smiling.
My first break was in 2010. There used to be a segment on Euphoniks show which was called
I did that for six weeks and because at the time I was the first hip-hop DJ to play on the show, that s when people started noticing my name,” he says.
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The hip-hop DJ s break came very early in his career, and before he could even drop his first mixtape, he had already opened for international megastar Drake and toured with Trey Songz, all in 2011 just a year after he played his first mixes on 5 FM.
Speedsta was just 19-years-old and had not played at any local gig of that magnitude so that opened a lot of doors for him.
Born in Vaalpark, in the Vaal, he says his older brother DJ Soulkid had an influence on his career as he always gave him a slot to deejay at his gigs.
I used to be a very naughty child to a point where I used to do silly things in school to get attention. So when I started playing music I realised I didn t have to go that extra mile to get attention as music got me the attention I needed and made everyone happy,” he says.
Him and his brother were the only children at home, with parents who encouraged them to be independent.
I was very independent from a young age. My parents didn t really put a tight leash on us which meant for me I had to grow up real early,” he says.
His debut single featured popular rapper Kwesta and blew both their careers to the top.
Speedsta says if he was not a DJ he would be travelling around the world.
I would be everywhere man. I
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But he admits that his busy schedule has had a negative impact on his personal life as he hardly gets time to spend with close family and friends.
I am growing as a person and so is my career. It gets very difficult to get time to spend with friends and family as I am always travelling around and working,” Speedsta says.
One of the hardest lessons in his life and career came in 2012 when he had an accident on his way from a party in the Vaal.
The saddest moment in my life was when I had the accident and my car got written off. I wasn t hurt but I looked at the car and was thinking that I had worked so hard to have that car but then I had disappointed myself. It could have been worse. I could have died,” he says.
I will not do that again. Up to today I don t drive at night.”
His latest mixtape was released in December and his new single titled
, featuring rapper Kid X and singer Bucie, was released two weeks ago something he counts as another feather in his cap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