SHE LIVED HER LIFE SHEM
Of Sasa Klaas and her mystery man
► She was a rebel at heart, a social media darling
► Bullied in life and in death, did not give a damn
► The killer chopper has history of crashing
► A life departed in swiftness but well-lived in superlative dexterity
Astar in rare form, no filter! A diva on wheels, no synthetic ego bulls**t! A fearlessly forward feminist with a silky personality that unreservedly drew attention her way!
A boundary-breaking superstar whose indelible contribution to the entertainment industry is completely unsurpassed
Born Sarona Motlhagodi in the colourful year of 1993 on May 17th, Sasa Klass as she was beautifully known in show business, will soon have her mortal remains committed to their final resting place - a painful reality that is a constant reminder to those who loved her, of how much death is truly the cruellest fact of life!
Perhaps what is even more cruel is how we will never get to see her tearing up the live stage at the Grammys; how we will never see her being snatched up by a major international label with a number one record; how we will never see her future music burning up the charts and leaving current popular Hip Hop heavyweights in the rear view mirror, because darling - she was worthy and capable of these and beyond!
A couple of months ago when I was having a chat with her over the phone about her new single, ‘Mosoroto’ alongside fellow Hip Hop playmate, Baxton, it became soul feeding of how much even in the midst of what the grim illness Covid19 continues to leave in its wake, her 2020 life story was characterised with so much fiery creativity and resilience.
I even made a mention at how I felt she was one of the most hard-writing artists of this pandemic era! This is the life of a colourful starburst of a human being, departed in swiftness but lived in superlative dexterity!
Her rap line on the verse of ‘Mosoroto’ is a type of lyric that should not be taken for granted. ‘My impact is something they can’t match…’
How can this be further from the truth!?
Klass’s relentless creativity and her huge dive into the male dominated Hip Hop space was one of the driving forces of a solid music atmosphere in our local bubble.
And this impact reaches far deep into performance art, television, fashion, radio, artistry and sex politics; elements of the industry that she gyrated through with class and panache.
Sasa Klass was a monster in her own race. In my opinion she was the female backbone and blueprint of ‘Botswana’s Hip Hop culture for the past ten years, since breaking into the public consciousness with the release of her official debut single back in 2012.
Prior to standing in the professional public light, she spent most of her teenage years plotting her path and planting her roots towards stardom by writing songs and poetry - another talent very much in her own wheelhouse.
What followed next was a career punctuated and underscored by unwavering courage and balanced by hard work. It is against such background that her auspicious moniker has graciously garnered willing esteems of respect in the entertainment industry.
With a glorious string of hits to her name including Mmamongwato, 24 and Mosoroto amongst others, she established a body of work in her entire catalogue that not necessarily cornered her in any form of musical conformism, notwithstanding her known stamp in the Hip Hop circuit.
She was the type of young woman who wasn’t afraid to nail her colours to the mast. She had her claws firmly gripped on conquering the world; one project at a time. And that is exactly what clutched the world’s attention.
Her broad range of interests beyond music also made her an attractive-versatile go-getter that will be forever cherished by her followers.
Her resourcefulness and her grit as a young talent made her worthy of being thrown bouquets at every day. Her extensive collaborative work with her industry peers formed part of her jewels as a selfless individual who placed the interests of her fans and followers above the narrow desire for opportunism in the industry.
She was a rebel at heart! A social media darling with a larger than life character that was utterly breath-taking.
She was often bullied and overly criticised on social media with regards to her love interests and choices in men; a hostile climate that was illinformed and sexist; but always handled with a charm of humility by the Star.