CELEBRATING THE COLOSSAL SASA KLAAS
“And we wept, that one so lovely should have a life so brief!” – William Brant.
The tragic spiritual transition of 27-yearold Sarona Motlhagodi, popularly known as Sasa Klaas, has been quite disheartening. Her memory lives on through her music and vibrant persona; well-documented on social media and ingrained in the hearts and minds of those who had the privilege to encounter her both personally and professionally.
When I heard of her passing, my memory jogged to about six years ago, when an associate suggested that I interview her. The SMS read: ‘There is this other rapper chick who is going to be the next big thing in music - her name is Sasa Klaas. You actually know her, she is Sasa, Seabelo’s sister - we went to primary school with her.’ There was only one ‘Sasa’ I knew from my primary school years – a bright-faced, friendly yet shy chubby girl who was a few classes below me. Could it be her? It turned out that it was her. Meeting her after more than a decade, I instantly noticed her striking swan-like transition – she was now a bold and confident young woman with ripe breasts, shapely curves, generous booty and a whole lot of vibe. I gushed: “Sarona? So, you are “the” Sasa Klaas?!” She smiled coyly, showing off that cute gap in her front teeth…
Sasa Klaas said that she had always loved music. “I would have done myself injustice if I didn’t follow my passion,” she said. Before she got her big break, she started off spitting verb on other rapper’s songs. She eventually got her foot in the door and never looked back. Her stage name was derived from her nickname and the Klaas was tribute to her grandfather of the same name. She said was born for music and insisted that she would run the streets. And she did. Her two biggest hits Mmamongwato and A ke mo khande featuring Scar, elevated her to music industry heights. She effortlessly became the queen of BW hip-hop.
Sasa Klaas’ musicality was versatile – with the ability to go from hard-core rap to poetic flow, as evidenced in her stellar collaborations on romantic ballads ‘You’ featuring Samantha Mogwe and Pelo e sematla featuring ATI, and also on recent collaborations with Baxon on the songs, The Best things and Mosoroto. In an interview with this publication last year, Baxon sang praises for the rapper. “She is not only a hardworking, passionate and talented rapper but she is also an amazing human being,” he said.
Sasa Klaas oozed drip and was a relevant part of local pop culture. Her stage performances were also lit, and she always had fans eating from the palm of her hand. She kicked to the curb, the ‘good girl’ image and proved that one could be a ‘bad ass’ with soul. She turned heads everywhere she went - not only because of her enviable figure, Barbie-like pretty looks, raw lyrics and raunchy performances, but also because of her magnetic persona; it was hard not to notice her, and harder not to like her. Tina Fey once said, ‘Do your thing, and don’t care if they don’t like it.’ Sasa Klaas was that girl; an undeniable free spirit – her image said: ‘This is who I am, take it or leave it!’ The rapper and television presenter, was also a gender activist of sorts in the sense that she tried to motivate and uplift other women through encouraging positive body image, self-love and personal power. With her, there was very little bickering, drama, claws-out nastiness or snarky theatrics often associated with many girls: she was a ‘girl’s girl’ in all essence, largely because she had learnt to be confident and comfortable in her own skin, so she wasn’t threatened by anyone – all she had to offer was tons of love and positive affirmation. Beyond the music, Sasa Klaas was the ‘poster girl’ of living your best life. She was an authentic non-conformist who radiated positivity, lived life on her own terms and proudly made her mark. Rest easy, mama Klaas!