In it for the music, for life
After taking a short hiatus from the limelight, rapper TTGO is back and ready to present his vision with debut album, Lifestylion, writes Shingai Darangwa
IT’S BEEN almost two years since 23-year-old rapper TTGO first broke on to the national spotlight on season two of popular hip hop talent search competition, Vuzu’s The Hustle. Although things haven’t gone exactly according to plan since, he credits the show for putting him on the map.
“It was amazing because your life changes,” he said from his flat in Pretoria. “One day you’re chilling making music in the apartment that’ll probably reach your 600 friends and then next thing you’re on TV every week and you’re being seen by like 8 million people. After that you just become so recognisable, you can’t even go to a mall or a high school because that’s asking for trouble.”
Soon after he placed fourth on The Hustle, TTGO was being booked for shows and modelling gigs.
At some point though, experienced difficulties.
He was quiet on social media, he wasn’t seen out much and he was almost non-existent on the music front. As revealed in a series of recent social media posts, he had quietly decided to take a break and step away from the limelight.
“I was just going through some stuff,” he says. “Some real-life stuff. I just took it day by day. I had a support structure around me in terms of family, some friends, people I was talking to. I just took it slowly for like six to seven months. After that I felt ready to get myself back into the studio and actually get myself in a zone.”
When the time was right, TTGO began working on his debut studio album, Lifestylion, which he finished recording late last year.
I ask him about the origins of the album title: “Lifestylion is a name that we used to use here in Pretoria a while ago. It kind of found its way into Joburg somehow because I remember Broke N*ggaz had an episode called Lifestylion like two years ago. Lifestylion just really means, “in this life”. That’s kind of like what I was trying to express: what people like myself in this generation are going through. That’s kind of some of the stuff that I touch on in the album. It touches on a lot of things that people in my generation express on a day to day basis.”
The album features the likes of Stilo Magolide, Focalistic, Flex Rabanyan and Booga Bhengu.
TTGO, one of the most flamboyant new artists in the industry right now, was the most polarising participant on The Hustle. While AKA, one of the judges, was a big fan many of the audience watching on television weren’t convinced that he was the real deal. That mixture of positive and negative energy worked to his advantage, he said.
“I was actually loving that. My opinion is that if nobody loves it then nobody hates it. I’m kind of just looking at striking emotion in people. Whether it’s my dress sense, my personality or my music, I just want to invoke something in you. You gotta move, you can’t just be indifferent towards me because then I’d be doing something wrong.
“I’m really about the music. I know a lot of people are in it just to be popular. But for me, I’m all about the music.
This is what I’ve chosen to dedicate the rest of my life to. I went to school and I got an economics degree, so I could really have gotten a job a while ago. But that’s not my dream. It’s not about the money. It’s about what I’m trying to do for the rest of my life.” SATURDAY
■ Viennese New Year at Wits Linder Auditorium, 27 St Andrews Rd, Parktown, Joburg. R190 - R360. 5:30pm and 8pm. Call: 027 117 1732.
Show also takes place on Sunday.
■ Lake Heritage Water Festival at Cradle Moon Lakeside Game Lodge, 59 Beyers Naude Dr, Muldersdrift. R130 - R215. 8am. Call: 011 919 5000.
Event also takes place on Sunday.
■ Safari & Secret Underground Dinner at Zwipi Underground Bar, 110 Fox St, Gandhi Square. R595. 7pm. More info: gerald@ joburgplaces.com.
■ Special Screening: This is Congo at The Bioscope, 286 Fox St, Johannesburg. R50. Time varies. Call: 087 830 0445.
■ Neighbourgoods Market at Neighbourgoods Market Johannesburg, 73 Juta St, Johannesburg. Free Entry.
9am. Call: 081 416 2605.
■ Mojak Lehoko, Dave Thompson, Don Packett, Eugene Khoza live at Parker’s Comedy & Jive, Montecasino Montecasino Boulevard, Fourways. R120. 8pm. Call: 011 511 0081.
SUNDAY
■ Art Corner Sunday at Space.com, Joburg Theatre, 163 Civic Boulevard, Braamfontein, Johannesburg. Free Entry. 12pm. Call: 086 167 0670.
■ Deep Candy featuring Ebb x, Mayo Judgie Natasha, De Agrela, Shaun Ribeiro, Cinimin, John Lyra, Kim Myers, Nick Essential, Ricardo da Costa, PM Progressions at Nicci Beach, 1 Margaret Lane Wild Waters Boksburg. R150. 3pm. Call: 011 823 5714.
■ You’ve Never Seen The Film ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’!? at The Bioscope, 286 Fox St, Johannesburg. R50. 7pm. Call: 087 830 0445.
■ African Dinner at Once In Joburg, 90 De Korte St, Johannesburg. R150. 7pm. Call: 062 005 1842.
■ Rosebank Sunday Market at Mall of Rosebank Cradock Avenue Rosebank. Free Entry. 9am. Call: 011 056 7257.
MONDAY
Soweto Experience at Vilakazi Street Soweto. R300. 2pm. Call: 062 005 1842.
TUESDAY
James Morrison Live in Joburg at Teatro, Montecasino, Montecasino Blvd, Fourways, Johannesburg. R400 - R850. 8pm. More info: www. jamesmorrisonmusic.com
Event takes place till Thursday.
WEDNESDAY
■ The Mousetrap at Main Theatre,
Pieter Toerien Theatre, Montecasino, Montecasino Blvd, Fourways. R100 - R240. 8pm. Call: 011 511 1988.
Show runs till March 3.
■ January Bar Night at Sir James van der Merwe, 6 Desmond St, Kramerville, Sandton. Free Entry. 4pm. Call: 072 607 4235.
■ OPEN MIC evening with Jordan Pretorius at Sundowners, Klip Rivier Next to Zeeman’s Dirt Track Alberton. Free Entry. 7pm. Call: 083 260 7047.
■ The Rise and Fall of the African Gospel at Joburg Theatre, Cnr Simmonds Street & Stiemens Road Braamfontein. R50 -R80. 10am. Call: 011 877 6800.
Show runs till Jan 27.
THURSDAY
■ Vittorio Leonardi, Stephen Carlin, Dustin Moore and Schalk Bezuidenhout at Parker’s Comedy & Jive, Montecasino Montecasino Boulevard, Fourways. R120. 8pm. Call: 011 511 0081.
■ Touch Of Class: In ‘n Klas Van Hulle Eie...at Barnyard Theatre - Silverstar, Silverstar Casino, R28, Muldersdrift, Mogale City, Krugersdorp. R150. 8pm. Call: 010 593 0744.
FRIDAY
■ Summer Sunset at Radisson Blu Hotel, Corner Rivonia Road & Daisy Street Sandton Johannesburg. R495. 4pm. Call: 011 245 8000.
■ Isandlwana with Mbuso Khoza at Joburg Theatre, Cnr Simmonds Street & Stiemens Road Braamfontein. R200. 7:30pm. Call: 011 877 6800.
■ Deep House Fridays at 1 Sunset Ave, Lone Hill, Fourways. Free Entry. 5pm. More info: www.beerhouse.co.za
SATURDAY
■ First Moonlight Maze of 2019 at Honeydew Mazes, 82 Boland St, Honeydew, Roodepoort, Johannesburg. R120 - R150. 5:15pm. Call: 073 795 2174. ■ Readers and Writers Festival at
The Moors Castle, 638 Larsens Rd, Muldersdrift, Johannesburg. R65 - R80. 10am. More info: writersblocinternational. com or call: 021 424 9308.
■ Oakfield Farm Summer Bridal Expo at Oakfield Farm, Beyers Naudé Dr, Krugersdorp. R100. 10am. Call: 011 933 3464.