KID X ON HIS ALBUM THANK DA KING, AND WORKING WITH GOGO ESTHER MAHLANGU

What was leaving Cash Time Life like? It came with a lot of increased responsibility. I had to be hands-on about the direction I wanted to take with my career and music. It really forced me to boss up, but it’s been a fun ride.

Do you have plans of branching out internationally? I want to have my music pretty much travel the world and reach as many people as possible. I’ve packaged it to have that South African sound, where no one can doubt where it’s coming from, but has global aspirations. How did you benefit from working with Teargas? It shaped and broadened my thinking of what the music scene is about. They shared their experiences through conversation and music, which made me aware of pitfalls and opportunities. Through working with them, I was also able to find myself and what I bring to the industry.

What inspired Thank Da King? The album only came out when I turned 29 because there have been challenges and hurdles to overcome. It’s a double disc because I needed people to understand my story through music.

How did you get the legendary Mam’ Esther Mahlangu to work on

the project? My people reached out to her team, and it helped that we share a surname! I was fortunate enough that her people had heard of me, so we drove to KwaMhlanga, where she lives, to meet her. The next few weeks thereafter were spent ironing out legalities. I had to send her the entire album so she could be aware of the kind of brand she was aligning herself with.

How are you feeling now that the album is finally out? I never thought it’d be released, hence my euphoria! My main thing has always been to share my story and have people receive it. It’s a large body of work, and to have people listen to and feedback on all 26 songs is really humbling.