LISTEN | Tear-jerker! J'Something wrote a song for Uyinene Mrwetyana

J'Something has penned a heartfelt song honouring the life and memory of Uyinene Mrwetyana, whose death aged 19 last year sent shock waves across the country.

Uyinene was raped and killed by a 42-year-old employee at the Clareinch post office in Cape Town.

Her death had SA in an unbelievable state of sadness and the whole country mourned the loss of the young woman.

For J, it was only music that could help him express the sadness and hopelessness he felt at the time. 

“Last year I wrote this song when a girl whom I didn’t know tragically passed away and left all of us in shock and filled the nation with sadness.”

“One night, out of frustration and deep sadness, I got into the studio to express myself and did this song. I never released it last year out of fear of sharing ... unsure of how it would land and worried about people’s opinions,” he said.

The musician explained that the song was born from an intense sense of helplessness on his part. He said Uyinene's death and the xenophobic incidents that also made the news at about the same time, made him feel that only posting on social media and speaking about these events was not enough.

“I had no idea what to do that day and the days following ... then there was the xenophobic attacks about the same time and I felt so useless not knowing how to get involved and we tried to speak about it and post things etc which I knew wouldn’t really help the situation.”

J'Something added that he was aware - as he shared the song - that it would not solve anything. However, he still wanted to use his talent to shine a light on something that should never have happened and to help keep Uyinene's memory alive.

“Today I would like to present to you this song and pay tribute not only to Uyinene, but so many others who are being killed daily. I know this song too doesn’t solve anything, but I would like to use my gifts to shine a light on something I believe should’ve never happened and something that as a South African really shattered my heart ...”

Listen to the heartfelt song below.