5 minutes with rising star rapper Lesedi M on his musical journey

30 August 2024 - 13:19
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Rapper Lesedi M speaks about his music journey
Rapper Lesedi M speaks about his music journey
Image: Supplied

Rapper Lesedi Buthane, aka Lesedi M, grew up listening to different genres of music. He developed a love for the art and expressing himself through it, whether rapping about heartbreak or making listeners want to dance.

Now aged 23, he says it’s always been his dream to pursue music wholeheartedly. 

Lesedi M released his debut single last year and it has been nothing but up since then.

"I make rap music with influences of pop, trap, hip-hop and others. I’ve always been a fan of mixing different genres into a project as I don’t want the sound of my music to be put in one box. It should be able to speak for itself and anyone who connects with it," he said.

"With my recent album Bedroom Stories I was able to blend rap, pop and trap together to make an album I’m very proud of which has passed 150,000 streams on Spotify."

Describe your musical journey to TshisaLIVE.

My journey started when I was in high school. I would write songs after school to describe how I was feeling and how my day went. I realised I have a passion for music and songwriting. I started to learn how to make beats with GarageBand and BandLab. I always knew I had creativity and music was a way I could express myself creatively. Fast-forward to 2024 and I have released my first album which has done more than I could dream of.

You balance multiple passions and pursuits. How do you manage to juggle your daily routine with music?

It’s not without difficulty. I manage my passions and pursuits by giving each their own time. For example, with TikTok I make sure to come up with my skits and video ideas and write them down or shoot them when I’m feeling it. Music takes more of my time because I am a perfectionist. I like to give myself a few hours to sit with a song and dive into what the song means to me and how I can express that to whoever is listening.

What are your views on the status of rap in the country?

I feel like rap music has strayed away from storytelling and is more about hype. No one is telling stories. It is fun to dance to the hype, but where has the depth in music gone? My view on rap is storytelling and bleeding into your music, while mumble rap has become the hype in the new generation. Rap music is losing its storytelling essence.


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