Recording artist Drakhula recently dropped a fiery single titled Flame. Drakhula’s latest offering comes after the release of his hit single, Bando – which he performed on SABC 1‘s popular youth show, YO TV.
808 PLUG caught up with Drakhula to talk all things Flame and get to know more about his artistry.
For our readers who are just getting to know you, who is Drakhula?
Khulani Mbele, better known as Drakhula is a 23 year old artist from Durban. I prefer to be called an artist and not a rapper. This is because my music is art, hence the term artist is more suitable.
What’s the backstory behind your stage name?
The name Drakhula was given to me by my cousin Davidson because I couldn’t come up with a good stage name. I used to call myself Lil Skippy, then later changed it to Young Reezy. This was up until my cousin came up with Drakhula. The name was derived from one of my favourite artists’ names – Drake, as well as the last part of my real name – Khulani. The “DRA” is from Drake and the “KHULA” is from Khulani.
What can you tell us about your single, Flame?
Flame is a follow up for my single Bando, which I dropped in 2018. The single did big things for a solid 3 years. It got played on the radio and I had the opportunity to perform it, on YO TV. The positive response from Bando made me realise that I have to drop another song for the people.
I was at Bistah Entertainment studios at the Bluff in Durban with producer, Audio Simz. The vibes were really good when he played me some beats. I chose one beat, which I knew was the one from the get go. I wrote the song in about 30 minutes and we finished making Flame in an hour.
What inspired the single?
Flame was inspired by how I push myself and never quit. The chorus says “I’m coming through with the flame” because I really am coming with the flame, and I don’t give up. I push myself because I’ve noticed that I get rewarded for it in the end. Being independent also inspires me a lot because I’ve literally done what record labels do for their artists, all by myself. I’m really proud of myself and all my accomplishments.
When and how did your journey with music start?
Well, my journey with music started when I was very young. I used to download beats and freestyle to them back in primary school. This was during the krumping era so I would freestyle on the J Squad Krumping beats. I was still lost during that time but I later learnt how to actually write raps and do more than just freestyling. Being accustomed to freestyling at all times can be tricky. I once forgot my lyrics during a performance. I had to ask the DJ to cut the song so I could do an acapella and rap my heart out. That helped me save the performance and get the crowd back on my side.
Who are your biggest music influences?
I really look up to Nasty C and A-Reece. I look up to them because they’re both my age and doing amazing things, which inspires me to keep going in order to reach the top. I am especially inspired by Nasty C because we’re from the same city, Durban.
What are some of your all-time favourite Hip-Hop albums?
Nothing Was The Same by Drake, Control System by Ab Soul and Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight by Travis Scott.
What inspires you to make music in general?
The love – I have so much love for music. Throughout all these years, music has been showing and giving me love back so I know that I’m on the right path. Without music, I don’t know what I would be doing. It has my heart.
Which artists would you like to work with in the future?
I would love to work with Nasty C, 25K and Zoocci Coke Dope. Internationally, I would definitely like to work with either Ari Lennox or H.E.R. I’m a fan of their music and I believe that a song with them would be pure heat.
What’s next for Drakhula?
More music, visuals and performances are on the way. I am planning on doing a radio tour for Flame and I have a project in the works. People should stay tuned because there’s a lot that Drakhula has in store.
Click here to listen to Flame.