Pretoria has been dubbed South Africa’s music hub. The Jacaranda City has unearthed a plethora of Mzansi’s most iconic artists and industry taste-makers. One such trailblazer is virtuosic rapper, Wethu.
Hailing from Gqebehra, formerly known as Port Elizabeth – Wethu relocated to Pretoria in 2009 and later launched his music career. Crafting his own distinct sound, the multi-talented artist has continuously illustrated virtuosity and profound musicality.
The “CONFETTI” hit-maker recently released his debut project, “MORAL COMPASS.” The 12-track masterpiece features phenomenal artists GLXY GRL, Roho, and Jill Valentyne. 808 PLUG caught up with Wethu to pick his brain about his latest offering, being a South African artist in a globalised music industry, and more.
“MORAL COMPASS” is your first full-length project. What inspired the record and its title?
I’ve always moved around in life, whether it be a city, a school, or a neighborhood. Nothing was ever stationary – that’s the physical aspect of being pulled into different directions.
I’ve also got this thing where my thoughts and emotions can be all over the place. One moment I’m fixated on something and the next moment, it’s like that thing meant absolutely nothing to me – that’s the mental aspect of being pulled into different directions.
This project was me summarizing my experiences from 2017 (my first year in varsity) to now. I had a lot of my “firsts” when I got the ‘freedom” that comes with going to varsity. This project is a coming-of-age story. I left Varsity at the end of 2018.
Morality is life, your behavior, and your principles. A compass indicates direction. I was asking myself “where to next ?” No pun intended.
Record opener “SENTIENCE” ushers in with a mellow beat, followed by “I’M BACK” which is more upbeat and trap-infused. How would you describe your sound?
I think I’m still in the process of having a distinct sound but I don’t think I want my music to end up being predictable. “SENTIENCE” was one of the first good songs I’ve ever recorded. I wanted a lush, sonic soundscape to open the album ear-candy – something everyone will immediately be drawn to.
On this project, I think the sound was pretty cohesive. I get why someone might be stunned at the abrupt change from track 1 to track 2, but I wanted it to slap you in the face. There’s no intro for “I’M BACK” I immediately tell you who I am, where I’m from and what I want to do.
In our previous interview, I mentioned that I want to become more melodic. This project is also a manifestation of that. I wanted to encompass every emotion one will probably go through when they’re in Varsity, the highs, the mellow days, the somber depressing days. I guess the sound is hip hop & R&B influenced.
You criticise the world’s ignorance about Africa in “I’M BACK” – arguing that the continent is as modernised as the rest of the world. As an African artist, why do you think it’s important to change the narrative about our continent being uncivilised?
This is an amazing and very important question. It’s important because people give you backhanded compliments when they find out that you’re from Africa. When people find out I’m from South Africa, it’s like they suddenly afford me more credit or they overcompensate in giving praise. I guess it’s not the individuals’ fault because subconsciously, it’s ingrained in their minds that Africa is one place with one struggle and a rural setting with dusty gravel roads. Again it’s not only their fault. The media has played a big role in only depicting one side of the coin.
I’m proudly South African but I don’t want to be given pity and extra attention solely because I come from an impoverished continent. There are parts of South Africa, and Africa at large that are as advanced as many other places across the world. But, because people love poverty porn and the idea of someone persevering through struggle, they entertain false narratives about our continent. So, I had to set the record straight on “MORAL COMPASS.” We are a modern society with everyday societal issues just like everyone else. Our issues may be unique to our land but in theory, it’s the same issues that exist in Europe, America, or Asia.
“CLOSE TO YOU” is euphoniously groovy and adds diversity to the project. How did the song come about?
I was hooked on “Euphoria” when it first came out in 2019. I loved the color grading and tones of purple in that show, and the nocturnal aesthetic too. Seeing how the characters would become intimate always intrigued me. They’d start off as friends/ very cordial, they were just playing it cool. However deep down, these people had feelings for each other.
I had to draw inspiration from my personal experience of being in a friend group with someone you actually want to be close to. Sometimes only being friends isn’t enough. I made the song one night in my room after coming across this beat produced by Zane 98 and I switched off all the lights and let the beat play. Immediately, the chorus came to me, so I recorded the song and wrote the verses. I was still fairly new at making music so it didn’t sound amazing but I knew I’d get better at delivery – I saw the potential in the song. I left it on my laptop for about a year and a half. In late 2020, I listened to it and decided I’d re-record the entire song – I NEVER DO THIS. But I really loved the idea of the song. I was way better at singing and enunciating my words. Sometimes you gotta take time with an idea, especially if you know it’s a skill factor in the way. You can always work on a skill.
“MORAL COMPASS” unearthed your prolific writing skills. How do you go about writing songs? What does your creative process look like?
I normally get inspired to act on a certain itch. That day, I felt overlooked and unseen. So naturally, I’m going to want to pop off. I let the beat play, which was produced by DWNLD. I immediately realised that I needed to make every line a memorable punchline. It’s one of my best verses ever because almost every line is prolific. I left gaps in between the verses initially because I had an idea for a hook, I wrote the hook but I wanted a powerful yet lush voice to sing it, I sent it to Jill around March /April and asked her to sing the lyrics as I sent it with her own cadence and inflections of course and she did an amazing job. The last verse of moral compass is so cool because I challenged myself to deliver a verse in Xhosa.
My creative process is to play the beat, pull out my phone, open the notes app and let the words flow through me. When I’m done writing the first verse I quickly lay it down so I don’t forget the flow, then I create the other verses as I’m recording. There are a lot of pauses & retakes in this process.
You feature astounding artists, GLXY GRL on “WHAT U SAY?” and Roho on “LIQUOR AND REGRETS” – among a few others. How did you go about choosing artists to collaborate with for this project?
I wanted to only do features on songs I knew I couldn’t add any more variation to. GLXY GRL is an amazing songwriter from Canada. I came across her in like 2019. I was new at making music and reached out to her. She was so warm and keen to work. “WHAT U SAY?” was actually started by her – I followed her lead. Recording that song pushed me because she was so brilliant.
With Roho I’d been aware of his music for a while, his tone is so distinct and his songwriting is very descriptive for a vocalist. “LIQUOR AND REGRETS” is such an emotionally charged song. I was very descriptive and detailed with my lyrics about how this person made me feel. I sat with that song for months. One day, I hit up Roho and asked him if I could send him an idea. The dude is an absolute sweetheart. He was game and when he sent it back I knew that the song was going to be so special, yet triggering.
The project comprises an array of beautiful songs. Any personal favourites?
I love “SENTIENCE” because I feel like The Weeknd when I harmonize those vocals. I feel like such a badass on that song, it’s so suave.
“NOT READY” is also a personal favourite because I think I brought a 3-Dimensional/ 3-Generational aspect to storytelling.
“LIQUOR AND REGRETS” is a fave because it’s a true story and I remember how it felt going through those emotions with my first girl. It’s a great “fall out of love” song.
“MORAL COMPASS” is genre-bending, comprising various distinct sounds. How did you go about selecting beats for the project?
The beat has to tell a story. The words will come along. The beat needs to have pockets of space where I can use my voice as an instrument.
The outro track “MARINE DRIVE” was entirely produced by me. I wanted a song that sounds like that relaxed ride back home after a long night. In a movie, it’d be a car drifting off into the horizon with the stars above it in the sky and the movie credits start appearing. Completion, a story concluded.
Your title song “MORAL COMPASS” touches on the apartheid regime and the struggles faced by previous generations during the liberation struggle. In the spirit of youth month, what rights are you most grateful for as a young artist living in democratic South Africa?
I was privileged enough to go to schools in suburban areas, I grew up in Centurion, Pretoria. Growing up in the Suburbs you become exposed to technology, various facilities, and people of different backgrounds. You’re given perspectives from all angles and are less likely to be judgmental or ignorant.
I’m grateful I could build relationships with people of different races, gender, and class and that I was exposed to technology from a young age. Things like education and technology afforded me the gift of being able to communicate and effectively express myself.
What else can we expect from you in 2022?
Without giving away too much, more real-life interactions. You’ll see me being out and about. More music too, hopefully, visuals as well.
Without giving away too much, more real-life interactions. You’ll see me being out and about. More music too, hopefully, visuals as well.
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