Each time one digs into the sea
of talent that is the South African house music scene, you’re likely to come up
with a prize catch. It’s no secret that SA is undoubtedly the holy grail of
house music and the latest addition to this growing list of bright talent is a
young man by the name of Mkhululi Siqula, but you may know him as Heavy K.
Interviewing young talent is
always a joyful and equally humbling experience because the majority of the
time the artist is innocently unaware of just how influential they've become
within their respective field. My time with Heavy K was no different. As I
arrived for the interview I was welcomed by a youthful and bubbly individual
who couldn't wait to share his story.
In the beginning…
For someone who’s churning out
hits at an alarming rate it’s almost hard to believe that Heavy’s eyes were
initially set on a totally different career path. While he was still known as
Mkhululi to everyone his dreams were firmly set on being a doctor or scientist.
“At school I was very interested
in maths and science” he says with a grin. The stars however had different
plans. One day he was sent by his older brother to collect movies from a
friend’s house. While there the friend was in the middle of a recording
session. Witnessing this was magical for Mkhululi and from that moment on his
love for music production was born and soon enough he was the proud owner of FL
Studio 3!
Point 5 and beyond
For those well versed with the
house scene, the name Heavy K might ring a bell, for once upon a time he was part
of the P.E. based production power house, Point 5. His time with Point 5 saw
him being a part of massive hits like the remix of Busi Mhlongo’s Zithin’
Izizwe. This period also saw the birth of one of the biggest singles of his
career, Lento by Professor.
With cheerful pride he says “I
actually produced Lento when I was 16 and its original title was Email but
after I heard it with Professor and Speedy on the vocals I was like ‘Wow, did I
do this?” Sure enough he did do it and after a few production tweaks, Heavy had
become a part of one of the biggest local dance singles in recent history.
But in the spirit of always
pushing himself, Heavy K decided it was time to go solo, and with the blessing
of his fellow group members it was time for him to ascend to the next level of
his career.
The Gun Song
Simple but distinctive drums, a
break then a gun shot. Those elements are what make what is undoubtedly the
greatest runaway hit for 2012. The story behind Heavy K’s breakthrough offering
will blow you away even more than the shots the single fires.
Within weeks The Gun Song
was being played by every big DJ all over the country and further AFIELD
While waiting for his manager to
pick him up from his house Heavy grew impatient and decided to play around in
his home studio while he waited on his ride. The end result of the little
impromptu session that lasted less than 20 minutes was The Gun Song.
When his manager finally arrived,
Heavy quietly slipped the disc into the car’s CD player and waited for a
reaction. All he got was “This is a hit!” and they were right. Within weeks The
Gun Song was being played by every big DJ all over the country and further
afield. The single was even licensed by France based record company, Djoon!
The Drum Boss
With all his achievements it’s
hard to remember that Heavy K is barely 21 years old. To add to his list of
accolades, there’s a largely successful debut album titled The Drum Boss and
the backing of Oskido and Kalawa Jazzme.
With such heavy hitters in his
corner, things are really happening for Heavy K. With all this in his lap
though he’s already planning his next move. “Fans can expect a live DVD from
me soon and I’m also pushing my record label, On Point Entertainment, which
will give other P.E. artist like me a platform in Johannesburg.”
His parting words are a testament
to the fact that no one currently deserves to shine brighter than this young
man. Right now, it’s Heavy K’s time!
- See more at:
http://bpmmag.co.za/regular-features/heavy-k-the-drum-boss/#sthash.fILRkdSg.dpuf
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