The largest record label in South Africa, Gallo Record Company, is proud to announce the signing of the Durban raised, multi-award-winning rapper and producer Mawat.The yellow draped rapper is a holder of several awards and is also a nominee of the AGMMA (United Kingdom) and the SAMA’s (South African Music Awards). A seasoned producer as well, Mawat has produced music used in Rhythm City (eTV), Isidingo (SABC3), as well a theme song for DStv.
Gallo Record Company is delighted to have Mawat signed to the label and the team at Gallo are looking forward to working with this local powerhouse of an artist. He is a Brand Ambassador for Pringles and a former Brand Ambassador for Score Energy Drink.Mawat is also the producer of the incredibly popular Solidarity Fund endorsed song ‘Love Is The Answer’ which features himself, Lebo Sekgobela, Mariechan, Masandi and multi-Grammy award winning Soweto Gospel Choir sharing a message of hope and unity for all South African’s.
As if those are not enough accolades, Mawat’s single ‘Inanda’ which is an ode to his hometown township Inanda in Durban, has recently been RISA certified as well as achieving Gold status. Says Rob Cowling, GM for Gallo Record Company, “Mawat was a great find earlier this year and such a treat to come across such a talented, passionate and driven artist. Already with a successful background and with some great plans on the horizon, we look forward to continue building to bigger things and the partnership with Mawat and his team.”
Commenting about his signing Mawat said, “This is just the beginning of the announcements that we will be making via this partnership. This is not just another recording deal, there is more in store. ”He added, “I couldn’t have chosen a better time to join the label. Arena Holdings’ resources combined with the expertise from Black Coffee’s arrival, makes Gallo the place to be for a musician of my calibre who has ambitions to be a music business executive.”
The editor of Dannywired got to chat to Mawat and this is what he had to say
Let’s take it back it, you have won a couple of awards within the gospel genre – tell us about those awards
My love for God is undeniable and i can’t hide it, it the gospel fraternity i then worked with Sifiso Ncanwane, a very close brother of mine so in working with him we’d sit in studio and he’d want to do a few things and id help him there and there and he suggested that i should do a song since i was already there. I eventually worked on the song and people really loved it and it won an award. We then worked on another one and it won an award but above it all i’m an musician and i do music all around but i’m not going to hide the fact that i love gospel music – like Benjamin Dube like my father and i calls him paps so yeah i’m know in the gospel industry for a couple of song and it’s all thanks to the brother of mine who is no longer around. I can’t continue doing it without him because he was my inspiration.
How challenging was it for you moving from gospel hip-hop to urban hip-hop?
I was always urban hip-hop but everytime i liked up with Sifiso he’d push me to do a song and almost all the songs were gospel songs because of him. It then created a brand around that which tried to shadow my urban part then when i was like “wait a minute this is not only who i am” but to really move away from it was a difficult thing maybe also easier cause he is no longer here. When a person who inspires you to do something takes time to assist you with it, when they are no longer here you kinda like lemme just continue and do what i did before that person came along. I’ll do it again when i feel like doing it.
Earlier you spoke about growing up in Inanda and how you are now seen as this “hero”, when you were still a young kid back then, did you ever imagine you being this star you are today?
It’s going to sound like a generic answer but it makes more sense if you have walked through the streets of Inanda to understand what i’m about to say and i tried in my best abilities to record the actual life of Inanda through my music video Inanda but for me it’s… well i did not and you can google the place, the first thing you are going to see is the crime stats, it’s the highest in KZN as a whole and that’s been my life, there where i grew up. Walking in that area and living that lifestyle, there was no way i thought i would write a song about for a multi-grammy winning artists, i never thought i’d do that im my wildest dreams but it’s through my hardwork and determination and things are happening and i’m so humbled.
If you track back, a lot of people who come from a poverty stricken background find it hard to get out and make a name for themselves, how did you remain grounded and not get consumed by Inanda?
Don’t get me wrong, i was very consumed by Inanda and i have scars to prove it. You end up being immune to what’s going around you and for people from the outside looking in would even say we are living like barbarians but for those on the inside they become immune to what’s going inside. How did i stay grounded? Well one would be my granny and when my mother got arrested that’s when my father passed on and it was round about the same time – my mom got a 5 or 15 years sentence, reality really hit me hard at home. My grandmother had to look after us and a whole lot of other kids and I said to myself I need to do better for myself and I chose my talent to get where I am today.
Would you say the situation you were in was the biggest wakeup call for you?
Yes! When life really me was when my friend got 37 years and he is still locked up and my other friend got 20 and the other got 10 and that’s when i realized that that’s not the life i want to live. I dropped everything and chased a dream and it got me here.
Covid happened and we were literally locked in our houses, then the zoom meeting happened and you were offered a contract to sign with Gallo Records, how difficult was it for you to say yes over a video call?
Very! For a couple of years i’ve been running my own thing with my team and it took me time to build and the first thing i thought about other people’s stomachs and if i leave then go to Gallo what would have to my team. I shared my concerns with Gallo and they say bring your team along. I had my doubts because i do things my way and I didn’t want people to control the way i do things. Surprisingly they were on board with what I wanted to do and gave me the ropes to continue doing things how I knew they would work for me.
You signed with Gallo then worked with Soweto Gospel choir, Mariechan, Masandi, and Lebo Sekgobela on the Solidarity Fund, How daunting was it for you to work with these artists with so much experience?
The way you are saying it is how i felt, i had to bring myself towards myself. I wasn’t just part of the song, i wrote and produced the song and now how do you even write for such talented artists, i mean you have never seen a grammy nor touched one or been in an award ceremony now imagine how felt having to write and have them trust my abilities and do as i said also for for them to agree and put their name behind it, that took me out of this world also for Lebo, i said here’s the lyrics and she did what she did and that was a little bit crazy for because i expected to work with divas and it was the complete opposite, it’s a new level, new league. I’m just a boy from Inanda and for them to believe what I’m saying! I thank God for their humble characters, they listened to what i had to say and they were always on time, they did a great job. Now speaking about Sis Lebo, when she saaaaang!!!! Everyone wanted to redo their parts cos she saaaang! The voice that comes from there! She is so effortless and blew everyone away, she was modest about it even did a few takes asking me how i want it! That experience humbled me.
After receiving your final master of the song, was it the confirmation that this is what I was born to do?
I didn’t want to play the song for a couple of days, I felt so small – it wasn’t real to me and just wanted t o move to the next project. I was in denial and shoutout to KG my girl who said baby this is you and you need to believe that this is you and shout out to Gallo who put it in my head that I’m capable of doing it and once I listened to it I was in tears for a couple of days.
Tell about working on this album during the lockdown.
Lemme clarify something so the Peer Pressure album was already done i just gave it over to Gallo which is being rereleased through Gallo and the second project that’s the one with Kid X, Sjava which i made during the lockdown and they have been calling me to hand it over but im just in the selection process of it.
What does it mean for you selling gold on Inanda and two representing Inanda through this song?
I wish I had a relationship with Tupac when he did Live and Die in LA and Pro Kid when he did the song about the South. I would think we all feel the same way as how i feel right now. This song is who I am and where I am and having been recognised by ikasi lam, they are my biggest supporters through downloads and streams. I have all these people who i grew up with and now they see me as their hero which is a lot of pressure and 2 it’s a great thing that i have a gift to showcase Inanda.
Where to from here?
First of all I’m going back home with the award and we are going to do a radio tour and a rally and let people touch so that they can see that we were here together with that guy who took 25L of water with them and now I have a RISA certified gold record. I have a foundation back home called the Mawat Foundation and I want to go back and inspire them. Then finishing off the new project.
There is a kid in Inanda who is looking up to you right now, a kid who is about to give up, what is your message for that kid?
Don’t allow the environment to defy who you are, the real you knows you capabilities and you abilities. If you are going to allow your environment to determine your outcome you would have given in to poverty and crime. Just continue believing and pursue that
Mawat Social Media Handles: Instagram – @mawathsk | Twitter – @mawathsk | Facebook – @mawathsk
