Actor Tyson Mathonsi, renowned for his roles in Muvhango and Umjolo: The Gone Girl, has entered his music era as one half of The Incredibles, alongside his childhood friend Adam Dlamini.
In the last two years, the pair have been growing their footprint with their catchy gqom beats.
Their new single, Shibilika, featuring DJ Tira and BlaQ Kiidd, dropped last Friday, and they speak to Sowetan about their musical journey so far.
How did you meet?
Tyson: I’ve known Adam since Grade 9, when I got a rugby bursary to attend the same school. We were 13 years old. The minute we spoke we clicked and have remained friends ever since.
How did you get your stage name?
Adam: We wanted to stand out. Tyson wasn’t really feeling the name, but I told him to give it some time. I never mentioned it again, but as time went on, he started liking it.
How did you find your sound?
Adam: Our sound is very much gqom, especially the festive type. We want people to dance; that’s what we told Black Kid, a producer and artist from Durban, when we linked up with him in the studio. We told him we needed to work on something energetic and heavy on the bass. When we heard what he produced we knew this was it.
“We want to build something solid and become international.”
— The Incredibles
We hopped into the studio and laid the verse, but we could tell something was missing. We kept asking ourselves who would be perfect to add to the song, and it was none other than “Malume Makoya Bearings”, DJ Tira.
We then sent him the song, but he didn’t reply. I texted him again, and he listened to the song, and all he said was, “Yo, this is fire.”
What type of relationship do you have with Tira?
Tyson: He’s definitely a mentor, but more like a brother. Not only does he have a good and open heart, but he also has a particular way of doing things.
He won’t just come to you and say, “I’m proud of you” — you see it through his actions and the trust he places in you to do more within the space you’re in.
How do you balance acting and music?
Tyson: I’m not sleeping, that’s how I’m doing it. Malume [DJ Tira] always says, “You’re never too busy, you just need to manage your time.” My schedule isn’t so crazy that it affects me, and because God is in control, everything has been going accordingly so far.
I pre-plan and make sure everything is aligned. I act during the day and gig at night.
What’s the vision and plan?
Adam: To be a long-lasting brand and not a fly-by-night group. We want to build something solid and become international. We are planning to drop more singles next year, followed by an EP with features from NaakMusiQ, DCee, DJ Tira and a few more artists.
