The smash hit, Sosh Plata, put Loatinover Pounds on top of the rap game three years ago.
Born and bred in Morula View, Mabopane, the 26-year-old rapper, whose real name is Loatile Mangadi, has not slowed down since.
Sowetan finds out what has made him unstoppable.
Where does your love for rap come from?
When I was in grade 3 or 4, my dad brought home a computer from work. I was excited to play games on it, but unfortunately, it couldn’t run game titles like FIFA or GTA. Instead, it only had Virtual DJ and FL Studio 4 — one for DJing and the other for making beats.
So, I started making beats for fun and used Virtual DJ to collect and mix music. That’s when music became my thing. I began writing to those beats, with the influence of rappers that I listened to in hip-hop, while also learning more about the most popular sounds in Pretoria, Bacardi and deep house.
Who were your musical influences?
I got the best of both worlds. I’d be surrounded by people who listened to Young Money [Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki] along with the likes of Eminem and Jay-Z. On the other hand, I knew people who were into local artists such as Black Coffee, Zakes Bantwini and Culoe De Song — mainly because of the strong house culture in Pretoria.
Hip-hop at the time wasn’t too big; it was more popular in Joburg. This was around the time my interest in SA hip-hop started growing. I’d listen to Amu (a.k.a. Amunishn), ProVerb, Khuli Chana, AKA, Cassper, Kwesta and Emtee — these rappers shaped most of my lyricism.
When was your breakout moment?
When A-Reece hit me up to jump on my remix, I remember saying to myself: “Ja no, it’s close now.” That Sosh Plata Remix did wonders for my career, and what’s funny is that the song only caught up to people three months after it dropped — I thought its original release would be the moment, but that moment only came when I’d perform the remix on stage.
I’d get into a venue and I’d hear people singing my song — it was an indescribable feeling.
Which artists have been there with you through this journey?
From 2015 to 2018, it was me grinding. I then decided to test the waters by dropping music in the same year [2018] while performing at shows. I’d share a stage with the likes of Sjava and 25k. I’d meet up with them, and some would give me advice on how to tackle getting into the industry.
Fast-forward to 2022, and I appeared on A-Reece’s video. He was the first A-List rapper to give me a shot. After that, I started affiliating myself with 25k, Thapelo Ghutra and most of the rappers in the game.
What’s the one thing you’d change in the music industry?
The fight for royalties is something creatives need to take seriously. As artists, we can’t be sidelined when it comes to ownership of our work. Without fair compensation, many struggle to grow their careers and establish their names or brands.
Who is your biggest fashion influence?
They change. Every season, I have a new one, but there was a time when Riky Rick was the main one. If it wasn’t for him, fashion and hip hop wouldn’t make sense. Before him, there was no fashion that you could use in SA hip hop and through the risks he took, selling his own merchandise, something artists weren’t doing at the time– he made us see that as a possibility here in Mzansi.
Internationally, it’s Tyler, the Creator, mainly because his mentor is Pharrell. They both push the envelope when it comes to how an artist can look aesthetically.
What are your future hopes and dreams?
To become the biggest rapper from SA, and to one day collaborate with Kendrick Lamar and Westside Gunn.
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