Muso reaps rewards after using NSFAS cash to fund career

The state-issued NSFAS fund helps students to go through tertiary education with reduced hassles. Its allowance for life expenses depends on the individual student how they use it. While other students use to buy fashion or alcohol, Bernard Ralehlaka used it to fund his efforts to set up a music career.

The 25-year-old is a second-year law student at the University of Limpopo (UL). He was raised by his grandparents in Seshego, Polokwane.

He said two factors sparked his love for music: his grade 9 arts and culture classes and the Ipod (a mobile music player by Apple) he received for his 15th birthday. But in reality it started much earlier, with Sunday school choir.

“My grandparents are Christians. Since the age of nine, I would go to church with them and I was part of the Sunday school choir. Back in high school during our arts and culture class, we were required to do something artistic in front of our classmates. Some would sing, dance and act. I would perform my freestyle (rap).

“For my 15th birthday my mother got me an Ipod and I used it to load hip hop music. I would listen to the tracks and memorise the lyrics,” Ralehlaka said.

Despite the love of his granparents, the young rapper had a tough childhood.

“I didn’t grow up with my parents. My father was absent in my life and I would only see my mother twice a year because she stayed and worked in Pretoria. So my childhood was rough. The friends I had in my township pressurised me to do drugs and join their gang. Those were hardest days.”

He got involved in a life of drugs and crime from when he was a teenager to his matric year and for another two years after matric.

“Before the end of 2018, I realised there was a problem with me. The company I had was bad. I was tired of fighting with other rival gangs, getting into trouble with the police and smoking all kinds of drugs like crystal meth and CAT. I had to change.”

In 2019 he enrolled with the UL and used a portion of his R3,500 National Student Financial Aid Scheme allowance to build his music career.

“I would spent R1,500 on my rent, R1,000 on food, R300 for transport and the remaining money I would use to book a studio session, pay for a beat and for distributing my music on online platforms.”

Ralehlaka has to date released four tracks under his stage name Bmcabana SF. His music is distributed by Tunecore, an American independent digital music distribution service.

In May, he was given a Facebook blue badge – a verified badge that confirms that his Facebook page is the only authentic page about him as a public figure.

“I am registered with Samro (Southern African Music Rights Organisation) and I get royalties whenever my music is played on radio. Tunecore allows me to distribute my music to platforms like Sportify, iTunes and Deezer. I collect 80% royalties on the number of streams I get. The highest amount I have made from this collaboration with Tunecore is $2,000 (R29,000).”

Ralehlaka added that he wants more people to listen to his music.

“I want to grow musically. I want people in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and Gqeberha to listen to my music. I have a story to tell about my life. I have a unique way of rapping about drugs, women, money and sex.

"I rap about challenges in the township. I want to reach out to that kid who was in my situation and inspire them and say black child, it is still possible. If you want to become a lawyer or doctor, work hard. It is possible.”