K-$ has emerged as one of the most refreshing talents we’ve come across within South Africa’s night life scene. Reppin’ Cape Town, the talented DJ is exposing the rest of South Africa to the wonder’s of Yaadt music and Cape Town’s unique cultural flair. We chatted with him about his musical journey thus far, being at the forefront of a new generation of influential DJ’s and sharing a line-up with Grime icon Wiley.
Q: For those who don’t know you yet, how would you describe K-$?
A: International playboy, Daddy of all Daddies, your girlfriend and your mom’s favourite DJ.
Q: You’ve had a phenomenal year as a breakthrough musical act. What has that experience been like for you?
A: The one half of my experience comes from being in front of an audience constantly and adapting to different crowds, events and learning to navigate my sound. The other half comes from helping to manage some of South Africa’s favourite artists on a day-to-day basis at Black Major. It’s really been a wild 365 days and I’m looking forward to many more.
Q: Where did your love for music and DJing begin?
A: It definitely began in my home, growing up around music and experimenting with instruments as much as possible as a kid. From there I moved from instruments to DJing.
Q: Cape Town based musical acts have traditionally experienced challenges breaking into the mainstream SA market. What challenges, if any, have you encountered?
A: I don’t think I’m mainstream yet, so I can’t speak on this, but it is tough to break into certain parts of South Africa’s nightlife scene. I think you shouldn’t compromise your sound, but make sure you’re invested in understanding the scenes you’d like to break into, so your eventual arrival is genuine.
Q: You played an incredible set at Jose Cuervo’s thrilling #SeizeTheCity event. What was the event and overall experience like for you?
THANK YOU! The event was phenomenal. Getting to perform on the same bill as some of my friends and favourite artist, and the Godfather himself was unreal. S/o to Black Major and Cuervo for this crazy opportunity.
Q: You shared a line-up with Grime icon Wiley at #SeizeTheCity as well. What does it mean to you to be achieving such significant milestones at this stage of your career?
A: It means the world to me. I’ve been listening to big man since I was maybe 11/12. Fast forward to just over 10 years later and I got to meet him and share a line-up with him? My primary school self would never have guessed.
Q: DJ Lag and Uncle Party Time are the other young, incredibly talented DJs who formed part of the Jose Cuervo’s #SeizeTheCity gig. How does it feel being at the forefront of a new generation of DJ’s shaping SA’s musical landscape?
A: It feels amazing man. There’s a lot of camaraderie amongst some of the younger cats and that was evident on the night. It’s not the first time we’ve shared lineups over the past year and it’s a pleasure watching all of us grow.
Q: Yaadt music has been an integral part of Cape Town for a long time. What has the experience been like introducing it to larger parts of the country and what are some of the reactions you’ve encountered?
A: People always ask me about yaadt and it’s sound and origins and are pleasantly surprised to know that they’ve actually been introduced to the genre years before without their knowledge. It evokes a sense of nostalgia, and gives the audience a great sense of excitement listening to tracks they’ve maybe never heard before.
Q: After such a phenomenal 2017, what can we look forward to from you this year?
A: More of the same, just bigger and better.
*Seize The City kicks off a progressive and rebellious Jose Cuervo nightlife movement and partygoers can look out for another underground takeover in 2018.
