Rap Queens on The Rise: Moyoza
RAP QUEENS
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RAP QUEENS 〰️
“You have to be a little delusional,” shares budding artist Moyoza about what it takes to find her own voice in South Africa’s increasingly competitive hip-hop industry. The Durban-born artist honed her skills in classical music in her early childhood, but found herself leaning towards rap as she grew older. “I’d turn it on when my parents weren’t home or at my best friend's house to catch the latest music videos,” she reveals. “I specifically remember learning every word to Who Do you Love? By YG feat. Drake. I think this genuine curiosity and my enjoyment of poetry in school is what encouraged me to get into rap and singing/song-writing later on.”
In building a name for herself, Moyoza shares that she is constantly inspired by other women. From her peers to leading voices in the genre, she is open about her admiration. “Everyone was influenced by somebody before them. I struggled a lot with how I thought my voice needed to sound to be taken seriously. I’d say the more I listened to female voices, I began to understand where I fit in and how I could bring something different to the table.”
Moyoza explains that her strength lies in her versatility, switching between “super dynamic and expressive” and “more calm and sexy”. Her creative expression moulds to the need of a specific song or moment, while maintaining a distinctive identity rooted in soul and r&b, made evident on her forthcoming track, “I Want It” dropping on July 14th.
Get to know Moyoza (and more on the meaning of that name) in our full interview below.
This interview has been lightly edited for the purpose of clarity and context.
Talk to us about the meaning behind your stage name.
The meaning of Moyoza stems from two words: “Moyo” which is my surname meaning “heart” in Shona and “za” which is short for South Africa. The name is an expression of my pride and passion in performing - who I am and want to be. I wanted to have a name that always reminded me of home even as I hope to have a more international presence in the future.
What signified the beginning of your journey as a musician?
I started with classical violin at 4 years of age, adding classical piano in primary school. I am very grateful for the background and skills I gained from this, but always found them quite stringent and felt an urge to experiment with different forms of music. My parents were quite strict so I wasn’t allowed to listen to rap or hip-hop growing up. Back then, Trace Urban was super popular. I’d turn it on when my parents weren’t home or at my best friend's house to catch the latest music videos. I remember having competitions with my friends on who could learn the lyrics to the latest Drake, YG, Lil Wayne, and Nicki Minaj tracks. I specifically remember learning every word to Who Do you Love? By YG feat. Drake. I think this genuine curiosity and my enjoyment of poetry in school is what encouraged me to get into rap and singing/song-writing later on.
How would you describe your sound?
I’d say my sound is heavily influenced by hiphop but also incorporates a blend of genres from soul, pop, and RnB in order to create the mood for a specific song. I’m definitely wanting to incorporate other types of genres in the future. I think my sound has a lot of energy and its uniqueness comes from my vocal delivery and the way my vocals are edited. I guess I get a bit excited and want to showcase my versatility, ranging from super dynamic and expressive to more calm and sexy. Basically, whatever the track needs to work - I’ll do it. Making sure I’m involved in the mixing and mastering process is also key to ensuring that my sound/ vision comes through correctly even if it’s a bit unconventional or frowned upon.
Who are some of your most notable influences?
Everyone is influenced by somebody who came before them. I struggled a lot with how I thought my voice needed to sound to be taken seriously. I’d say the more I listened to voices like Nicki Minaj, Cardi b, Jean Deaux, BIA, Lauren Hill and Doja Cat, I began to understand where I fit in and how I could bring something different to the table. I always make an effort now to listen to what women are doing across genres to continue to grow as an artist and enhance my song-writing skills.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced trying to build your career as a women in hip-hop?
Putting yourself out there is not easy. It really takes delusion to release that first track just because of you second guessing yourself. I’m so grateful to my team and my early listeners for encouraging me along the way and giving me feedback. I’ve made a lot of mistakes to get to a point where I know what’s going to sound good and make sure my music becomes more and more timeless. There’s also room for improvement but I’m not shy about that and I’m putting in the work to get better. Moyoza isn’t for everyone but I believe that there are people out there who resonate with it and that’s enough for me.
Who are you most excited about at the moment?
I’d definitely say Uncle Waffles and Tyla because of their talent, consistency, and work ethic. Definitely bringing South Africa to the world. I also have to give credit to Juls from Ghana for how he experiments with Afrobeats. He made this one song which I am obsessed with called “Wicked”. Would definitely love to work with him on something similar in the future. And best for last, my multi talented friend Jaydon Lewis, who is sitting on too many bangers and needs to release them!
What do you think about the current landscape for African women in rap ?
I’m constantly inspired by what I hear and I want to continue learning more and getting better at my craft because of it. I get excited thinking about the versatility of rap over different types of beats, especially the future of rap and amapiano/Afrobeats combined. It's already happening, but I think it hasn’t reached its full potential. Personally, I want to put my ideas into that space and have a good time with it.
Where do you see yourself in one year from now?
Definitely still doing my thing, living life but hopefully on a bigger stage!
The South African artist uncovers the meaning behind her name, what inspires her, and where she’s heading.