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From Rags to Rhymes

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Andile Jwara who will be more widely known as AJ Apple
Andile Jwara who will be more widely known as AJ Apple

To an outsider one might view the hip hop culture as one that is simply about money and showing off. This is indeed part of it but it is also comprised of more than just that.

Consider for a moment how many prolific hip hop artists went from rags to riches on their musically infused journey.

For instance Jay-Z used to sell crack cocaine and 50 Cent was shot nine times, and now they are both on the Forbes rich list.

But as far as South African hip hop goes we are still struggling to inject our own stories into our music.

Enter Andile Jwara who will be more widely known as AJ Apple. This new artist won’t have to look far to find material for his sound.

Jwara, who hails from Umlazi in Durban, dropped out of school in Grade 10, and was taken in by a friend’s parents. 

At age 12, he and four friends formed a group called Trap Lordz. This was where he found his voice.

The group was on shaky ground for some time and were constantly praying for a break but eventually went their separate ways.

In 2007 AJ was taken in by his father’s family in Johannesburg – along with his brother and cousins when they had nowhere else to go. However, this new living arrangement did not work and he decided to go back to Umlazi, where he lived and fended for himself in the house that he grew up in.

His time with Trap Lordz was not wasted and his efforts with this collective did not go unnoticed. In fact, it was what got him noticed by scouts at Boss Entertainment.

“To be honest I never thought I’d be a musician. All I knew was that I could sing and rap for fun,” Jwara said.

“But after a few compliments I realised I could actually use my singing to put food on the table and entertain people.”

This is exactly what he did. The 19-year-old now has a hot new single, an apartment, a record deal and a video debut on SABC 1’s Live Amp.

Jwara says that his move to music, facilitated by Themba Moyo at Boss Entertainment, stems from his love of the arts and is not simply about the money.

“I love singing, I love the arts,” he explained.

“I used to be ridiculed for singing and dancing while living on the streets. People used to think I was mad but I can’t imagine my life without music and dance.”

He intends on combining hip hop, R&B and African dance sounds into something he calls “Trap Duzu”, which he founded along with producer G-Songz.

Speaking on his future plans, Jwara says that he looks up to Cassper Nyovest and AKA.

“I am actually very proud of the likes of Cassper and AKA, as those guys are opening doors for us and they are making things possible. Because of them I know I can perform outside the country and maybe fill up something. Perhaps a stadium or the Dome.”
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