Blxckie talks about growing up in Durban and rapping in Zulu

South African trap star Blxckie joins Cuppy via FaceTime on Apple Music 1 to talk about his latest track, “Sika,” fresh off his debut album, B4Now. He also reveals how growing up in Durban shaped his musical journey, why he’s committed to rapping in Zulu, and the secret behind his name. 

Blxckie on why he chooses to rap in Zulu
 
I feel like when people listen to the music, they really want to hear something different. And I’ve always been one to put my home language in places where people don’t really hear my home language and when people hear it, they’re like, “Oh, that’s, that’s very surprising. And I feel like I know this person more than when they were just telling their story in English.”
 
Blxckie on what growing up in Durban was like for him
 
Growing up in Durban, that’s very important. A lot of stuff happened, especially where I grew up. It’s very hectic. So yeah, I try to put that, like the whole Zulu thing and the culture, into the music so people will get to link Blxckie to just that little kid that was growing up in Durban. And yeah, it’s working. People relate to that type of thing.
 
Blxckie on the context behind his name
 
Blxckie is basically about like my complexion. Growing up people used to try tease me about it. But I listened to a lot of hip-hop and watched a lot of hip-hop movies, and the one thing I learned was that when people tell you that something about you is awful, like they tease you about it, the best thing to do is like take it in your own hands and own it. You know what I mean? And that’s what I’ve been doing. And that’s where Blxckie comes from.