I am in
AWE! I went to meet him thinking it was an interview him but it ended up as one lecture I didn't want to end. He was the informed lecturer and I was the keen student. He is
THE DJ Sbu and he was teaching me the ins and outs of Mzansi's Media World...WOW!
Ok, let me start from the beginning. Once we had secured an interview with DJ Sbu, TVSA ran a competition where a lucky TVSA reader would get an opportunity to interview Sbu with me. Hermza was the lucky winner so the date was set and off I went to Suite 16 to meet Mzansi's Most Celebrated DJ.
As I got to the Village Walk parking, I get a call asking where I am coz Sbu is waiting for me already. I panic
"Oh no, I wanted him to find me there!"
So I race up to Suite 16 and as I walk in, I look around and the waitress kindly informs me
"He's sitting outside."
I give her a surprised look coz I'm wondering how she knows me and who I'm looking for. I think "Oh well, I have been frequenting the place lately and I'm probably known as the girl who' always here with a celeb!". I walk out to the balcony to join him and there he is, sitting at a corner reading the menu. There wasn't much of a distance between the door and where he was sitting but I walked that distance like I was Naomi Campbell on a ramp.
Sbu and I greet, chit chat and after a while I call our winner to check where he is and he says he's running late, I smile wickedly at having time alone with him and start the digging.
This is Part 1 and Sbu and I are discussing the 2007 SA Music Awards....Ooh the brada can talk!! I barely said anything....
BS: So let’s talk about the fashion, I’ve been telling everybody, that “
USbu did that on purpose, he wanted us to talk about him.”
Sbu: Yeah, I heard you on Penny’s show.
BS: You did?? (
I get excited!) Ok, so I said you wanted us to talk about you and we did talk about you. We know that you know how to dress up and look good so I definitely thought that wasn’t a mistake.
Sbu: Yeah, a lot of people have stepped up their game in the entertainment industry. From the creative side, music and anybody that takes part in entertainment, make up artists, writers, journalists, reporters, we are obviously all influenced by the entertainment industry overseas, worldwide and over the years we’ve seen the rise of the tabloids, obviously inspired by the UK tabloids. We’re also influenced by a lot of the artists as well in a lot of ways.
I’m one person who’s also inspired by the way they do things overseas coz a lot of the times, everything that they do is proper. From style, to the creative side, marketing to music videos, interviews, the way they carry themselves in interviews, their behaviour, you know.
So I read a lot. I know what I want out of the industry, I’ve been around for 7 years. I’ve studied, I know the market, I know the people that are involved in it from the journalist to the writers, radio DJ’s, television so I kinda have a bit of an understanding about how people think and I have my own way of playing the game coz it’s a game at the end of the day, y’know.
So you kind of know little things to do to kind of get people to react so certain things that we do are based on one simple agenda. Things I do for my record company for my artist, for myself, coz you don’t always get mileage by doing things proper so you gotta twist things around somehow.
Getting straight to the point
(Yho, I had even forgotten what the question was), I mean, I love clothes, I travel, I love to believe I’ve got a good wardrobe at my house.
BS: I’m sure you do…(
when I actually wanted to say, "can I go look?")
Sbu: When you go to the awards, you’ve got the attention of radio DJ’s and journalists, you know
ukuthi you’re controlling what people are gonna be talking about around dinner tables, campuses, offices for the rest of the week or longer than that so it was a very good publicity stunt but I never thought it would work exactly the way I planned it to.
Instead of me expecting 3 times mileage, I picked up more than 20 times, which was actually really cool coz I had the biggest album at the time, I had a lot of attention. My fashiow was just me contributing to the awards, that’s what the awards are about.
BS: Giving us something to talk about...
Sbu: I’m very aware of that and I kinda knew that a lot of people would play it safe, go the grammy look, Danny K, Theo, Jamie Foxx, Puffy style look and I thought why not pull a good one on you.
I thought to myself,
"I've got a lot of attention, might scoop more than one award, might get the award voted for by the people, I have a huge song so why not get the attention even after the awards?". So a nice way of doing that even if I don’t win, is to get as much attention out of it as I can.
BS: Your strategy worked boy coz you’ve been in the papers since since even na today!
Sbu: It’s nice coz when I plan things, I plan them no TK, who’s my partner so you should think quick so that when people eventually catch on or fall into your trap, then you would just have a good laugh about it.
A lot of people are not awarewhat being in the papers mean. Being spoken about, when you’re in the industry, whether or not you like it you’re gonna be spoken about so if there’s a time when you say you don't want people to speak about you, you’re contradicting yourself coz you’re in the spotlight, there’s glamour, there’ll be negative and positive articles so why not just do it anyway.
This is not the first time we’ve done something like this. Publicity stunts, I mean we’ve been doing it back in the days ngo Mzakes so we have a good laugh all the time but that’s entertainment.
BS: Talking about Umzekezeke, what are you trying to do with Skhova?
Sbu: We’re not trying to do anything.
BS: Well, I know you don’t do things nje…
Sbu: We’re not really trying to do anything but he’s somebody who was left in an orphanage. He doesn’t have anyone, akafani nam nawe.
BS: True Story?
Sbu: That’s a true story, I mean he never got education, he doesn’t have matric, only has up to standard 8. Somebody who was left at a welfare, he can’t speak English, doesn’t even have a
So the only people that he knows are the people that adopted him from the welfare and nakhona he was already a bit older. This old woman took care of him for a couple of years but after she passed away, her kids couldn’t help him so he went to the streets of Jozi so us having him on board, well, I can see talent and I understand what makes people laugh so why not use him in a positive way and laugh at the same time?
Play on that stereotype the same way Mzekezeke did!
It’s playing on stereotypes and getting South Africa to think because the way I do my entertainment is through humour and I’ve seen it work ngoMzakes and that’s what I do. I kind of act dumb but I use humour and just get people thinking. Those who are smart enough to get it, will have something to think about. Those who don’t will just see it as humour and me being the old dumb me, talking nonsense, which is kinda cool.
So that’s Skhova and somebody like him could easily be washing cars somewhere or working at some petrol garage somewhere ….
BS: And he’s so cute hey?
Sbu: Yeah and now he’s got a radio job, I pay him off my salary, he’s got a place to stay, he’s cool
BS: So you must be earning quite a lot for you to be able to pay someone off your salary?
Sbu: When you’re on radio, on TV and you’re selling records then it’s quite obvious to a lot of people that you’re actually making decent money. I could do my show without uSkhova but why not take R4000 – R5000 of my salary and pay somebody else? It’s nice and he kind of puts some spice on my show as well.
BS: Oh yes he does. You sound so much like uZola..
Sbu: I don't really think I sound so much like Zola …
BS: I put you in the same hat..
Sbu: I just think that, and I speak for millions of people and I’m sure you’re one of them, a good 98% of us, was born in the township, even though some of us have moved to the surbubs and spent a greater part of our lives in the suburbs. Some of us were in the townships until we got ourselves outta there but we all understand the lifestyle, we all understand what struggling is and you hit a point where you wanna do something about it. You're just thinking of contributing to the society in a positive way.
That’s what he’s doing, that’s what I’m doing and we may be doing it in different ways but there’s a whole lot of others out there who are doing the same.People who are just volunteering at some aids orphanage and there are lot of people who do those kind of things but being aware of the platform that we have, we’re doing the same as mina noZola but in different ways.
I could easily just be doing my job, I could go on radio, talk nonsense, get paid…
BS: But you’d rather do something and help someone who needs it most.
Sbu: And that’s another reason why I went to Ukhozi.
BS: Back to the awards, you know people have said a lot about your stage performance. What were you doing on stage coz I was like,
“What the hell is he doing on stage, he could have just stood at the turntable like he’s mixing or whatever”.
Why did you go on stage like that? With your JayZ moves and stuff.
Sbu: (Laughs) It's the way I carry myself and the way I do things. From Day 1 a lot of people never approved the things we did but as time went on they followed us.
I can never be a Vinny Da Vinci no matter how hard I try. I can play deep house but I’m not a deep house DJ
BS: You’re not Oskido
Sbu: Am not Oskido and the norm is that you guys see people behind the decks and chilling but the way I look at myself, I’m not the norm.
Besides, what makes that album work is because I didn’t market it like I was an Oskido or Fresh.
My marketing was done differently. I put a persona, I put a face on a project. I don’t like saying that but in entertainment terms, I put my celebrity status on it and I used that positively to sell the album. I also used all the tools that I have, radio & TV to push that album.
So even in my gigs, I don’t play like a normal DJ plays, doing a 1 hour, 2 set, get people rocking and go, NO.
I will play my set from a bit of nice lounge house and a lot of commercial house coz the people are not there to learn, they are there to have fun. People are not dumb, they are not there to look at you teach them music. A lot of them just wanna have fun, get drunk and go get laid.
I play a bit of nice lounge house to kinda test the crowd and once I understand that they are just like any other crowd and if they respond to deep music, then I give them that.
I rock a lot of commercial house, get people to have a great time and when I say commercial house I mean mix it with a lot of local. And then I go into my kwaito thing and people have a great time.
I've never heard a disappointing gig since I released this album.
At the end of my set, I’ll grab the mic, I won’t just pack up and leave. Speak to the crowd like two nights ago I was playing at Grahamstown…
BS: Is that where they threw a bottle?
Sbu: They didn’t throw a bottle, I was getting mobbed, after my set. A lot of students were happy and a bottle broke and I got a cut here…(
he points to a tiny stitch on the head and I touch it, anything to touch him)
BS: Oh, I see…
Sbu: I’m not mad at the boys that did it coz they weren’t trying to hurt me
BS: Excited fans.
Sbu: Yeah and I actually started that fracas coz when I play I drink water so at the end…
BS: Ubathela ngamanzi
Sbu: At the peak and no other DJ does that, DJ’s just stand there and I understand, other people have looked at it like,
“what is he doing? What is he trying to do”. Everything that I do is well thought of and I know that I’m gonna get those punches coming my way but it’s nice to sort of pioneer things, not to say I was pioneering on stage but people want to see me coz even if I had not come out and let the band play, they were still gonna be like “
Ohh” So everything you do people talk.
People wanna see you, some of them hate you and most of them like you coz that’s why they voted for the song.
BS: I must say, with lots of house tracks, you know the beat, can sing along but you don’t know who sings the song and it really has been different with your album.
Sbu: You get a lot of criticism and you’re prepared for it but more than that the people that bought the album and voted for it are more than happy, they’re like “WOW”, they don’t even give a damn about the criticism and how people may lash out you know.
A lot of the things I do are from having learnt and understood the game.
BS: So you are playing us?
Sbu: I didn’t say that…
BS: Your speech, people had a lot to complain about. Ok, you’re gonna hear most of my questions are about what people said and it’s because I’m trying to address issues that my readers came up with.
Sbu: That’s fine.
BS: Yeah so people had a lot to say about your acceptance speech. They said you were very arrogant, and you were sour coz you didn’t win the other award, Album of The Year. You kept on saying
“This is the only award voted for by the public” so they saw it as you saying, “
This is the only category that matters.”
Sbu: I think people that watched the show understood exactly what I said and I think you’re putting it exactly the way they twisted it to sound like. It wasn’t in an arrogant manner…
BS: I personally didn’t see it as arrogant (
no, I wasn’t sucking up, I really didn’t see it as arrogant!) Sbu: I’m so far from arrogant, I’m the extreme opposite actually. People don’t know you and they assume whatever but I just said what it was.
They marketed that award as the only public vote category and I was very happy to receive the award for because with whatever I do, I’m not gonna try and please you coz I’m worried about what you’re gonna go and write. I’d rather make you angry and go chill with those guys over there. For me it’s the public that matters.
After years and years of studying entertainers worldwide, what matters and what keeps you there, is the people. The number of records you sell, it’s always the majority. For ANC to be in the ruling right now, it’s the majority.
Everything that happens anywhere in the world, it’s numbers. For any business to exist, it’s numbers.
Everything is numbers and that's the way I run my company and myself, I’d rather be an idiot it's fine, as long as I please the masses.
I was saying that statement to acknowledge the people that voted. I was reiterating the fact that the only public vote category and I’m glad, I appreciate that you voted for me to win this award, it means a lot to me. I was speaking to the people, I wasn’t speaking to the industry. I wasn’t dissing the industry and after they gave me so much respect and gave me a standing ovation…
BS: Awwww...that was so sweet!
Sbu: Ha I had never seen that happen and you must understand that when you’re in my shoes, anything you do, certain people have comments even if I could have just said, “
Haa, at least, ngiyitholile” they would still complain so rather say what pleases the people.
Tha’t what really motivated the speech and I’m not apologetic about it. I’m actually glad that I said that and even when you expect to win, you don’t expect a standing ovation from the industry and you don’t plan a speech like that (
wassup Siphokazi)
BS: And you’re the only one who got the standing ovation…
Sbu: It doesn’t happen, I mean we do give standing ovations to people who get LifeTime Achievement Awards so I don’t really think
“hee I’m a legend” or whatever but people who were on the floor were record executives, people in the industry who know me from 7 years ago, still hustling and all of that, till today and I know maybe over 50% of them have a certain experience with me so I think it was respect, more than anything.
I was extremely humbled by that and you know, one of the statements that you wrote was kinda insensitive but it’s cool.
(
I wonder manje!) You said that my album was dedicated to Lehlohonolo but I didn’t have a thing to say about her.
BS: No no no no, I did not say that.
You gotta understand that people
reply to the articles and say what they want.
Sbu: I know, I know but I’m just saying
BS: I’m not very good at talking about such issues, it’s a sensitive thing for me and I won’t even talk about that part of your life in this interview.
Sbu: For me, somebody that wrote that, they might not be mean but maybe it’s a girl who likes me.
You know when you get married as an entertainer, there are girls who take it badly so maybe it’s a gal like that or maybe it’s just somebody that hates me for what I do. I don't understand it coz I can’t bring myself to write something like that, it’s so sensitive but it just goes to show people will always say things.
Anyway, the standing ovation was just unpredictable.
(Sbu, I can see you were offended by the statement, I would really like to apologize on behalf of my gal, she really didn’t mean to open old wounds for you, it must have been one of those things that just come out and you go Oops! We apologize)
BS: Through out the year, you ‘ve been saying ukuthi i-album yakho is the most selling album so how come you didn’t get the Best Selling Album award?
Sbu: Because the album that won, was their previous album not the recent one.
BS: But that album won in the 2006 SAMA’s?
(We’re talking about Shwi Nomtekhala guys)
Sbu: Yeah, the rules of the awards allowed them to enter the same album again.
BS: Really?
Sbu: Yeah, the rules allow it.
BS: That sucks. That album won the same award last year so how does that happen again this year?
Sbu: Yeah, my album sells now but it wasn’t there for most of the year last year so I can’t compete with Shwi, who’s sold more than 400 000 copies from the previous album. Ngafa is the same album that won them the award last year and it won it again this year.
BS: But that’s a bit controversial!
Sbu: Not really, the rules allow them to. I knew that before the awards that award wasn’t ours coz Zuzumuzi told us, he’s their manager.
BS: You still call him Zuzumuzi? (
He’s referring to Tshepo Nzimande, Ribs’ best friend) Sbu: Yeah, I joke with him about it. He was like
“Ngizonibonisa nina, ngeke nilunge, ngizo faka le ya last year.” We initially thought he was joking but as the time got close we found out he did. So we kind of knew that we weren’t gonna get that but it’s cool. People don’t know but it’s cool.
BS: Well, now I know and they will know! Mina I really was wondering what’s up so I’m glad you cleared it up for me. I think it sucks big time...
BS: What did you think of the show in General? There were a lot of mixed comments.
Sbu: I think it was a good show. I think the presenter was amazing. He surprised a lot of people and for me as a presenter myself, I know a lot of the times when an artist wants to go and act or when an artist wants to go and present, they never really crack it that well and what I saw that night, I had more respect for uKabelo! I told him, I was like
“Geez man, great work.”
In terms of presenting, he pulled it off nicely, I don’t think anybody else could have pulled it off that well. His creative links as well. It was something that I suspected that he wrote those links himself.
The only thing I didn’t like about the show was the presenters being scripted before presenting an award, I didn’t like that.
BS: Don’t they have a say?
Sbu: Maybe they did, Unathi and I didn’t go according that autocue
BS: Nawe you were given?
Sbu: Yeah, everybody.
BS: So we can’t really blame aboZama ke, they were instructed on what to say…
Sbu: You can’t blame them.
BS: Did you really kick out Arthur from your TS Bling Party in Sun City, the night before the awards?
Sbu: I did have a gentleman’s chat with him on the side. I was like :
“
Ok, mamela Arthur, asikhulume siyi 2, How would you feel if this was a 999 gig and I bring 9 of my artists wearing TS T Shirts, and I’ve got a box of TS T-Shirts that I’m handing out to the crowd?”
BS: Is that what happened??
Sbu: Yeah that’s what happened. I don’t wanna sound like I’m slamming him but yeah. I wasn’t showing off or whatever, I called him to the side and told him
“I respect you as a business person but tell me how you would feel about that.” He then said, “
I wouldn’t see anything wrong with it.”
BS: Haa!!!!
Sbu: I then said
“If you wouldn’t see anything wrong with it and being the person that you are, who has been around for such a long time, and having thought you are around because of your business acumen, honestly that’s a dumb answer to give to me.”
BS: Eish, nawe! LOL
Sbu: That’s what I said. I think he went and told people that I said he’s dumb but all I had said was that, coming from him, it was a dumb answer and honestly, I don’t think he would allow me to do that at his party.
He was just saying that coz the situation was not facing him but it’s not fair, we had sponsors and even if we didn’t have sponsors, I’m not gonna go to an MTN gig and brand it with Vodacom, I mean, that’s clear common sense you know! I was like
“I’m not gonna kick you out or whatever but I want you to know that I’m not happy and I’m disappointed in you".
BS: And did they leave?
Sbu: And then he said,
“Fine, I’ll leave, I can see you wanna kick me out, I can leave" so I said “
No no, I’m not saying you should leave, you’re already in here, brand visibility has already been done, your dancers have already taken pictures, it’s cool, it’s done.” He continued and was like, "
I can see you want me to leave!” So I said “I
t’s fine, if you want to leave you can leave but you must know, I didn’t chuck you out, I did not scream at you, I spoke to you on a man to man basis and I’m disappointed that you’d react the way you’re doing now.” He then stormed out but obviously nobody heard what we were talking about, people saw us talking but they couldn’t hear what we were saying so it’s obviously them (Arthur & them) who went to the papers.
BS: That was so childish of him…
Sbu: And it made me look like I’m a violent person now.
BS: But people who know you know that you wouldn’t do that.
.....
Since South Africa's new trend is to call people gay, I'm joining the masses and I'm giving Arthur my sought after "
Gay Person Of The Week Award" for pulling this cheap stunt! This is just one more reason why Arthur is one my least favourites in the industry...I just hope lil' Owami was not amongst those dancers....I wouldn't be surprised.
Ok, we were just getting started and yes, the winner had still not arrived so I continued to ask Sbu about his "
interview" with Noeleen and he tells me about having to "
act" for it
. You don't wanna miss that!
Catch Part 2 of Sbuda's Interview coz we get deeper into things from here....uyarocka this man!!
Holla!!*Pictures:
www.tsrecords.co.za