Hey Naak, welcome to Collabhouse. First up, tell us where you are in the world right now and what you’re doing…

So I’m in a car, I’m on my way to a gig this weekend in Qatar so I’m on my way to the airport, I’ll be gigging in Doha, I’ve got a show there tomorrow and then I’m off to Cape Town, Sunday in Cape Town and then I’m back home on Monday. 

Tell us a bit about your background – you were an actor right?

Yes I was an actor! So back in 2010 I journeyed into music and acting. It was something I wanted to do for the longest time growing up, and I had a lot of people doubting that I’d be able to do both. At that time there was no one doing music and acting at the same time in South Africa. But I always kept the faith and what do you know, I was one of the first people in my country to do acting and music on the same level.

I’m still doing acting, I recently did a show on Netflix called Smart Casual, a movie where I was playing V, I’ve got a couple of shows lined up next year so I’m still very much in acting, but obviously I’m doing music most of the time.

You spent over a decade producing South African House – give us an insight into that genre and the difference between other types of house…

I’ve spent over a decade, 13 years to be exact, on the South African house music scene, pretty much doing Tribal House, a genre that in South Africa we call Gqom, as well as Deep House, so those were the types of house I was doing, maybe some South African bass genres too, going into the local markets but nothing big.

There are South Africans living globally so it obviously reached out to them, but it didn’t take me to audiences outside of those pockets.

You made the decision to stop making music, to take two years off, and to switch up to Afro House. Why did you feel you needed to take that time away, why couldn’t you just transition over bit by bit? Why was it so important to you to do such an extensive amount of research, and what advantage do you feel it gave/has given you? 

I made the decision to stop making music for two years and switch to making Afro House because for 13 years I had done the same thing, you know topped the charts, we had multiple hits records, we had won the awards, and I kind of “didn’t” want to get into the genre that had taken South Africa and the world by storm, Amapiano, which is basically a slowed down version of house music, because I noticed that everyone was heading to that rhythm in South Africa, and I just didn’t want to be one of many artists following the wave.

I stuck to house, and because I was a fan of Afro House, I kind of said you know what? Let me take this time off to get myself clued up on the genre, make a lot of music, travel around the world so I can hear the different sounds of Afro House, and yeah, once I got enough research I took the time I needed off, which was two years, to make some music and just kind of build my portfolio on the Afro House scene.

I did this because I want to explore the genre world, and a lot of artists just seem to be one directional. A lot of people who would have been comfortable with where I was, at the top, would have just stayed there.

A lot of people are making enough money, they’re making comfortable money so there’s no need to take a risk. But I’m a risk taker, and I try my best to dominate the world, you know? That’s how I took the decision to make Afro House. 

What did you learn about Afro House and which artists in particular have influenced this latest artistic chapter?

What I’ve learned about Afro House? Man, you know this is a worldwide thing you know, it’s not just based in one country or a few countries, it’s popular all over the world. And that’s always been a dream of mine, to make music that spreads throughout the world as opposed to my country and my continent. So that’s definitely why and I particularly like Afro House crowds, you know, in Africa, you have to be known for a crowd to appreciate you really, whereas in the overseas market, if you play a good set people will love and appreciate you.

The crowd there’s a lot more diverse, they’re very open minded and they appreciate the music. Some of the people who’ve influenced me, who I look up to, obviously Black Coffee, he’s a good friend of mine, there’s a duo from South Africa, Kususa, they’re actually the guys that have actually been holding my hand and supported me when I made the decision to make Afro House, they are brilliant Afro House DJs and producers themselves, so shout out to them.

Argento Dusk, also another Afro House producer who makes brilliant music and a good DJ, Shimza of course, a DJ whose music played a huge role when my Afro House career started, so those are a few of many names who kind of influenced my transition into Afro House.

How has what you learnt influenced the music that you’re putting out now?

I learnt a lot, like I said earlier I realised that there were a lot of different types of Afro House. In the beginning I was wanting to make anything that sounded a lot like Afro House, but I discovered that different regions around the world have different types of Afro House. So travelling helps, obviously having DJ friends within the industry who travel a lot and do gigs every weekend to different parts of the country, they advise you as well when it comes to that so I’ve been able to have a bit of influence from different parts of the world on the type of music I make. 

What was it about Afro House that drew you? Did you feel like the genre’s global impact and reach made it a better vehicle for you to get onto the international stage rather than South African House?

100%, 100%. Like I said Afro House is global and the opportunities that gives me to take my music out to the world. Also because I’m a fan of the genre, I grew up listening to it so for me it was a no brainer decision to make.

On a scale of 1-10, how sh*t-scared were you of stopping to essentially start again? And what did the people around you saw/how did they react when you told them what you were about to do? 

Yeah I was scared, I was scared. I wouldn’t say a 10 out of 10 but I’d say maybe a 6 out of 10. You’re leaving your life in South Africa, a comfortable life, you’ve got gigs every weekend, your songs are always guaranteed to be in the charts, and now you’re leaving the small pond that you’re a big fish in, and you’re hopping into the bigger pond that you’re a small fish in. That’s always going to be a nerve-wracking move but I understand the genre so well, I’m a fan of the genre, and I’m just a very ambitious person, I believe what’s meant to be will be.

I really thought it was about time that I transitioned into the genre, you know industry friends, Black Coffee, Da Capo, everyone in the industry said the same thing, it’s your life, you’ve got to be able to explore. So yeah I was nervous about it but I trust my music intellect and just overall my ambition and perseverance. So yeah I’d say it was a 6 out of 10 but I always knew eventually I’d get the ball rolling.   

How easy/difficult was it to a) keep the faith in yourself that this was the right path and b) keep faith in the universe? 

I’ve always been the kind of person that’s had blind faith. Nothing has ever been too big for me and if it’s too big for me, I get up and do the necessary things I need to do to get to where I need to get to. Hence I took two years off, and I realised two years of research and persistence, when the time was right there was no way I wouldn’t be on people’s radars.

I was accurate in that, I’ve peaked on many radars, I’ve got a great collaboration with Collabhouse coming up soon, you know so it was good that I kept the faith and yeah, starting to reap the benefits now.

What did you learn about yourself by doing this? How has the payoff been? 

Exactly that, that I can do anything I put my mind to, anything that I put my mind to. I told myself that this is going to work and I have a fair amount of people who felt nervous about it because they can see how well I was still doing in South Africa and I told them not to worry. I’ve got this. I’m doing the necessary research and I’m taking the necessary steps in order to do this. It’s not going to happen overnight, you know as much as I’m in now, a foot in the door, it’s still a long journey to get to the top you know, especially with all the talent that’s out there in the world, so still a long way to go but it’s in sight now, you know?

You’ve been working with some fantastic labels recently – how important are labels when it comes to getting music out there? Is it easier now for artists to release independently of a label, particular when they’re someone like you with a massive social media following? 

In this journey of mine I felt I really needed good labels to put out the songs that I have made over the past two years and it’s important to go with the reputable record labels because they will know the ins and outs of the industry, they’ll know which platforms to place your music in, they’ll be able to get you as a result of collaborating or releasing music with them to be booked at the right shows, to travel the world to play where you’re meant to play.

So yeah, I did kind of think about doing it independently but I thought at the start, it’s probably wise for me to go with record labels that would be able to push my music the best way they know how, especially being new in the Afro House genre, I didn’t want to take too many risks and I think I’m comfortable with my decision, I’d probably go with this for a while.

You know honestly, I’ve been in the game for a while and I know how to negotiate my contracts, and move my way around negotiations, so yeah, that’s been quite a smooth process for me.  

To some extent, you’ve essentially had to ‘break through’ twice in your career. What advice would you give to other artists who are trying to climb the music ladder, and what tips do you have for keeping your head in the game when it gets tough or feel like things are going nowhere?

Well yeah, you know I don’t feel like I’m broken through as yet, but I’m definitely on my way there, but thank you for that, I’ll take that as a compliment. The advice I’d give to artists trying to climb the ladder? Be in the studio as much as you can. Always work on your craft, always try your very best.

Each time you step into the studio your knowledge grades up so make sure you do that. Always make sure that you do your research, make sure you connect with the right people and you should be fine.

But most of all be patient. A lot of people give up because it’s taking too long, they’re not getting any responses from people. Just be patient, keep making music and the opportunities will knock on your door. 

What do you have planned for 2025 that we should be on the lookout for?

Ooh yeah, 2025 I have got a LOT of music to release. I have a couple already released this year, 4 or 5 I think, on amazing labels, so this has been a good foundation year for me. This is the year that I’d kind of wanted to come in and release some of the music I’ve had, to start gigging internationally, and I’ve done all of that.

So next year I really want to make sure that they know NaaqMusic is here, he’s here to stay. I’ve planned next year a couple of EPs, a couple of singles, get me out there and of course, I’d love to gig more internationally, around Europe, and just kind of show people what I’ve got to offer. 

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