Thuthuwedzo Tshivhula, also known as Ladie Tee, has been in the Tshivenda hip-hop (Venrap) industry for more than seven years now, with over 30 tracks to her name. And yet, she has never released an album. Her fans will be ecstatic to know that this is about to change at last. The 22-year-old singer from Tshikombani in Nzhelele is proud to announce that her first album, titled Mutondi, will be released soon.
Ladie Tee says that her music journey so far has not been a walk in the park. "In this industry, we face all kinds of challenges. Mine were because of my gender. The local music industry is male dominated. You are forced to work with men and they often end up wanting relationships; something I am not interested in. I just want to make my music in peace. Others will tell you that you cannot rap because you are a woman. I often get robbed by event promoters when I do a show because I am a woman, so I end up getting less than what we agreed on when I was booked. It has happened that I have recieved nothing."
But despite these challenges, she says she will never stop making music because she truly enjoys it too much. "I won't stop making music just because I get criticised or treated badly by people. I have a long-term goal that I want to achieve, and no-one is going to stop me," she says determinedly.
Ladie Tee's music is available on all digital platform. For bookings, visit her Facebook page (Ladie Tee SA).