Fans of Matodzi Maphiri from Ha-Mashau Bodwe, better known as Aka Metro CMG, were delighted when he released his second album, Envisage, last month. The album consists of 14 tracks, with Baji, Great, and Thohoyandou already among the favourites.
The Venrap artist grew up listening to famous musicians such as 50 Cent and the late Tu Pac, who greatly inspired his work. He started his music career as a backing vocalist for several artists and groups around Vhembe. To enhance his music skills, he took piano lessons. His first album, The Coming, was released in 2018.
Envisage is already in great demand and has also started receiving airplay on community, regional and national radio stations. "I am very happy and proud that my album is so well received by my fans out there. It tells me that my music has matured and appeals to all age groups," he said.
Getting the album released, however, was not easy for him as he had to fund the project himself. "But even though it is self-marketed, many copies have already been sold since its release. I am so in love with the album. Maybe it has to do with the fact that it has taken me many years to work on and complete. It might be long in terms of tracks, but I know every lyric on it by heart. I can sing each song in my sleep," he laughed.
According to the music critics, his fanbase is steadily growing larger because of his unique style, which consists of heavy bass sounds.
"I am a full-time musician, but I also know that I will have something to fall back on whenever I decide to take a break from my music, as I have a solid education. I therefore encourage young people who want to venture into the music industry to seek an education first," he said.