“I was afraid of failure in the beginning but now everything is paying off and I am not afraid”

Thapelo Mokoena known to the public as MeloGenic is an upcoming musician who was born and raised in Phelindaba, Bloemfontein by his grandmother. The 17-year-old is not like any other musician, in addition to rapping he is a producer and he also plays the piano. What triggered him to follow a path in music was when he was in Grade 6 at Fauna Primary School, where he recorded his first song, “We getting money”. From that point onwards he was inspired to learn about the nuances of music and ultimately, to become a better musician and to strive towards achieving his dreams. Mokoena’s hip-hop influences are artists such as Kanye West, 50 Cent, Common, and The Black Star because growing up as a young boy, these kinds of artists are what his father exposed him to. He says this is what motivated him to become a hip-hop artist.

Like many other artists, Mokoena experienced difficulties from all directions, including his parents who were not supportive of his dreams and ambitions in their beginning stages. The reason for this is because they believed that not many teenagers make it into the music industry. He says, “I was afraid of failure in the beginning but now everything is paying off and I am not afraid”. The challenges he experienced did not stop him but rather, they motivated him to continue following his passion, and that is when he recorded the first Mixtape titled “The Extraordinary Kid”. Embarking on this journey helped him find a sense of direction in the crazy industry, as the mixtape is currently sitting on more than 200 000 streams on Audio Mack. Mokoena recently performed at The Ivyson Tour in Bloemfontein hosted by Nasty C which sparked his dream collaborations with Casper Nyovest, Vusi Nova, and J. Cole. 

The Internet has a huge impact on the music industry as people are no longer buying CDs but prefer streaming. That affects a musician’s income as people spend less to listen to their music nowadays. However, the internet also assists artists to get exposed and get connections easily. When asked what would he change about the music industry? Mokoena said, “Definitely the egos because I feel like there is no need for artists to be big-headed, why can’t we work altogether and be a united front”. In addition, he would like young upcoming musicians to be groomed by artists who have been in the industry. Thapelo’s recommendation to newcomers is, “Belief in yourself, ask for advice in order for you to learn new things and grow, as well as surrounding yourself with people who have a dream”.

Mokoena views the COVID-19 pandemic in a positive way because he believes this pandemic needed to happen for people to take care of themselves. He says, “People are now considering their hygiene in everything they do and most importantly taking care of their loved ones”. Mokoena emphasized on how the pandemic also showed true characters of people as they were forced to stay indoors. In addition, how the citizens of each country witness the protocol of the members of parliament and their decisions. His biggest fear about COVID-19, is it getting worse as he says, “Right now I am not even thinking about me not being able to perform and doing what I love but simply about the lives of many people around the world”. Mokoena pleads for everyone out there to please adhere to the precautions that have been set and stay positive that this will be over soon.

MeloGenic’s fans should be on the lookout for his debut album called, “The Breakthrough” that will finally be released on 31 July 2020 along with his first music video. Lastly, he wants to take his shot and enter the acting industry.

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