Presenter turned rapper Nomuzi Mabena or Moozlie has released her first musical project of the year called I’m a Star and also the first since the release of her debut album Victory and with this track she is showing fans and critics that she is definitely a star.
For the track I’m a Star which Moozlie dropped on May 1st, she worked with Hip-Hop producer Zoocci Coke Dope and this was her first time working with the well-respected producer. Moozlie explains to ZAlebs that she was excited to work with Zooci, who she managed to get in contact with through the help of her manager Sbuda.
Going into the session, Moozlie says she did not know what to expect especially with so much mystery behind the producer she was going to work with but after their conversation on text she was left at ease.
"When we spoke on text a little bit he had said to me “just be open-minded just be able to try new things” which I think artists sometimes are not willing to do once they have found a formula that works for them they like to stick to it, but luckily for me, I’m also open to direction, it might have to do with the fact that I was on TV but I love a good director in my life," says the rapper.
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The chemistry in the studio was on fire because the rapper and the producer made the song on the first session, the first time the two even meet.
"It was really amazing, he obviously started off with the beat, he had kind of the shell of it but as I got into the session he started working on it he started adding more and more layers."
The release of the new single was much to the delight of Moozlie's fans because there are only so many times a person can replay an album and Moozlie understands that she made her fans wait for new music. Whilst she wishes she could blame it "on a baby or something" unfortunately she can't.
"I wanted it to be organic I didn’t want force anything I didn’t like want to make bubble gum music just so I have songs out because going into the studio and writing it’s a thing that can happen but to do something that really real and will connect with an audience outside of you and just the producer in the studio that takes like a certain kind of magic that you cannot force so I was really just kind of waiting on that," explains Moozlie.
Her first album was without a doubt a success, but it also taught Moozlie a few lessons when it comes to the music business and creativity.
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Moozlie says that when it comes to business, she learnt she has "other currencies except for money". She explains that "as an independent artist you can get very frustrated at the fact that we don’t have the budget to support our ideas and sometimes when that happens you can get very discouraged and then you almost think it’s a bad idea and it’s not a bad idea you just don’t necessarily have the budget to execute it".
This got the Best Female award winner at the 2018 South African Hip hop Awards (SAHHA), thinking outside of the box.
"I found that I have other currencies that I can negotiate with whether it’s my social media currency, fashion stuff, the mc stuff there’s a lot of things that I could exchange to get the album done. So that was a great business lesson that I am still using to this day."
When it came to the creative process of the album, Moozlie learnt that it is not always about the artist.
"I really wanted to be like such a fuckin badass on my first album tell people that shit, but I found that when I surrendered myself to the process and I didn’t necessarily make it all about me although it’s my album you can’t make it about yourself because ultimately it’s not only you that it’s going to listen to the music," says Moozlie.
Moozlie says that what she loved about her album is that it was truthful to her and who she is and there were also elements of God in it.
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"Spirituality staying strong and pushing through your hustle which I think is a very important message to young people especially because we so big on the victory you know what I mean which is why I called my album Victory."
Whilst it may have taken Moozlie a while to release her own music that has not stopped her from doing collaborations with her most recent one being with Strictly BK on a single called Wakho.
Speaking on the experience of working with Strictly BK, Moozlie says it was "really amazing" and she also speaks of the opportunity she has had to work with a few other female artists such as Nellz and Miss Supa.
"BK is a very incredibly talented lady. Produced the beat herself she engineered us in the studio and to me that was like #goals. It was really dope working with her and I loved it. I can’t wait to be able to enjoy the song because this is the kind of song that needs family, friends, weddings umcimbi so I can’t for the lockdown to end so we can really celebrate this one," says Moozlie.
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Lockdown has paused so many things and put life into a different perspective for many people across Mzansi and the world. Moozlie has been using the lockdown as a time to finally work on things she has been procrastinating.
"What the lockdown the has done to me is kind of given me a music camp in my own house, so lots of writing there’s a producer staying with me in house, his name is Fistola his doing beats for me engineering for me so I am able to work on my own stuff but I have artists sending me stuff like I just did two records with AKA last week, so that’s really dope. So musically this is a really good time," says the rapper.
Moozlie has also been busy with content creation and has worked with Castle Lite during the lockdown period and has also started on her YouTube channel and figured out how to edit as well and also is using the lockdown to use all the equipment such as her lights and her studio as she learns more and pushes her capabilities.
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AKA recently launched his very own app, AKA TV a central hub for all things AKA, where his fans will see some of the rapper's many initiatives such as the SneAKA collection with Reebok, the new Cruz flavour and Beam Digital's.
Moozlie has only but praise for AKA's latest move and admits she has always looked up to him from the very beginning and notes how he has always put female rappers on from the female rappers on the Baddest remix.
"So, anything he does, anything he puts his name on it is for the better of the game which is cool. It’s going to be interesting to see what comes out of this I know some of the plans that his got his including his friends in it too, so you going to see all of us all over the channel. To have an app like this where you can see your musical idol up close people are going to learn so much," says Moozlie.
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Moozlie’s new single I’m A Star is currently available on all digital platforms.
