While artists like Nasty C feel as though they could reach more people by using a language that is common to most people, artists such as Nathi Mankayi feel as thought they would be better off using their mother tongue to communicate.
In a past interview, rapper Nasty C (real name Ntsikayesizwe David Junior Ngcobo) stated that Zulu is what he grew up speaking and it is all that he speaks at home and with his friends so he chooses to live his life as an artist in a different language - a language that a larger number of people all over the world understand. Mankayi, however, believes the opposite.
Speaking to Tshisa Live, Mankayi stated, "people will never not love because they don't understand the language you speak. They hardly ever care about that. So when I got into the industry‚ I immediately decided that I was not going to pretend to be someone I am not. I grew up in a place where we spoke isiXhosa. Yes‚ I was taught English at school but I speak isiXhosa. It is who I am. So I couldn't get here and let go of the Mankayi that I am just because I was now on TV or radio."
He went on to add that he feels as though people will always connect with you‚ sometimes even on a deeper level‚ when you remain true to who you are and compares his decision to that of international figures such as soccer players, Leonel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo.
"For me‚ people connect with me through my music‚ which is what glues us together‚ so they don't really care what language I use to communicate in interviews. I think that's because even if they didn't understand a thing I said‚ they understand the music," he added.
Mankayi has an album titled 'Iphupha Labantu' coming out later this month.