“So I'm an artist. Yeah, I'm a songwriter. I'm a singer. I'm a rapper as well. I write poetry. So I'm like a writer, more than anything” – @JabulaniMajola ✍️
With his passion for writing at the core of everything he does, Cape Town-based
Jabulani Majola, who goes by Jabba, has opened himself to multiple income streams in the music, poetry, and performance scenes.
Find out what keeps him grounded, and how he got that title of liefie (“babe” or “darling”) in this episode of #ConversationsInCulture.
Full interview 👇
Marvellous: Jabulani!
Jabba: What's up, bro 🤙
M. The big man, the top dog, MC himself, the “liefie”– which is your thing that you use. Let's talk a little bit about that. Where did it come from?
J: Uhm it actually started last year. I mean, I hear it a lot with Afrikaans couples. ‘Ey liefie…liefie*, do this for me – and I just thought it had a cool ring to it and stuff.
*”Liefie” is an Afrikaans term of endearment. Similar to “babe” or “darling” in English.
M: Yeah.
J: And the whole vibe about it is just like: just be yourself.
M: Yeah, yeah, yeah. 🙌
J: …And don't put too much pressure on yourself, don't try too hard. Yeah. Just be easy, liefie 😏
M: Did you ever encounter awkward moments?
J: I did actually. Uhm, on Instagram, everyone's like, “What’s a liefie?” And then I had to explain it with every comment: “Liefie to me means this, but you are a liefie because of this and that.”
M: Yeah 😂 So tell us a little bit more about you, man. What's behind the name, Jabulani, bro.
J: It's a name that I treasure. I mean, it's the name on my birth certificate as well 😂 But I got the name from my mother. My mother's name is Jabulile, and I'm Jabulani.
M: And what is it that do you do, bro?
J: So I'm an artist. Yeah, I'm a songwriter. I'm a singer. I'm a rapper as well. I write poetry. So I'm more like a writer, more than anything ✍️
M: What do you enjoy being: behind the pen or the face to the pen?
J: I mean, I love being behind the pen, but I equally enjoy performing as well. I think it's funny because I can write for other people and what-not. But like, I don't have the same feeling as opposed to when I write to perform it.
Yeah, I love writing because I'm going to perform. So yeah, I think my passion normally comes from the fact that I actually get to act this out, or share it in like a way of spoken word, or poetry, or writing it, or speaking, or spitting it out – you know what I mean. 🎤
M: How do you stretch your finances?
J: Okay, so as a creative, you need to be innovative. Yeah. I mean, and we're living in a time where we can sort of be dependent on not just one stream of income or one way to get income. So at the moment, everything, It's all about, like, the little side hustles and stuff like that, basically. Like sort of upskilling yourself to do a bit of everything. And for me, it's just being able to get money coming in that way.
M: What do you think about this new concept, [Bettr] that you're part of?
J: I think one thing that I've noticed, or that really stood out to me, is how for young people it is. You know, I mean, it's really catered not just for the young people, but it's also catered for the creative people [who] are also trying to invest in their craft. So for me it's inspiring, but it's also something that makes me want to be part of – you know what I mean?
Like you feel like, “Hey, this is actually here for us.”
M: Yoh guys, that was Jabulani for you. Thank you so much boss 🙏
J: Cheers brah. Thank you so much for having me 🙏
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