1. Please tell us who is Tec d and how did the name come about?
– Tec D is a very ambitious hip hop artist, entertainer, young entrepreneur & fashionista. Born Thapelo Chaba and raised in Mahwelereng a township in Mokopane town, Limpopo.
– The name Tec D, I received it from my peers back in the days when we had ciphers, freestyles and battles. I used to rap quickly and it was a special technique and I wowed everyone around me and yeah that’s how I got the name Tec D. Technically Dope.
2. What inspired you to pursue hip hop as career?
– Hip hop just came as a call to me. I got introduced to it as just music but when I started working with Arts Mobile (an arts and cultural movement in Mahwelereng back in 2006), the feel changed completely and I adopted hip hop as a lifestyle than just a medium of expression. It has quite a variety of exciting business elements that assured my decision to pursue it as a career.
3. Why rap in vernacular?
– Well I rap in both vernaculars (Sepedi) and English. But to rap in Sepedi makes me feel more comfortable and enables me to express myself honestly and of course as it is my own language, identity and pride. We have not explored and experienced a lot of Sepedi music within the mainstream industry in this country, so it is an opportunity to introduce and create awareness around the language.
4. Who do you look up to for your inspiration?
– Musically I listen to the late Tupac Amaru Shakur, Prokid, Ifani and Tumi and The Volume, Black Eyed Peas…
5. What do you think about the current state of hip hop?
– Hip hop at the current state has elevated to more about life style than passing positive messages to the public. Which in our country we still need to adapt wisely because the music has really changed instead of evolving, so most of the young generation are just fed with too much bubblegum while we have real issues we can talk of and deal with.
6. What are some of the challenges you come across as a hip hop artist?
– Maintaining the status of being a progressive and successful hip hop artist who brings fresh art and always delivers more than expected. And also to positively deal with the negative criticism that can make one lose focus and interest if they are weak.
7. What do you think can be done to overcome these challenges?
– Originality, Determination and Self-believe.
8. Which career would you have pursued if you weren’t a musician?
– Soccer, Agriculture or Law.
9. Which local and or international artist would you like to collaborate with in future?
– Locally: Mokapoteni,HHP, THE SOIL, Zahara, Moneoa, Pro kid and Pro Verb
– Internationally: Meek Mill, Drake and ASAP Rocky
10. Besides being a hip hop artist what other projects are you involved with?
– I am an entrepreneur, Radio presenter at Mokopane FM (community radio station), I also have a clothing label called CHEESA! And also pushing a community-based youth movement called CHEESA! We focus on building confidence amongst young kids through arts and cultural activities.
11. What has been the biggest highlight of your career?
– Shooting my first professional music video of my first single Mona Fase from my EP “Live it like you dream it” and rapping on kwaito or upbeat beats and also getting a positive response from the public.
12. Is there a special lady in your life?
– A special lady in my life is my mother. I am a freelancer currently in my love and romantic life
13. What are the qualities do you look for in a woman?
– Respect, Trust, Unconditional love, Openness, Humanity, Understanding and Class
14. Any book(s) you are reading at the moment and what is (are) it (they)?
– I am currently reading the book by the name of THE RICHEST MAN IN BABILON, authored by George Samuel Clason.
15. What do you do for fun?
– I play basketball, socialize with people and listen to music and watch movies.
16. What are you currently working on?
– I am currently working on my album which is coming after the ‘Live it like you Dream it’ EP. The EP will be launched on September 28 this year @ my hometown Mokopane.
17. What advise can you give to aspiring hip hop artists who want to break it into the industry?
– To all the upcoming hip hop artist hip hop is not a game its life and if you are not careful you might not make it because there is a lot of temptation in this industry of drugs and other things that can kill you this is a fast life so take it easy.
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18. Any word for the youth?
– To the youth I would like to say that whatever you do today affects your tomorrow and unity is the power. You can only build your tomorrow today. MOFAYA, CHEESA!
