A chat with Mr No Sleep himself... Reason

Last week Thursday I was lucky enough to sit down and chat at the Kool Out Offices with the man of the moment, Sizwe Reason Moeketsi. One of South Africa’s extremely talented hip-hop artist. In the last year he has grabbed our attention and has become an artist to look out for, with captivating lyrical content, how can one miss this trail blazer???

 He arrived a few minutes late, which worked in my favour. I could calm my nerves and control myself from fainting (don’t judge me). He was looking relaxed and laid back as he greeted the receptionist, he had a short chat with a colleague and his laughter vibrated the room from a colleague’s comment. I took a deep breath and…

Hi, I am Kopano (an easy start I thought)

Hey, I’m Sizwe…

1.       Who inspired you to persue music?

Uhm… There was a cousin of mine that actually was into hip hop when I was growing up, he use to stay with us, him being an older figure in my life I kind of copied everything he did. He got into basketball- I got into basketball, he got into hiphop- I got into hiphop. I just stayed because I guess I liked it, I liked what it was about. I felt like I could fit in.

2.       When did you realize that this was for you?

I think after spending time with Proverb. Back in the day we use to have the same manager, his name was Backster. He introduced me to the music business. How to make money, how to survive and he was a good example and then I was like yeah, there is a flame here.

3.       What kept you going?

Is it cheezy to say the dream? (giggles as I reassure him that NOT AT ALL). I guess the dream and it felt purposeful, music started feeling like something I could do a lot more for myself, for expression, creativity, and entertainment’s sake. More than just for fun.

4.       What are your inspirations when you are writing and what helps stay relevant?

Geez… I would have to say, musically I think what keeps me relevant is my constant study of music. I’m studying music on radio, on TV, and the internet, I’m constantly looking at what people like and learning more about what makes a song, a song. But in terms of myself, I guess my realities keep me relevant because that’s the most relevant thing. When you get on a song and you speaking through, you only have what you know. So I try my level best to not actually know one thing or one world. Because sometimes as an artist you can live a club life, and just end up being a club artist. Or you could live a sad life and just end up being a sad artist. So I try my best to just experience life as much as I can.

5.       Why “Reasonthemass” ?

(Giggles) Back in the day I use to call myself “The Mad Massacre”. I use to be a battle rapper so I use to call myself that. When I started rapping I shortened it, I changed it to Reason but I still wanted to keep the ‘Mass’ so thought yo! ‘Reasonthemass’. I felt like ‘Mass’ meant I’m phat, so I figured let me just add it on.

6.       Is it a conscious decision to reveal parts of your life in your music?

It actually has become one, before it wasn’t, I think before I was just speaking on what I knew and what I understood and what I believed, for the most part. I was based on ‘reasoning’ out life, my thoughts, feelings and opinions basically. But it became a conscious one when Tumi made me realize that the human story or human truth is more relevant and more important to the people than a random story, because people can always tell a story and then move on. So you can’t just always tell stories of other people. Your stories as well, make you relevant.

7.       Who are your biggest icons and why?

My biggest icon would definitely be Hugh Masikela, and I say this because he is almost like the blueprint of what you can be, as an artist from South Africa. He spent 20years of his life overseas, working with some of the best people we know today and he is still here. He has had a 40/50years career and that is admirable because a lot of people don’t make it past 10years or even 5years when it comes to their career. 

8.       What’s your next move?

Sssssssss I can’t tell you, hahahahahahahahahahahaha, nah I’m playing. I guess the best move is to expand. We did well in South Africa, in the last year you know. The next is to try and do well on the continent, but I guess the biggest goal is actually international, to try and reach that international status. International is what we live on, we may not say it in so many words but I mean the fact that your video can play after a Rihanna or an Adele or a Drake, it shows that you are competing with those people, I think that’s the overall look.

9.       Wildest or craziest experience with a fan?

Yoh there is just so many (thinks for a while). Yoooohweeee! I guess the wildest thing was being asked to take a picture at a funeral… yeah I thought WOW. That and home affairs when I was going to get my ID, I was like ‘Yo we at home affairs dude’ … (giggles) Yeah those were quiet awkward.

10.   Most embarrassing moment?

My most embarrassing moment will always be high school, I showed up with my hair relaxed (I cracked up before he could finish). (Giggles) because I wanted to plait my hair for civies day, it was the next day and I stretched my hair and didn’t know what to do with it so I just went to school with the hair. If I even describe what my solution for that hair was… ey I don’t even know why I thought that would work. But anyway at that time I was trying to look fly, and the next day I wasn’t even looking fly. I was even sent home that day because I was disruptive, the whole of Germiston High was just following me around laughing at me.

11.   What’s your reaction to haters?

Listening, I listen to them. I allow them objectivity (giggles). But the thing about hate, it is some sort of opinion from someone whose experienced something with you. You have to have thick skin for it I guess. I come from an advertising background so getting hated on or receiving hate in terms of a concept is not really a big deal, it’s not traumatic but I try my best to just listen.

12.   What do you think about the current standard of SA Hip Hop?

I think for a very long time SA hip hop was trying to reach an international standard, and now I think we kind of reached it. I say that in terms of the sound, the content, the tricks, the writing and even the lifestyle. I just feel like now we at a point where we’ve reached it and we doing it so well that we have forgotten doing our own thing in the music, adding our own flavor. Before we could autotune? We kind of forgot what we use to do.  But besides that it’s pretty cool, the artists are doing well, they getting paid. So for the most of it we doing well, it’s just that problem where we are trying to reach that standard so hard that we end up coping.

13.   In the Hip-Hop industry is there any rivalry or support from one another?

Sheeesh, both (laughs). I support you for being a rival (laughs). There is support because we know each other, I mean it’s a small community and there is really no ‘Jay-Z’ number, so no one has the ability to be anyone’s rival really. No one is in the position to sink some ships or burn some bridges, but for the most part I think we rivals everyday, the people make us rivals, we rivals on radio, tv, the shows. Because everyone is trying to do as much as they can. So in that aspect we rivals but I don’t think we deliberate or direct.

14.   Where are you performing soon?

Well this weekend it’s Spring Fiesta, it’s a gig in Soweto and another the Vaal. All on Saturday.

15.   How do people find out about your performances?

People can find out on twitter,  facebook, and the streets I guess.

16.   Is Reason any different from Sizwe?

He completely is, because Reason is a character that has been created to tell Sizwe’s stories, to express what Sizwe thinks. Reason doesn’t really exist, my mom didn’t give birth to a kid called Reason. But because of Sizwe there is a ‘Reason’ that is out there telling stories, speaking about the experiences Sizwe goes through, the life that Sizwe lives.  So yea Reason is an established character that’s there conveying everything that comes from Sizwe.

Follow Reason: @Reason4Audio3D

Myself: @Ultra_Kay