RODNEYNEVER Here’s someone you may want to keep an eye out for in the Local music scene. He’s an intellect and an artist. He is the guy you’d be lucky to hang out with as well as have your back. He’s a kid born in a ‘new’ country filled with hope and opportunity. He’s an inspiration and soon to be quite the sensation. He may have started from the bottom, but he sure as hell isn’t stopping here. He is a part time rapper and a whole lot of passion. He is Rodney Never. Tell em’ son.1. So, who is Rodney Never?That’s a good question. I guess you could say I am a kid born in a ‘new’ country with a complex history and a complex future.South Africa isn’t just black and white. I’m not just black and white. There’s a story, a narrative to every person here that goes beyond just saving the poor children in Africa, or achieving some sort of ideal society where everyone lives in unity and peace.I like to do things many Capetonian kids like to do. I love going for a beer with the owes, the odd surf here and there, and to make music and watch good films. What makes me different is that I’m a little more curious about what it is that drives the African psyche.What is the constant trait in all of us, born or raised on this continent amongst all the other continents, that makes us African? Is there any specific feature, any specific way of thinking that makes us African? So in essence, what makes me RodneyNever is that I’m driven by this question: what is it that makes me “from Africa” or “belong in Africa” or “be African”?2. Born and raised?I was born in Gweru, Zimbabwe but left there when I was 3 years old. I have lived in Namibia, England and South Africa all before the age of 11 years old. I’ve settled here in Cape Town ever since, and I consider myself to be raised as a Capetonian.3. Why do you rap?I’m an artsy kid, I’ve loved storytelling ever since I can remember.I only started rapping around the age of 17. But before that I’d written a handful of scripts for short movies and plays. I wrote and directed three short films in school, and wrote and directed two plays at school (one of those plays was a doctored version of “The Tortoise and the Hare”). My passion was, and still is, filmmaking. But the reason I started rapping, to put it bluntly, is because people did not see me as black. I went to a private school, I spoke “the Queens” English, and my hobbies were all those things that mostly white kids do. None of that mattered to me, but what did matter, and what still does matter to me, is that I lacked an identity as a black person. You tend to feel like you’ve betrayed yourself when no one can identify you by the ethnic culture you grew up in.So I started rapping because it was the black thing to do. And hey, I ended up falling in love with it. 4. Rumor has it, that you’re studying law, does politics influence or play a role in your work?I’ve already graduated. Politics has a huge influence and plays a large role in my work. As I foreshadowed in your first question. 5. Has the past influenced/inspired any of your songs?Big time. To me, that’s the best way of inspiring other people. I talk about, love, life, sex, heartbreak, and people. All of those things I talk about from a point of personal experience. 6. If you could collaborate with any artists to make a panty-melting track, with whom would it be?Alt-J, Kanye West, The XX and SBTRCKT.Panties would melt. … Heavens help me the day I get to collaborate with any of those guys. 7. Has there been anyone in particular that has influenced your style of rap?The deeper you get into rap the more complicated this question becomes, because certain rappers are good at certain things.In order to be any good I learned as much as I could from as many great rappers as possible.I can confidently say that these are my top 5 influences in rap:Jay-ZKanye WestEminemDrakeNotorious BIGIt’s clichéd. But the reason these guys are on top is because they know how to capture the minds of the world… they’re the best people to learn from. And I love their music! 8. How do you differ from the stereotypical rapper?Well, I intend to be a lawyer in the near future. I’m not sure if there’s anyone in the world that’s really good at being a rapper and a lawyer. I’m striving to be good at both of these things.I also hate guns and violence. I REALLY hate guns and violence. (I’m not talking about Tarantino movies, I LOVE Tarantino movies) 9. Which South African inspires you and why?Elon Musk.He has been compared to Thomas Edison, the inventor and businessman who is famous for commercializing the light bulb. That is how bright, driven, and creative Elon Musk is.But there are so many South Africans that inspire me… I just chose the one that was on my mind right now. 10. What do you love about being South African?We’re in a ‘new’ country. I’m not sure how many people realize it, but we get to make the rules. The people born around this era are going to direct this country during its formative years.You know the guys who were around just after George Washington and company founded the American Constitution? We are the guys who are around just after Mandela and company founded South Africa’s Constitution. We’re here at the beginning. 11. Where do you see yourself in lets say 10 years? Waking up in a Bugatti covered in b**ches or dominating the local scene? (You can say both if you’re feeling greedy).I’m feeling greedy. 12. Tell us about your new album, what does it mean to you?The name of my upcoming album is called “Tell ‘em I’m here”.It’s really just the beginning of my life as a part of this world.I’ve been learning this and learning that for who knows how long. I’ve just been a school kid.It’s statement to whoever listens that I exist. So please do me a favour: Tell ‘em I’m here. 13. Do you think rap has improved or deteriorated?Both.Because of the internet opening up opportunities to everyone who wants to rap, the game has become more competitive, and rappers have to get smarter and more creative, which means better music. However for the same reason, a lot of bad rap has found favour with a lot of people. People love gimmicks and oddballs. That has allowed for a lot of idiots to flood the market with genuinely bad music (the longevity of a person’s music is a good sign of its quality – but a lot of new rap is just the type that comes and goes) 14. Many people see rap as a form of poetry, do you agree?100% agree. But like any art form, you get good poetry and you get bad poetry. 15. The stereotypical rapper is/was usually a violent thug who has had a tough upbringing, do you believe this is what is required to be successful?Not anymore. Look at Drake and Kanye West. Locally, look at AKA (he went to St Johns in Jhb) and Khuli Chana. 16. Any weird and wonderful hidden talents?This whole rap thing is any mans game, but if you ever want to compete against me in a 100m sprint, or in a game of 30 Seconds, you’ve lost before you started buddy. Haha 17. Can people catch you live, if so where?9th of August at It’s a House. That’s when I’m having my album launch.I’ll keep you in the loop on any other gigs.Follow me on Twitter at @rodneynever and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/RodneyNever 18. How do you stay DiRTY?Always rock my Dirty Funka cap backwards in the jol. As for how else I stay DiRTY… that’s top secret information. 19. Any last words of rapper wisdom to those who may want to follow in your crazy cool footsteps?Be yourself. Don’t try and live a lie in your lyrics, rap is intensely personal (whether you’re Snoop Dogg the gangster rapper or soft-hearted Drizzy Drake), so there’s no real way you can separate it from who you really are.Also…I’ve got a long way to go, and I can already say that I underestimated how honest hundreds of successful artists were being when they said “don’t give up!”This stuff doesn’t pay off immediately, and it’s very likely that it will be a long while before you start getting recognized for your talent, it doesn’t necessarily mean you should stop trying to make it as a rapper. His New Album ''Tell 'Em I'm Here'' will be released on the 9 August 2013, to listen to some of his previous work click here.Interview by Carmen Avern-Taplin