Mzansi Celebs

Drippin till the very end: Moozlie welcomes 2019 with open arms

Drippin till the very end: Moozlie welcomes 2019 with open arms. Presenter, rapper and record label boss Nomuzi “Moozlie” Mabena is a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry.

After studying at Varsity College in Johannesburg, Moozlie, who grew up idolising prominent South African presenters, propelled herself into the endless auditioning process and got her first big break through the Presenter Search. She came second.
However, the real foot into the industry occurred after she won the MTV Base VJ Search in 2013.

While this was a great way for Moozlie to jump-start her entertainment career, the Victory rapper had to put in the work to remain relevant. “It’s basically been me keeping my ears to the ground. Hustling and staying connected to the networks and trying my hardest to get my foot in there.”

Moozlie
Drippin till the very end

Speaking about her presenting experiences, she says the best part of her job was travelling.

“I got to travel across the world, which was really great. Going to the EMAs (MTV Europe Music Award) was really special. Just being in that MTV environment on an international level is really indescribable and really amazing.”

Nomuzi Mabena

While Moozlie is most known for being a television presenter, she used the platform and moved into another passion of hers – hip-hop. However, the shift wasn’t easy.

“Initially a lot of people thought I was just taking a chance or I wasn’t really serious about making music. Already, as a woman in hip-hop, it’s difficult to have people really respect you for what you do. That was difficult.”

Nomuzi Mabena

The former V Entertainment presenter said she had created such a strong following on television and therefore it was important for her to be just as successful in music. She had to take a step back and humble herself to learn the most challenging part of the music industry.

For the past 10 years, there’s a common perception that there can be only one top female rapper internationally, as we’ve seen with the never-ending feud between Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. “Cardi B stepping in shows that that’s not true. She’s proof that if you work hard you can compete with the best of the best.”

Nomuzi Mabena

Moozlie also recently dropped her EP Victory and took us through her production process.

“We sourced beats first before I started writing, just so I could get my head around what kind of song I wanted to do. But I was very relaxed and I just wanted to play around.

“I’ve been making music for only four years, so I didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself; I just wanted to enjoy it and tell my story.”

The Pray rapper has founded her own record label Nomuzi Mabena Music. Having previously been signed to Cashtime, Moozlie left and thought she wanted to sign another deal. However, soon she saw an opportunity to start a business. She knows of many artists, such as herself, who don’t want to be given a contract and then just be a number to a record label.

She believes it’s important for artists on her label to express their ideas authentically. While she doesn’t think her label is going to be “booming” right now, in 10 years time, it’s going to be important in the game, especially for an owner who is a young, black woman.

On the topic of upcoming talent, Moozlie says the most important thing is for artists to be themselves. “Your perspective is what sets you apart. Nobody sees the world the way you see it. And if you let us share in the way you see the world, you’ll be able to take yourself to the next level.”

Source: IOL News