Coming from a family of four boys and being the last born, he found his niche in music. Not only did he grow up bonding through music with his father and three brothers, but the music vein is also what carried him through.
His introduction to music was with Afro Jazz from his father’s taste and with time, developed into Afro house.
Molapo ‘Darque’ Malatji started DJing and making music in 2009. From day one, he has always known what he wanted to become even when being a DJ was not the most fashionable career at the time.
“I have always loved music from an early age! Being a kid and seeing other kids like Mzambiya and Msawawa make it inspired me to thinking that I could make it too! My family has been supportive since day one and they equipped me from an early stage.”
He vulnerably tells Drum that music saved his life when the going was tough and now he eats, breathes and thinks music.
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When he left varsity to focus on music, his parents couldn’t afford to pay his rent in Gauteng as home was in Polokwane, Limpopo. Needing to eat and have a roof over his shoulder, he became more driven to make music work.
“I had to make sure it works out for me because it now meant that I am on my own! My parents couldn’t continue to pay my rent and feed me. So, you can imagine how difficult it is to stay in Gauteng with no income at all.”
“So, [some] months, I would miss rent and sleep with an empty stomach. Sometimes even sleep with the lights off (no electricity). I knew I needed to work hard to get myself out of that position,” he adds.
Even as some DJs move away from the house genre in pursuit of the now popular amapiano, he's holding on to it. In fact, his fourth album that dropped on 9 June is deeply rooted in house music.
He also marks his fatherhood journey and celebrating ‘More Life’, the title of the album.
“It is my first album as a father! So, [it is about] the edge and wanting to live long to see my child grow! I want to reach my full potential! I put it together with my co-producer JNR SA and we just came up with ideas as we went and identified collaborations,” he excitedly elaborates on his album.
He loves house.
“House Music will never die. The biggest wave in the world Amapiano is a sub-genre of House Music! So how do they say that? Afro Music is dominant on world stages too.”
Seeing this album come alive, he says, “It means a lot! I love achieving goals and reaching destinations that I have put for myself! It is a beautiful feeling.”
He says putting together the work of art was a beautiful experience because he got to work with different people and learned the beauty of patience.
Finally taking it out into the world, he tells Drum that he wants to send out a message with the album.
With it, he wants to tell people that anything is possible! But most importantly; that life is beautiful and it’s okay to want more.
From all the songs in the album, he can’t wait for people to listen to Mngani which he recorded with Sjava, Moja and Mthunzi because it carries a strong message that everyone needs to hear.
In his album, the 31-year-old musician also features Simmy, Blxckie, Murumba Pitch.
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Before the production of this album, many may have known him from his behind-the-scenes work.
In 2020, he got his biggest break with the establishment of Kunye and U’R which he is a co-founder of alongside Shimza.
In addition to this, his greatest accomplishments in the music industry have been being an international DJ act and traveling while doing what he loves the most.
"They hold a huge sentimental value today because they shaped my career,” he says about his accomplishments.
With U’R and Kunye, him and Shimza wanted to “create a platform where we could showcase what we do without any red tapes. Most important, a platform where the unheard can be heard. We’re taking music to the people, adding the much-needed dopeness to our genre or style.”
More than anything, Molapo is looking forward to seeing how his first body of art dedicated to his first born is going to be received by the public.
