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RISING STAR | Hip hop DJ Coco Brown ain’t doing it for the Cameras

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Coco Brown is paving her way to the top.
Coco Brown is paving her way to the top.

She has big dreams for her DJing career, like playing at festivals such as Coachella.

But any skyscraper begins with the foundation.

That foundation for hip hop DJ Kgomotso Taukobong, popularly known as Coco Brown, is building a solid brand, first.

Coco is a Fuse Academy graduate who believes that skills matter more than anything.

She is a hip hop DJ who believes working hard and paying your dues are the foundational blocks of building an enduring career – being popular is just a bonus.

She has put in her 10 000 hours, and then some, so now she is ready be known for her musical gift.

On 1 March, she released her debut single, Cameras, featuring rappers Maggz and Jay Jody.

“I just wanted to grow, I’ve done all I could as a DJ, this was the next natural step," she tells Drum.

“Having music out is also helping me put my name out outside of my current fan base.

“I’ve been a DJ for nine years and it has simply been because I love it. I have never tried to be famous and get clout from it.

“I respect my job and that’s how the song and I relate to each other.”

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Her manager, Pearl Moyo, helped with getting Jay Jody on the song after she had mentioned her interest in working with him.

“Cameras was an idea that Jay Jody came up with. I initially had another song I wanted him to sing. But he felt like he was in a different space musically and came up with Cameras instead.

“I just had an idea of what I wanted the song to sound like and I’m happy the guys understood that perfectly, even with the message.”

She says Jody recorded his verse and the hook on his own and then she and Maggz joined him for the recording of Maggz’s verse.
“I knew I wanted a song that I would be able to play in the club and something that would be a feel-good song.”

“She (Pearl) made that happen for me, and when I heard Jody’s hook and his verse in the song, having Maggz on it was a no-brainer. I just knew they would complement each other. And I’m so glad I did that, it’s perfect!”

Cameras is meant to be a positive-girl song, she emphasises, because hip hop can often typically have hints of misogyny.

"It portrays this negative stereotype towards women, and this song is something different.

“It’s about this independent woman fearlessly pursuing greatness, untouched by the allure of fame, navigating her journey with unapologetic authenticity.

“I think it represents my style perfectly, especially where I am now. I’m a radio and club DJ, although trying to discover myself as an artist, I guess I need a bit of time to describe my style where that’s concerned.

“But knowing what people like on radio and in the urban spaces, I think I’m on the right track.”

Music is beautiful and we can do so much when we collaborate, adds Coco. She hopes Cameras is a testament to that.

“I also hope girls are inspired to follow their dreams and just live in their truth.

“Anything is possible in this world. People looking at the title probably thought the song was about a person who loves attention, but you listen to the lyrics and it’s quite the opposite. ‘She doesn’t do it for the cameras’.”

Coco is a big fan of collaborating, she says it is incredibly important, for her own personal growth and to grow in her career too.

Collaboration brings about an opportunity to create something unique and, sharing ideas and bringing them to life, is incredibly special, she enthuses.

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This single serves as the start of Coco Brown’s contribution to the culture. And as a "girls' girl", her first song is dedicated to the ladies.

She says her focus this year is making more music, maybe mixes here, but music is her priority now.

She has a few collaborations lined up, I’m excited to see how the fans receive them.

“I want to contribute more to this industry than just through playing other people’s songs," Coco explains.

"I want to collaborate now and make music that’s my own. I’m hoping the girls will appreciate the message because it’s really such a feel-good song and I’m also hoping the guys will appreciate the raps on it.

Reflecting on the challenges that come with her work, she says: "Cameras wasn’t too difficult to put together.

"It was just the finances around it, I think, more than anything – outting together money to mix and master the song and of course, getting the funds for the PR for it.

"It costs money to be in this business, and I learned that very quickly!”

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