‘The mentorship and guidance I received from AKA is something I will hold dear for my entire life.’
“THE MENTORSHIP and guidance I received from AKA is something I will hold dear for my entire life”.
These were the sentiments of the first Northern Cape Talent Expo winner, Tyrone Phillips, whose stage name is ‘Weatherd’, when talking about his single, ‘She Bad’, where he collaborated with South African artist Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes.
On December 29 last year, Phillips, who is from Steinkopf, walked away as the overall winner of the Northern Cape Talent Expo after competing against 30 other vocalists from across the Province.
Winning the competition gave him an opportunity to record a song with award-winning musician and rapper AKA.
Phillips is featured on one of the songs on AKA’s album, ‘Mass Country’.
He said that people will get an opportunity to hear his newly-released single from tomorrow as it will be available for download on all music platforms.
“I was able to write the song in a few minutes. I just picked up my guitar and the lyrics started flowing. The song, She Bad, is centred around how someone likes a certain person, but the feeling from the other party is not mutual or as strong.
“I usually spend a short time on writing my songs. The moment I pick up my guitar, the inspiration flows and the lyrics come naturally,” he said.
Phillips said after trying to break into the industry professionally for more than a decade, he never imagined that his breakthrough would include sharing the studio with one of South Africa’s greatest musicians.
“I have always loved music and have been a vocalist for more than 10 years. I love sharing my music with people. I started performing in 2011 and started with pop and ballad songs.
“However, my music has evolved over the years. I do not conform to a specific genre, but if a song talks to me, I would write and sing it. I do it for the love of music.
“Going into the Northern Cape Talent Expo competition, my mindset was to just share my music. After seeing how people received the song I wrote for the competition, and being named the winner of the competition, it confirmed that I was at the right place at the right time.
“I only met AKA a week after the competition. He told me that I got the ‘juice’ and we met in Johannesburg to do the collaboration for a song on AKA’s album. AKA was so friendly and inviting. His input and mentorship was priceless.
“I have been listening to AKA’s music even before entering the competition and it was an honour to work with him.
“After hearing about AKA’s passing, I was shocked and saddened. At the same time, I am so blessed to have been afforded the opportunity and platform to share a common passion with him,” Phillips said.
He promised that he will use the platform that he was afforded positively.
“I am now focused on being the artist I always wanted to be. We have many talented musicians in the country. I need to give people an authentic artist, and not someone who is trying to imitate another artist.
“It is all about sharing the music and sharing the message thereof. I already got about 85 original written songs so far which can be put into about three albums. My next step is to release an entire album.”
He advised other local artists not to lose hope in pursuing their dreams.
“We have immense talent in this Province. There are so many creative and talented people. The Northern Cape Talent Expo gave me a platform to share my music with a wider crowd. Artists who have a passion for music, should continue writing and singing their music. Even at times when you feel like nobody is interested in your song, remember to keep pushing. Also, remember it is all about the music,” Phillips said.
