From Pain to Purpose: How Berry Jive Turned Loss and Hardship into Musical Redemption
While many pursue music for fame, Pretoria-born trap musician Berry Jive turned to it during a time of profound loss after losing his grandmother in September 2021. Even before then, the rising star had always been connected to the rap scene, rolling with his crew, The Berry Squad. Yet, despite his ties to music, being a musician never truly resonated with him.
Then, when the devastating loss of the only parent he had ever known hit, he needed an outlet. Music became that release—a way to process his pain and find a new sense of purpose in a world turned upside down.
The artist Berry Jive was born, and in just three years of making music, he believes his pain led him to his destiny.
“I used to cry a lot after my grandmother’s passing, and I knew I needed to channel what it was that I was feeling. And seeing that music always surrounded me, I thought it made sense to give it a try. Little did I know at that time that music would do so much for me, including giving me a sense of purpose,” he said.
Berry Jive | SUPPLIED
But although music found him, he admits that life’s pressures and external influences led him down the road of unlawful activity. But with the ex-convict label now attached to his name, he quickly snapped out of that phase and aspired to use his life as testimony that anyone can change to be someone.
“Peer pressure is a real thing, especially when it finds you at your most vulnerable. You end up believing everything and seeking validation/to fit in by doing whatever is prescribed to you. And that’s my story.”
Berry Jive, real name Tshegofatso Mamatsinya, was raised in a churchgoing family, and since setting his ways right, he identifies as a young preacher through trap music. His differentiating factor became him rapping in Spitori, remaining true to who he is.
His decision to take on trap music was inspired by the place he found himself, trapped in a place of darkness when he lost his grandmother. Pouring out his pain in music, he quickly became popular in and around Mabopane with his music, but it was his breakout song Redman that placed him on the map and got people talking.
The success of that single tugged at prominent names, which secured him a feature with 25k on the RedMan Remix song, a reality that he never saw coming.
“I remember even telling 25K about how surreal this moment is because I have been a fan for such a long time, and now I get to work with him. That is what music has given m —a second chance to be someone in this lifetime.”
Berry Jive | SUPPLIED
At just 22 years old, the rising star has experienced a lot that has taught him from living large, being spoiled and all, to having to hustle through life due to being humbled the only way life knows how to.
“As soon as my grandmother passed on, my siblings were taken away, and I was left alone to fend for myself. That was the true test of life where I realized that life is not all rosy after all, contrary to how my life was prior. Before my grandmother’s passing, I really didn’t care about a lot of things. I didn’t care about anyone else but myself, but now I am very self-aware.
“Right now, I just want to be a better role model to show that you can bounce back through anything. I want to use my music to tell my pain, heal others, and also inspire. Life can give you a second chance; you just have to want it bad enough,” he said.