Amapiano Vocalist SHELOVESKAMO Unpacks the Story of His Life and His Love for the Mic
The character arc of the underdog has a new contender every year, and this time, the champion of the story is amapiano singer-songwriter SHELOVESKAMO. Having been through – and survived – various circles of Hell, from the darkest days of mental illness to home-stripping poverty, the “Stylish Keys” musician is a bloke on a mission to prove why he deserves a seat at the table among the kings and queens of the music world.
For the singer, the art of making music has been one of organic growth and pure observation. Pulling a leaf out of his big brother’s book, the vocalist’s love for singing burgeoned from his early high school days, eventually becoming a passion journey that took him further after his schooling years.
“I was actually in grade 9 when I started taking interest, and there was this one day I came back home from school and found my older brother with his friends in the studio. They were recording music. I started asking them how they came up with lines, rhymes, and rhythm. I was intrigued and wanted to do it. So they taught me the ones and twos.” he said.
To mark his growth in the industry, the vocalist thought it best to dedicate his maiden official project, Story of My Life, to detailing his life and his come-up. Before the birth of the extended play, SHELOVESKAMOplumbed the depths of depression, as he began to question his calling to make music. After a brief hiatus, the gravity of the industry ripped him away from the feelings of failure and inadequacy, and now he’s back once and for all to let it all out.
“I will be dropping an EP called Story of My Life, and it’s all about my journey. There was a year when I stopped doing music because of depression and I didn’t believe in myself. A lot of things just weren’t working out, so I just quit music for about two years. Now that I’m back, I felt like it would be best to explain everything using this EP and to use it to talk about my comeback.” he said.
The three-track pack features songs titled “Thatha”, and “Uyang’thola”, as well as the titular song, “Story of My Life”. The scope of the EP includes themes surrounding poverty, courtship and young love, as well as resilience. He has just recently released the first single, which is the opener.
“The album features a lot of storytelling. The EP opener is named after the project itself and it tells a story about inhlupheko, and explaining that I come from the gutters. The song “Thatha” is about a young man trying to impress this girl, and it’s also about how I got my current girlfriend. You know, telling the story about how I lied about having a certain car and having cash because I was competing against guys with all those things and stuff that I didn’t have. Then after I had gotten her, I revealed my true self, and she eventually got over the fact that I didn’t have the things I said I did. The last song is “Uyang’thola”, and it’s about letting people know that I’m back and that you’re either with me or not.” he said.
Listen to “Story of My Life Here”:
Influenced by American rapper A$AP Rocky, amapiano star Young Stunna, and indie musician Lethabo Acid, SHELOVESKAMO spoke about what it takes to be on top of one’s game in the business. Citing the ever-growing landscape of amapiano, he alluded to work ethic, discipline, and relentlessness being vital attributes any artist should possess to keep up with the pack.
“You got to be in studio all the time, even when you have nothing to say. Just be there and try to write. You got to wake up every day and prove why that you’re worthy to be in the game. There’s always gonna be a new Young Stunna because there’s always going to be a new piano song every week, so you have to be in studio pushing. You always got to make music regardless of what’s going on in your life.” he said.
Of all the songs he has made, he credited “You My Baby”, featuring Ch’cco and Crush, as the game-changer of his career. Already a RiSA-certified single, he hand-picked the song as his most significant contribution thus far and also as the track which shifted his trajectory.
“The song is about getting this girl, neh. There was this time in my life when I was homeless because of my circumstances, and she had me regardless of what was happening. It’s about thanking her and everything she did for me. The song even went gold, and it’s the reason I got into the game. I met my idols because of that song. To this day, I still play it.” he said.
In his own eyes, SHELOVESKAMO is a soulful gent, and with his amapiano game growing well, he has his eyes set on one other genre in particular for future experimentation.
“I’d love to do R&B one day since I’m emotional and love expressing what I feel. I don’t like keeping things inside, so I prefer speaking up and telling people how I feel. And I think R&B works better for that because it’s a very touching genre.” he said.
Connect with SHELOVESKAMO:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheloves.kamo/