From Ntunjambili to the Nation: A Chat with Amapiano Star Eemoh About Life and Fame
Exotic hairstyling and divergency in fashion sense are some of the defining qualities which set amapiano singer-songwriter Eemoh apart from his contemporaries. Known for his youthful lilt and lyricism imbued with feelings of hope and thoughts for better tomorrows, the star has since planted the flag of his name with remarkable contributions over the years, such as on the SAMA-nominated smash hit “Masithokoze” by DJ Stokie and “Dubula” alongside Master KG and Harrycane. Even though the twenty-five-year-old vocalist has no solo studio album to his name as yet, the work rate in his bones, the inimitable quality of his vocal performances, and the authentically South African feel of his songwriting grounded in Mzansi realism have made the Kranskop star a staple in the amapiano world.
Hailing all the way from Ntunjambili, Eemoh shared his humble beginnings, speaking on the isolated set up of the village he grew up in, which he likened to an unseen dome which kept them trapped in a self-sustaining loop of raising kids to only become teachers and police officers. A place where dreams of becoming something else were shunned.
Eemoh | SUPPLIED
“I grew up in a small village called Ntunjambili in Kranskop, where everybody had a dream to be a teacher or to work in the police force. It was like a dome where everybody was trapped. If I remember correctly, we only had one doctor in that community, and we had no lawyers at all!
“This thing of doing music came from the outside. There used to be some boys who got the chance to go beyond the kasi, visiting places as such Durban and Jozi. So, when they came back, they brought with them pieces of the lifestyle such as the music and stuff. When people started to show love to them, they began getting more adventurous by krumping and all those other things. As the community continued warming up to them, I also joined in, and that’s how I started singing and rapping and krumping. Other people in the kasi fell off along the way and others lost heart because of the presence of drugs and alcohol. I carried on with the music after I had finished with school, and continued until now,” he said.
Being a star from an isolated environment, Eemoh’s graduation into the national limelight has been gradual but certain. He is now a recognisable face, not only for his unique aesthetic but for the merit of his artistry. Being able to touch lives and make a positive impact has come with a cost, though – which is the lack of privacy and the restriction of freeness that has come with fame. From fans asking for pictures to no longer indulging in old habits, the singer highlighted key differences between what life used to be like back then and how life is like as Eemoh now.
Eemoh | SUPPLIED
“In Ntunjambili, Maskandi was the dominant genre, and because we were doing something different with our hip-hop pursuits, they used to call us names such as ama-n*gger, and we kept on gaining more and more popularity. So, being popular isn’t something that is new to me – I’ve been popular since my days there, so the only difference is that I was known only there as a formidable rapper and also in varsity. I was prepared since those days for the fame I have now in South Africa.
“One of the things I didn’t expect and that I think is a disadvantage of fame is people now asking me for money. That never used to happen when I was local ekasi. People see you on TV and they think you now have lots of money. Even people who never spoke to me do the same thing because I’m Nqubeko from Kranskop, the boy they went to school with. It’s quite a stressful thing because if you don’t respond well, they will say “useyaz’tshela” (he’s now full of himself). Back in the day we used to do our thing and people would support us, and that would be the end of it. But now, when they support me, it comes with the thing of them feeling like I should give them something in return.
“Another change I’ve had to adjust to is going out and watching how I act while I’m out in public. There are days when I go out where I might have to spend some time with a fan who wants a picture. It happens. I’ll meet someone and they’ll recognise me and ask for one. Not because they are being a nuisance – they love me and my music and they are happy to see me. Another element is that I have to watch how I act, where I am, and what I do at what time. Back in the day, we could drink and do whatever and be wherever we wanted. Now, you have to be aware that there’s someone with a camera, waiting to record and post on social media. Something as small as a fight, even if I’m not involved and I’m just watching from the sidelines, if it’s captured, they will post about it as if I’m the one in it.” he said.
Watch “Masithokoze”:
There is an African saying that goes: “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.” Eemoh credited his friends, family, and God for being instrumental in his journey, proving a sounding board for him as well as a reliable support system.
“When it comes to staying grounded, I would say that I owe that to God, myself, my family – especially my mother – and my friends as well, because they supported me all the way through. I even took one of my friends and made him a DJ, and I took another one and made him my road manager by giving him money to study for the job. These are people who have been with me since the beginning, showing me love and giving me advices, so they have played a huge role in my life and in my rise as a musician,” he said.
Eemoh shared some of the things he did during his spare time.
“When I’m not doing music, I’m just at home playing games, writing poems and songs, and also drawing, even though I’m not that good at it. Those are the things I get up to if I’m not in studio or if I’m not on the road doing shows,” he said.
The amapiano star spoke about lofty ambitions of being the owner of everything he could get his hands on, from real estate to owning cattle he could keep as liquid assets to sustain him beyond music.
“Years from now, I want to own a lot of things. I want to do a lot of things. I want to have a record label. I’d like to have a lot of companies, like restaurants and to also go into property. I’d also like to own cows and assets, things that I know will be able to sustain me long after the music has died down and to also be able to feed my family. I’d like to be known as a decent person who respects his family and is able to provide for those he lives with. Musically, I see myself overseas, doing shows and filling up venues and having my name being spoken of in a global light,” he said.