Sipho the Gift
 
Sipho Langza, better known as Sipho the Gift, is in the loft today to speak about his musical career, personal growth, and to help out in the kitchen.
 
The Kimberley-born rapper is known for his introspective storytelling and raw wordplay, which makes him a standout in the South African hip hop scene.
 
He tells us that his stage name is “a bit of a joke, it’s tongue-in-cheek”. It was given to him by an American friend who asked him what ‘Sipho’ meant. After learning it meant ‘the gift’, the friend said it would be cool to combine it with the English version. “It’s kind of quirky, it works – it sticks out as well,” says Sipho.
 
The rapper released his first, and self-produced EP ‘Coming of Age’ in 2015. His 2020 EP titled ‘Bloom’, which was a celebration of growth. And he’s still growing, “I’ve grown so much as a man, as an artist, and learning how to express myself,” he says.
 
“Even in life, I’ve recently become a father… I’m learning so much, and it’s going to affect the music. I’m going to start expressing myself very differently,” he adds.
 
Speaking about the music video for ‘BOY’ from his 2019 album ‘iNDiGO’ he says, “I like to look at music as an extended metaphor.” iNDiGO delved into themes of defining yourself and choosing your own path outside of the cultural, religious, and social structures through a colour inspired sonic palette produced by Sipho himself.
 
Sipho is currently working on an album titled ‘Mirror Man’ which is about being more introspective and looking into the different sides of himself. Not surprisingly for the artist, the tracks play with different genres.