VERSATILE musician Ace Wxrld, born Methembe Anele Mulangisi, says being at the right place at the right time has shaped him into the seasoned artiste he has always desired to be.
The adage “Fortune favours the brave” aptly describes the youthful Johannesburg-based rapper who subscribes to the notion that opportunities incline towards those who go for them.
In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style on Wednesday, Ace Wxrld said networking and creating synergies were the way to go in the arts industry.
“Definitely this is an industry of connections and so one truly has to position oneself well. Moving with the right people can also nudge you towards the direction you want to take, but obviously it’s not easy accessing those ‘right’ people. There is serious gatekeeping in the game, that’s why you have to fight for your space,” he said.
“I have hardly scratched the surface of the industry, but I just want to encourage others like me to keep pushing and to put ego aside and network.”
As such, Ace Wxrld is mulling joining hands with big brands in the music industry as he prepares the ground for future projects.
“Right now I would love to do collaborations with Nasty C, Frank Casino, Holy Ten, Kikky Badass and Joy Rakunza, among others,” he said.
The youthful rapper shared his thoughts on issues of copyrights which he said were affecting most upcoming artistes.
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“Ownership of intellectual property is very important and that is the reason I write my own music. I understand that for other young musicians it doesn’t come that easy,” he said.
“We just have to strive to retain control over the distribution of our content because time and again we read about people who release hit after hit, but they die broke. It’s not always a case of them being undisciplined but rather at times it’s a case of exploitation.”
The Tonight hitmaker describes his music as a collection of genres.
“I do mainly hip-hop and R n B with a little touch of Afro-pop, inspired by my own upbringing and the highs and lows of life as evidenced by my other popular track titled Free Style.
Ace Wxrld hinted at venturing into acting, adding that he might soon appear on the big screens.
“I have always been all-rounded because even in high school I played so many sports including volleyball, cricket, basketball, soccer, rugby and high jump, hence the moniker Ace. I mean I am a creative artist after all, so it comes naturally,” he said.
“I have been approached by a certain production for a character that is in development, once everything has been finalised, I will feature in a movie.”
Ace Wxrld, who was born in Bulawayo, grew up in Cowdray Park before moving to Johannesburg with his family when he was in Grade Four.
He is doing his first year of Music Production at the renowned Campus of Performing Arts in South Africa.
