With albums named I Am Music and Re Mmino, Free State-born house producer and DJ Prince Kaybee’s life under the spotlight has been largely defined not only by his excellence in music but also by his being the embodiment of what he creates. The release of his latest single, “Heno Babayo,” isn’t a mere return for the hitmaker born Kabelo Motsamai but a refresh button kickstarting this new chapter in his life.
“Music is much like any other career in that you won’t go far unless you put work into it. In my field, I’ve learned that putting in work means staying in studio and being a studio rat. I remember days when I used to be one, and I’d go for two to three days without bathing because I was so excited and focused on the music. I’d even forget to eat sometimes,” he said.
Prince Kaybee | SUPPLIED
Kaybee spoke candidly about some of the regrets he has and the things he disliked about being in the limelight, singling out his wish to make music more than having to be out and living up to expectations.
“But as soon as music evolved into a business, I had to start going out to do shows and to do things like photo shoots and music videos, which I still struggle with. Having to maintain a social media presence as well is something I hate, but all those things have become a part of my life. People are always interested in your life, and you have to do interviews, and do this and that other thing. These things have, in a sense, taken me away from the studio life I love, and I find myself having to fight not to get consumed by showbiz. In my earlier years, I thought that I’d just get in the game and make music for people to receive without having to constantly go out and all that. If I could, I’d say no to all of these things, but music would not be lucrative in that sense,” he said.
Known for his polarising views on X and engaging with followers and netizens, Kaybee admitted that one of the things he’s had to reconcile himself with as a popular figure was minding his tongue on social media while balancing being human.
“I think you have to be mindful when you tap into how you speak and where you are supposed to be as a musician. I’m quite a controversial figure on social media because of how much I don’t like being a robot. Being an artist on social media is like walking down the street, witnessing someone being abused, and continuing to walk by keeping your head down. That’s how you are expected to act as an artist on social media. You can’t comment on something because you might in some way offend someone, and that’s not a way to live. But this is something I realised through the years; it’s wise to keep my mouth shut, which is something I still struggle with to this day,” he said.
Prince Kaybee | SUPPLIED
Motsamai shared his interests outside of music, citing physical activities and mental exercises as his fortresses that help him stay grounded and silence the noise.
“Outside of music, I’ve got family I love a lot, and activities that I partake in that help me by challenging my resilience. Things like gym, cycling, and racing, whether in real life or online. I find a lot of meaning in things like that. I made a post a while ago about how men get easily consumed by sex. When a man doesn’t have any other meaningful activity spiritually, physically, and mentally, it’s easy for him to resort to the nearest and easiest thing to do, which, for me, is sex. Sex is the simplest thing, I feel, whether you are doing it yourself or with someone else. It’s one of those things that consume your time without any sort of results. I think people should have meaningful things to do outside of everything else,” he said.
The muso reflected on the road ahead, and where he saw himself years from today.
“When I envision myself in the future, I see a father and a partner, and I’ve also got a culture of people who read books, something I’d like to emphasise with the youth of today, especially in the industry. Not that I’m pointing a finger at anyone in particular, but I do find myself watching some interviews and seeing some issues with the way some questions are being answered and with how some issues could’ve been answered better from a speech perspective. Because I feel like intellect is attractive, not in a sexual sense but a broader one. With intellect, you can appeal to a broader audience, and you tend to be a lot more interesting to a whole lot of different people. And when I look at certain artists, I can see the talent, but they can’t tap into other spheres of the world because they lack certain things that come from intellect. These are some of the things I’d like to impart to other people, and in a musical sense as well,” he said.
