Emtee celebrates rising like a phoenix after MetroFM award win - ‘I have no regrets'
He makes music that resonates deeply, weaving together poignant lyrics and captivating storytelling. For him, the microphone serves as a powerful instrument of healing.
For the first time in years, he was nominated at the MetroFM awards.
Back in 2015, Emtee gave us Roll Up, We Up and Pearl Thusi in his debut album which were all hits, marking him as the Hip Hop superstar to look out for in the game.
After leaving Ambitiouz Entertainment in 2019 to launch Emtee Records, Emtee faced a decline in his music career, plagued by controversies. However, he recently celebrated a comeback by winning Best Album at the Metro FM Awards for his 2024 project, DIY 3. Proudly, he accepted the award on stage with his kids, who he calls his biggest motivation.
'I do not consider this a comeback but if that's what people want to call it, then cool. I can run with that. In any situation, I always feel the need to be in the studio as much as I can, so I've been doing what I've been doing almost my whole life which is making music no matter what happens,' he tells Drum.
Speaking about how it feels to take an award again for the first time in years, he says it feels like a genuine victory this time around.
Read more | Emtee speaks out on alleged abuse: "While she was holding me by my neck, I could see evil in her eyes"
'It feels good to take an award home. I'm not new to winning but this one feels really genuine because at least this time around nobody said anything about me buying an award and most people were genuinely happy for me so it's great.'
Talking about the making of the award-winning album, he says he learned of the beauty of working hard in silence and seeking his purpose.
'Making this album was cool because it was during a time where I was being scrutinised by people who mostly don't even know me like that so I had to be in studio. While a lot of negative things were said about me and I love that because working hard in silence can be so rewarding especially because I didn't have anyone to push me to wake me up regardless of how I felt about what was being said about me.'
Despite the tough few years, this affirmed him that he still has superstar potential. To him, it wasn't just an award. It was an inspiration to others to never give up on their dreams.
'Never give up on your dreams and people can have opinions, judge us as creatives and forget that we are human but what matters most is what one thinks of themselves. I think I'm meant to beat odds and overcome any challenge God grants me. Giving up on anything is the last thing on my mind,' he imparts some advice.
Despite facing tough times without support, he continued to work in the studio and pursue his passion, even when many in the industry had written him off.
'I never left the industry at all. I can understand why people would think that. One of the reasons is because there's people who feel like they have the right to declare someone's career over and the beauty of it all is that while everyone talks like they always do, I'm in the studio so they don't know the tricks I have up my sleeves to shock them and I don't fault anyone for thinking or feeling that way because I have had a roller coaster of a life.'
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He shares with Drum how glad he is to have his hard-work shows.
'The past few years of my life have not been the best but I'm grateful because I'm able to pick who I surround myself with, who I share what with and how I move going forward because I have learnt that it's easy to shift the blame on me because I'm the face, the brand and to a lot of people it just sounds juicy to associate my name with negative things because everyone assumes that they know what it takes to become the guy in the front line leading a generation of artists and creatives.'
Through it all though, he says his three kids kept him grounded and focused on the bull's eye – his musical success.
'Unlike a lot of my peers, I'm a parent of three and my responsibilities differ from a lot of my peers. Like every other album of mine, I take on a new journey and this time around it's for my well-being and to be more realistic about life in general and to become the mogul or idol I've always wanted to be and lead the next generation the right way.'
Read more | Emtee mourns the death of his manager and childhood friend
Earlier this year, he celebrated 10 years of his musical career with a one-man show that boasted the performances of Sjava and Big Zulu.
'The one-man show was not me taking a chance or rolling a dice. It was mainly to celebrate a decade of my commercial career. It was also to show that I'm dedicated and loyal to what I do and to remind those who truly support me that I'm a real musician and to set the tone as I go full on as the professional that I truly am in essence,' he elaborates on it.
Looking back on his journey, the rapper says he has no regrets, but he does wish that he had never met certain people in his life.
'I sometimes wish I never met certain people because I don't think I have it in me to sabotage myself regardless of what happens. My intentions have always been pure and whole. Whether I'm helping someone or receiving help and sometimes that gets misunderstood or taken the wrong way.'
'I wouldn't change anything about my journey. If not me then who? At the same time, I wouldn't wish this journey on my worst enemy and it's my story, my journey and legacy to embrace otherwise how will I inspire the kid who's losing hope?, he adds'
Emtee promises that more music, visuals and shows are yet to come from the superstar as he rises like a phoenix while raising his kids and 'carrying on with the fight to live and grow'.
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