Mamohlakola Letuka
AFTER taking a year-long break from the scene, female rapper, Kot Inferno, returns with an eight-track extended play (EP), dubbed Inferno Nation set to be released next week.
The project was initially meant to be released in July 2016, but the launch had to be postponed after she lost the unreleased material.
“We lost the work and had to redo the whole project and it took two years to perfect it,” Kot Inferno said.
She told Weekender this Tuesday the EP was her gift her fans to make up for the time she has been under the radar.
The musician said this EP was inspired by the daily struggles and is a fusion of styles that qualify it as both soft to the ear and heavy on the heart delivering a message of love.
She said the style was a way of carving her own niche in the highly competitive music industry.
“I want people to understand me and relate to me as a brand through my music,” she said.
The rapper first appeared on the musical scene in 2008 when she released her debut mixtape, Kot Case Vol One, recorded by Boena Productions.
She has previously released singles as Bawlin’ and Khaebane while she has also collaborated with rappers T-Herbs and OG S’Killz among others.
Kot Inferno also made waves with her commanding performance during the BOLESWA Intervarsity Games opening bash held at Thaba Bosiu Cultural Village in March in 2014.
The Khubetsoana born musician later released three bangers – Ba Mpatla, Ha Li Ba Je and Bring It Back that all feature on the EP.
During her sabbatical, the artiste concentrated on her Human Geography and development studies for the past four years and only took a break to celebrate the country’s independence at the Macufe Festival, in Bloemfontein in October 2017.
In between her school, she however, set aside time to rework the EP that has already started attracting favourable reviews on You Tube.
The EP features among other artistes, Queen Mo and Melo, who have both been some of the most consistent female emcees on the local rap scene.
The artiste who is also commonly referred to as Ts’epe Queen said although the Hip Hop genre is still perceived as a man’s world, her experience in the industry has taught her otherwise.
“It is not about gender but dedication. Female artistes need to bring their best to the stage. I admire Queen Mo and respect her work. She has played a crucial role in developing my career.
“She would take me to Hip Hop shows. Sometimes I would perform with her, and she also taught me a lot of stuff related to the game,” Kot Inferno said.
