#TheTribeExclusive featuring Loft
No stranger to #TheTribeExclusive, Loft is back again to shares some new insights into his musical journey.
From growing up in a musical home to hip hop and what it has taught him as a young Namibian creative, he gives us another exclusive interview.
How did music inspire you throughout your childhood?
A lot of my development was so subconscious, I wasn’t aware of how I was growing and how things were starting to come together. But as I grew older, I became aware of how Lize and my father played a huge role in my creativity. The home they created for us was so conducive for creativity, it allowed me to develop a thought process that I’m incredibly thankful for.
Let’s talk about your debut mixtape …
The project was called ‘All She Did Was Daydream’. I put it together when I was in a developmental stage. I had just graduated from high school and spent the whole year working while completing the album. It was a time of living for the moments, making memories and finding more and more understanding. It’s incredible how my music has gone through significant growth from the time that I started.
Tell us about the super creative video you did for the song ‘Fallen Shadows’.
For this video, I worked with two of my best friends and it just felt right. We found some interesting locations and it was all about creating content that makes us feel good as individuals. The concept for the video was mainly about inspiring a certain kind of darkness, specific nuances and aesthetics.
This darkness, was some of it drawn from personal experiences?
A lot of it for sure is a reflection of who I am. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that darkness is so prevalent in my life because, at the time that I did the project, I was possibly the happiest I ever was. But I’ve always loved dark aesthetics and I always think they’ve had a very key significance in culture and music. I’m not a big fan of horror, but I think horror has a specific essence to it that’s very powerful and artistic.
Do you think hip hop still has a place, especially here in Namibia?
When I was growing up, hip hop played one of the most important roles in my life. It taught me about philosophy, it taught me to develop my ideologies and it taught me about fashion. Hip hop transcends beyond the music. Hip hop is so important and so powerful. As a form of music, it’s a platform where people express themselves on issues in society.
In Namibia, it’s very challenging because, for those in the hip hop community, it’s so easy to be discredited. But we are enthusiasts and we are proud and happy to be part of this industry and I think that for everyone, the ultimate goal is to transcend and become more versatile in their craft.
You are currently working on a new project, talk to us about that.
I dropped my last project in 2018 and it was such a big part of me that I wasn’t able to work on another project after that. But I soon got back to it and in 2019 I was making music again. The current project has been a good challenge and it is a reflection of where I am. Because I’m a journalism student, I’m also looking at things differently and questioning a lot of the realities around me.
Watch The Tribe on One Africa TV (GOtv 90, DStv 284, DStv Now, TV2Africa.com) every Friday at 21h30 and repeat shows on Wednesdays at 07h00, and Saturdays at 17h30. Alternatively, listen to The Tribe on 99FM every Friday at 19h00, and follow The Tribe on Instagram @thetribenamibia and on Facebook @TheTribeNamibia.
https://soundcloud.com/99fm/the-tribe-ft-loft?in=99fm/sets/the-tribe-2020-tafel-lager-sponsor