Pepsin is sitting on top of the world, literally. His single On Top of The world is playlisted on YFM and other radio shows, giving him and his record label much deserved attention. His debut album, KBY2JOZI has hit the shelves and he is about to shoot a video and currently touring the country with his stable mates to promote his album. This young raggamuffin soldier has come a long way from chilling with his uncle back a yard in Kimberly, to being a singed up ragga/dancehall artist who doubles up as a Motor vehicle Accident assessor by day and a spiritual healer on call when he is not outta road performing. We caught up with him to find out more about what makes him tick.
DOWNLOAD [Free] his single On Top of the World , press play, then enjoy both the music and the interview below.
Who is pepsin? How did the name come about?
PEPSIN is an original Raggamuffin Rudebwoy from outta Northern Cape the Diamond city called KIMBERLEY. Proudly South African Ragga/Dancehall musician. Born Teboho Montse, Pepsin is a very energetic studio recording artist. A Maximum Stylez Records Artist. The name Pepsin comes from my original nickname “Papi” known by my peeps and family back home in Kimberley. Pepsin means “an object that inspires other object to blossom or become better objects. I am an inspiring Vigour. Lol. The name just automatically changed from Papi to Pepsin. Don’t know how, don’t know when – I guess its just a natural reaction like the force of gravity.
How did your journey as a musician begin?
My Journey in wanting to become a musician started way back from mi likkle aan I grow. As a youth man in primary school in class I would just get lost in I&i self bubbling tune in my head, especially after listening to Reggae and dancehall tunes, even when I didn’t know at that time that the music was Reggae music. It was just music I loved. I think at that time I was about 8/9 years old. My uncle always use to play Reggae music and I enjoyed chilling with him and his friends, that’s how I grew into Music, specifically Reggae music. I always wanted to be a Raggamuffin/Dancehall artist.
Tell us about your new album/project. Which artists/producers are you working with?
My album – KBY2JOZI is my debut album, it is a beautifully structured album and very different from what would be considered dancehall by stereotyped people. It is a very African conceptulised project, it really includes a whole lot of musical elements from your African chants, African languages, Kwaito touch, Reggae, hip hop, Raggamuffin and Dancehall. It is a complete African Dancehall album. In it you find tunes that you never thought you’d find in Reggae and dancehall. In this project we worked as a collective team in Maximum Stylez Records. In features – Mr Moda aka Fruitystar, Afrisoul, Lasbon Shatta, Face, Gusmixchesa, Mad Koolia, Sibusiso Sibeko and Maps the “Gucci Nyanga”. The album was produced by various producers, the Likes of DJ Face Gusmixchesa And Ntlakanipho.
Tell us about the concept of your video that you are working on.
The single that is out blazing in the radio stations now is On top of the World, but the Track we planned to shoot a music video for is a song called Be my Baby and the concept of the song is very simple and less complicated. We just want to take people back to the days of your Sophiatown vibez and remind the elders how they used to dance and sing to music, and to educate the likkle yute dem how to appreciate good South African music.
How do you find it at Maximum Stylez Records?
Well, being a signed artist is a very nice state of stability. It gets to remind you as a artist how much of responsibilities you have to yourself as a musician, the responsibility you have as entertainer and a member of the community at large. I enjoy being with my team Maximum Stylez Records. The management is quite professional and stable. Rrrrrratathata!!!
What activities are you involved in outside of your work as a musician?
Apart from me being a musician, I am actually a Motor vehicle Accident assessor and I specialize in personal injuries. And I’m a well trained and qualified Inyanga and a traditional healer.
What are you currently working on?
I am currently now working on promoting my album with my team. We are touring around the the country promoting our albums with my fellow stable mates of Maximum Stylez Records. Tha Blocc, Fruitystar and Afrisoul.
Which musicians do you draw your inspiration from?
I draw my inspiration from a whole of artists especially the old school Raggamuffins. Lol. The likes of Yellowman, Ninjaman, Cobra, Peter Metro, Shaggy, Shabba Ranks, Cutty Rank, Louie Culture, Burro Banton, Buju Banton, Tonto Metro, Admiral Bailey, Culture, NicoDemus, Chaka Demus, Mad Professor, Lt Stitchie and Papa san just to mention a few the list goes on and on.
Which artist would you like to work/collaborate with?
Artists I would like to work with locally…Mmmh! Plenty, but we are such a small industry. I would actually would like to work with every good dancehall artists around and not the wack ones that claims to the Kings of African and local dancehall music. Bombooclaat! Internationally its a lot of them. Red rat, Red dragon, Red fox, Zebra…..lol. I would love to work with Yellowman though. It a bless.
Which do you prefer; live performances or studio work?
I actually prefer both studio work and live music. We are used to studio, and now we started venturing out to performing with a live band. We are now MAXIMUM STYLEZ for real. HIGH STYLEZ FOREVER!!
FOR Bookings you can get to us on info@maximumstylez.com
Facebook: Pepsinman Montse
Twitter: @pepsin_SA
Fanpage: Maximum Stylez record.
Rrrrrrrrrratathata!!!!!!
Contact Maximum stylez record to order your copy of his album, KBY2 Jozi.