Ndlelenhle Wordsworth Nyuswa aka Loki was born in Mtwalume, South Coast of Durban. He started perusing music in 2011 but things didn’t go according to plan but due to his persistence and love for music, as the saying goes: ‘at if at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again’ . In 2014 he came back into the scene more determined and like his name, he shapeshifed his skill and this time quitting isn’t an option.
Fast forward into 2020 he is now the first of his kind. A Gem ready for take off and the first official Skhanda World Artist. To survive in this game you have to stay hungry and passionate. Once you put those two together you’re an unstoppable force.
Loki is known as the God of mischief and many powers, what was your thought process when calling yourself that?
“The name Loki stems from that , i felt like our personalities were very similar and I am a very mischievous person so I felt Loki was the one. He is a shapeshifter and I like to do alot of things I don’t want to be boxed in so all the elements of who he was just fit in with my personality at the time. Over time I guess I’ve grown because now Loki is short for Lokish in certain spheres so the name has grown it’s own legs”, he explains.
How important is it to stay true to your authentic self in this industry?
“It’s important but it’s abit of a slippery slope , some people’s authentic selves aren’t really interesting or marketable, so if being someone else sells then go ahead & kill it!”.
Who is one person you wish was around to see what you’ve accomplished so far and why?
“My father , so he can see what I’m achieving and what I’m growing to be. From nothing to something and that all the late nights were worth it and that he raised a very persistent man”, he says.
How is Loki going to change the game?
“Personality. I think the game is missing characters there’s alot of repetition so I’m just going to keep bringing different characters and bring more entertainment that’s just who I am”.
Sometimes as an artist you almost often want to give up on your dream and hustle because of the lack of support but what has kept you going all these years?
“Yeah it’s hard, this is a hard industry to cut into and when you don’t get support from home and you have to go and look for it outside of your comfort zone it becomes very hard. When you put in alot of financial effort and backing and then you don’t see it happening and you don’t see the money coming back yet you see other people doing things with maybe less than you, it hurts. So with me it’s just the hunger, I’ve been really hungry and I love what I do so there is passion and if you put those two together it’s an unstoppable force”.
K.O referred to you as ‘A Gem that’s ready for take off’ would you say Durban slept on you and sleeps on other artists too?
“150 percent, I feel like my city never took me seriously when I felt was putting in the hours you know. I felt I was the one who was trying to do things differently, I cared about quality and what i did and how frequently I did it. So yeah that happened to me and it happens to others too”.
Do you think it’s a crucial move for Durban artists to move to Joburg in order to gain recognition and make it in the music industry?
“Yes, I’m 100 percent certain. We’ve seen alot of people who have tried and they didn’t have as big a success or continuous a success that is needed for the city to cultivate it’s own or to grow it’s own super stars. So until that happens we have to go where everything is happening”, he says.
What would you say is lacking in the Durban entertainment industry that most artists feel they have to make this move?
“Durban doesn’t have the resources nor a strong support system for our artists to thrive to be super stars, I think you can be an artist and maybe eat but to be a super star you have to move, especially when you are an artist on the come up”.
Congratulations on being announced as the First official Skhanda World Artist. What does this mean to you?
“Thank you. It’s really dope. I love being the first, it puts more pressure on me to succeed. I need to make this moment count so people have nothing to talk about except that fact that ‘KO found the next best thing from right under the city’s nose’ I want to go down in history as the best to ever do it”, he explains.
You featured on 1 track on K. O’s PTY UnLTD Album. Then Killa Kombo which is doing the most right now, would you say it is going to be a 20 plenty for Loki?
“2020 is definitely the year for growth, that much I can guarantee. l have a solid head on my shoulders and I’m just taking it one step at a time. This could be a very big year for me”.
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