Bloemfontein Streets to a Gold-Selling Album

Prince Kaybee, whose real name is Kabelo Motsamai, is a South African DJ and producer. His father had 36 children, and he was the youngest and the only child from his mother's side. He has said he came to feel he had become a burden at home, and he left the family home after leaving school.

For a while he stayed with friends, until they could no longer host him. After that he lived on the streets of Bloemfontein without shelter or regular food. He had his DJing and production skills to rely on, and he moved between clubs looking for work.

He eventually found a residency at a club owned by a Nigerian. The pay was small. In his words, he made just enough to buy food but not enough to pay rent. When he could afford to, he sent money to his mother.

The music itself had started earlier. In high school he taught himself to DJ and produce after seeing his English teacher, Kenny Kunene, perform. He bought a laptop to practise on and entered DJ competitions, and he describes a competition on SABC1 as the high point of his early career. His album Better Days went gold in 2017, the year of this DRUM interview. He credits his success to discipline, and he says people love and appreciate his music and he is receiving awards.