To coincide with the release of his latest anthem I’m On My Way, rapper and artist Ronald Mkiza kindly stopped by for an interview. We talk about his creative shift in recent month, the lessons learned from working with bigger names, and the plan of action for creating impact in the coming months and years. Here’s how it went.
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Hi Ronald – thanks for the interview. For those new to your music, where are you based, and what first inspired your love of love Hip Hop?
I’m based in Copenhagen. My first inspiration came from Tupac Shakur back when I was a kid. My mom and I went on this trip that was an hour long and all we heard was Pac. The crazy part about it was it was only 1 song! My mom had a Tupac – Changes CD with 3 different versions of the song and she would explain to me what he was talking about and got emotional about it. I’ll never forget it
Let’s talk about the huge anthem I’m on My Way – this track comes after working with some bigger agencies and perfecting your craft, tell me about that process and what the single means for you?
“I like to make music that reflects my world and views. I’ve decided that for a whole year I’ll be putting out a new song every second week!”
That’s a lot of work and money but I feel like things are lining up for me to be able to do it, and I want to see what happens once I give music more attention. What better way to kick it off with by saying I’m On My Way!
Who produced the track, and do you ever produce your own beats or focus wholly on the bars and energy on the mic?
The producer was Cedes – he is incredible! I used to try and do everything on my own! Produce, mix, master, write record, I was a one-man studio producing turds. I knew rapping and writing was what I always enjoyed the most, so I decided quickly to focus solely on the rapping part and improve there!
You seem to have big plans to market your sound and build an audience in the coming months – what motivates you, and what’s your biggest ambition?
My biggest motivation is regret. Nothing proves your incompetence more than father time reminding you of what you could have done. I don’t mind going into debt, I don’t mind being called trash, I don’t even mind if no one listens, but if I truly give it my all and fail after so be it. However, I do mind thinking of what could had been and the chances I should have taken and the work I should had put in when I was able to.
Can fans catch you on stage any time soon?
I don’t have a set date but I promise I will be on stage a lot more in 2024, I love it there.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given in the past year?
‘Let me make this clear so all ya can see, I don’t take advice from people less successful than me’ – By the great Kanye West. It’s narcissistic, but I notice there is too much “advice” from people who haven’t even tried. I run a business and you cannot believe how many people tell me what to do! Please apply it to your own.
Is there anything else we should know?
Thank you for having me, my new goal is to have the song of the year on your magazine!
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Download or stream I’m On My Way. Find Ronald Mkiza on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok & YouTube.
