Rapper Emtee has come a long way from listening to his favourite artists on the radio in a village in Matatiele‚ Eastern Cape.

Described by the Roll Up rapper as a “place of little to no hope‚” Emtee went back to the village to live with his extended family when he was 6-years-old.

“I went to grade one and two there. It was this place where we had class under a tree and where there was no electricity. I think school fees was like R20. I just knew from a young age that I liked music and that there was really no hope for me there‚” he told TMG Entertainment.

“I couldn’t cope and so I begged my parents to come and get me so that I could live in Joburg.”

Emtee returned to Joburg two years later‚ put his head down and later got to work on his music‚ determined to shake off any kind of image of him as a village boy.

Reflecting on his time in the village‚ and on what he would later become‚ Emtee tweeted: “They thought Ima die a village boy. They thought I’d be stuck ekasi. They thought I’d be swallowed by the city. I’m in the north now mah boyi.”

#SAMA22AVERY on Twitter

Now‚ Emtee is one of the biggest rappers in South Africa‚ with awards and award nominations coming in thick and fast for the rapper. He also counts some of the hottest celebs in the country as fans of his work.

country as fans of his work.

“Every day I wake up and think of how far I’ve come and I almost can’t believe it. I’m just so grateful.”

But he says he’s still not where he wants to be.

“I’ve come a long way and I’m still moving forward. I want more. I’ll never be comfortable. I’m not where I want to be but I’m getting there‚” he says.