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Kwesta talks being on 'Sway in the Morning' and getting the 'hyena' status

Rapper Kwesta and Sway in the Morning host Sway Calloway. Picture Credit: Screenshot
Rapper Kwesta and Sway in the Morning host Sway Calloway. Picture Credit: Screenshot

Kwesta became the third South Africa rapper to freestyle on the popular US hip hop show Sway in the Morning and the first to receive the 'Hyena' accolade.

Sway in the Morning, arguably the biggest hip hop radio show in the US, is also known as the 'Land of the Hyenas' and Kwesta became the first local rapper to receive the 'Hyena' status from the host Sway Calloway.

"We got a Hyena. We got a Hyena. We got a Hyena. And it's the same policy no matter where you from. I don't care if you from United States. I don't care if you from France, Germany, Scandinavia, Australia. I don't care if you from Japan and I don't care if you from continent of Africa. Wack rappers, we hate you on an international level. You see what just happened here with Kwesta? He's a Hyena," said Sway following Kwesta's freestyle.

According to the Ngud hitmaker, someone who is called a Hyena is a person who can "really hold it down on the microphone. It's a word that describes a great rapper according to the show."

Rapper Kwesta andSway Calloway. Picture Credit: Tweezy on Twitter

"So to be a part of that list and be called a hyena and to have him off his feet and standing up and going crazy with everyone else in the studio that just means maybe I'm not a terrible rapper you know," said Kwesta, real name Senzo Vilakazi.

When he left South African shores, Kwesta did not have an invite to Sway in the Morning, he however 'hustled' his way onto the show.

"I went there (USA) to do a performance in Texas and then I took a flight to New York just to try and hustle."

"We literally just hustled it, I met a lot of people in Texas that said there were some opportunities in New York so I just decided that I'm going to fly to New York and try and see what those opportunities were and one of them was doing an interview on Sway. I did a lot of interviews with other stations too and publications and things like that."

On the experience of being on Sway in the Morning

"It was dope man, it was really amazing. It was a new experience, I've never been to America before so it was the first time and Sway is one of the shows that keep us connected with regards to information about hip hop in America. I constantly stream it and just watch interviews and everything like that so to be on it was a real pleasure for me. I really enjoyed every second of that" he said.

On him visiting Jay-Z's Roc Nation offices

"I can't reveal what that was all about, so I was just touring".

Watch: Kwesta's interview on Sway in the Morning (skip to 20:00 for the freestyle)

 

Kwesta has also decided to record his 'Sway in the Morning' freestyle and he released on Friday afternoon, just a couple of hours after landing from the US.

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