Shirazee moved to South Africa as a refugee - running away from his self-destructive nature.

He was a troubled teen growing up in the UK, and by his admission was headed to almost certain imprisonment.

"My mother had the foresight to bring me here. I was running into a lot of trouble. I was difficult and hot-headed and she literally saved me because a lot of the friends I hung out with ended up getting into serious trouble and jail."

He lived in South Africa for four years, dabbling in music and working with the likes of Proverb recording jingles for YFM and meeting Fame talent show alumni, Dare from Nigeria.

"I would have so much fun, here. I went to Angolan parties with DJ Samurai and MCd at Vogue club. I also sang in Something to Prove, part of the soundtrack of Akin Omotoso's God is African film."

He has also remembered his South African roots and says he was delighted to meet DJ Fresh in Miami, US, recently and Fresh remembered him.

"He was pleased to see how far I have moved from the little man who made jingles to the music I was making."

Last weekend, Shirazee slipped into the country he says saved him, to shoot a video of Different, the hit poised to take him to the world.

The video is being shot in 14 countries, including the five he has lived in. Locally, they shot a scene that he says is true to his story when he lived here.

Shirazee says Different came from desperation. "It was around 2013 and 2014 when everything I heard sounded the same and I was getting disappointed with my peers, myself included. So I stepped away from the business.

"My friend and I had a two-hour conversation at the end of which he sent me a guitar loop and told me to sing all my frustrations on the record. It felt good and I sent him a big Thank You."

Shirazee was born in Benin and has also lived in France and the US.

His family left South Africa after a devastating burglary which he says he has overlooked.

"We got robbed badly, lost everything. We lived in Waterkloof Glen in Pretoria and were followed from the airport and the robbers held us up and took everything. I could still be living here. But I have no regrets, I have nothing negative to say about South Africa. In a dark way I believe that's what I need for my journey."

Shirazee has hit the big time signing to Island Records, represented by Universal Music in South Africa. He has the potential to emulate the success of Akon, the US-born Senegalese star who flies the African flag the world over with his music.

He has written music for Sting and some new talent like Ty Dolla $ign, Kiesza and Astrid S, but now he is stepping out on his own.

"Mine is cool pop. A different take on pop that no one has heard. It's also a way of showing another side of Africa.

"I started off as a rapper and I used to be mean with my battles, but my focus has changed now. I heard Outkast and I never looked back.

"Everybody knows I'm African first. I was not going to neglect the continent. It means way more than just numbers to me. I know how much we love music and dance and if I can take my people away from their problems even for a minute I would have already won."

Shirazee hopes to drop an album after two or three more singles.