I had the privilege of seeing Masego perform at The Garage in London on Thursday 9^th March 2017. Masego’s last appearance in London was back in November 2016; a gig which I was gutted to not be able to attend. Luckily, he returned this month and I was so happy to finally see him live.

I’ve had some difficulty trying to find the words to summarise my gig experience of watching Masego perform, so instead I’m going to give you 10 reasons (because 10 is my favourite number) why you need to stop sleeping on Masego.

10 Reasons Why You Need To Stop Sleeping On Masego:

1. He’s the epitome of true musicianship . Masego brings to the table something rare that you don’t see with a lot of modern day & commercial artists (no shade lol) and that is the ability to play an instrument. Actually…scratch that. Masego can play MULTIPLE instruments. He plays piano, drums, guitar, bass, saxophone, harmonica, he makes beats – he literally does everything (as he so proudly states in his song ‘I Do Everything’) and he’s only 23!  I personally have a great respect for musicians and artists that have the ability to play an instrument; I think it opens up a whole other dimension to their music.   So if you appreciate the music behind the lyrics, then with Masego, you’ve hit the jackpot.

2. He’s funny. I know that it’s a bold statement to claim that someone is funny, given that sense of humour is entirely subjective. But Masego has this likeability factor about him. His music is wrapped up in jokes and banter that honestly makes you feel like you’re kicking it with a friend.  Throughout his gig, I lost count of the amount of times I laughed and smiled.

3. He has his own band. I think it’s pretty cool to have your own band. He’s the leader of the collective known as ‘TrapHouseJazz’.

4. If you like Trap, House or Jazz then Masego is the one for you. In case you didn’t know, Masego combined his love/appreciation for all 3 genres into what he refers to as TrapHouseJazz. On either of his EP’s (Pink Polo & Loose Thoughts) your ears will be fulfilled with the sounds of smooth saxophone lines, mixed with heavy bass drops, jazz scats and with a dash of him throwing shade at his ex’s lol. With Masego’s music, you get a nice mix.

5. You’re guaranteed to have a good time at one of his shows. Going to a Masego gig was like going to a house party that your parents strictly prohibited you from having before they left the house. His DJ, Ryan Trinidad warmed us up with some serious bangers. He took us through that Atlanta sound, DC sound, and even some Caribbean vibes. By the time Masego came onto the stage with his right hand man Anthony Alston Jr. the party was in full swing. Who doesn’t like a good party?

6. Masego has features with some other talented artists.  ‘Wifeable’ off of Masego’s EP ‘Loose Thoughts’ features Xavier Omär. You can also hear Masego’s collaborative work with poet Reyna Biddy (I strongly encourage you to check out Reyna’s work if you haven’t already. In case you didn’t know, it is her poem that is the intro to Kehlani’s recent album ‘SweetSexySavage’).

7. He brings the old school sound to a modern and younger generation. Throughout Masego’s music, be it his songs or remixes you can hear the influences of gospel, jazz, soul and much more. For example, in Masego’s songs you’ll hear the well-known call and response “hi-de-ho”, influenced by Cab Calloway (YouTube him!!!).

8. Masego has his own money. Yep that’s right. When he started performing his song ‘Bounce’ (a song that makes you want to twerk the minute you hear it), the beat dropped and so did a whole heap of money! Of course, when one sees money falling in front of them, one doesn’t stop to question whether or not it’s real; you just proceed to collect as much of it as possible (which I did lol). Once I collected what I felt was enough, I was happily stunned to see his face on the front of the dollar bill. Unfortunately, you can’t buy Masego merchandise with Masego Money (believe me I tried) but nonetheless, I think it’s pretty cool to have your own currency that you can “make it rain” on your fans.

9. He’s got some slick moves on him. Throughout his performance, Masego impressed us with some funky grooving and two stepping. Simple, yet enough to get us (the audience) hyped.

10. He’ll sign your merchandise and take pictures with you. One thing that I love about going to gigs is when there is an opportunity to meet the artist afterward. After being squished like a sardine and waiting patiently for my turn, I luckily managed to get myself a picture with Masego. Who doesn’t love an artist that takes the time out to say hey to their fans?

The thing about Masego is that he doesn’t have to do much in order to get his audience on board with him; his aura and presence does that on his behalf.

I’m hoping that my 10 Reasons Why You Need To Stop Sleeping on Masego has convinced you to listen to his music and attend one of his shows. If not, then you’re missing out big time!

Mad love to Masego!

Camille x

Follow Masego on Twitter: @unclesego

Check out Masego on Soundcloud (his music is also available on Apple Music & Spotify)

 

 

Listen to & purchase ‘The Pink Polo EP’

 

 

Listen to & purchase ‘Loose Thoughts’