Joburg Trap Queen on the Rise
The musician on the rise will be dropping her EP in July and her album will be released later this year.
Samz-ae (Samantha Erasmus) is a sassy young singer / songwriter from the East of Johannesburg who is making waves in the trap, hip-hop and rap game. Working closely DJ Voltrex (Aaron Ngwenya and Nkosi Sibanda), Samz-ae hit the scene with her single ‘Party’.
Watch the music video here:
Sam was born in Linksfield and raised in Edenvale. She attended Elma Park Pre-Primary School and St. Andrew's School for Girls for her primary school years. She is now studying at the Alpha Study Centre SA in Bedfordview, Germiston.
Although Sam’s parents were divorced when she was 12-years-old, she holds only good memories from her childhood.
“I eventually got used to living in two different houses and my parents stopped fighting after their divorce and became really close friends which was good to see,” she said.
Dealing with loss
Sam’s whole world came to a standstill when her father passed away in August 2017 from aggressive stomach cancer. She was attending a school rowing tour at the time and didn’t get to see him at the end. She spoke of how she and her dad had texted back and forth daily while she was away until he stopped responding. Her mum arrived at the camp weeping and she knew instantly what had happened.
“My best friend at the time laughed when she heard the news, which devastated me. She had yelled at me the night before to stop texting my dad so much, despite knowing his condition. I left the camp and didn’t go to school. My so-called best friend who had turned on me when I needed her the most now listens to my music and loves my songs. My dad taught me how to ride a bike and play netball because he was very good at that and we were always close, so when he passed away it broke me. I had many sleepless nights,” said Sam.
She explained how her dad was an energetic body who was easy to talk to and always helped her with school work. She spent lots of time with him when her mom worked. Her father was a DJ in his teenage years and ran his own gigs/events in Durban under the name ‘Footsteps’. He set up her sound equipment, including a vintage microphone, in her music room (now called The Blue Room). He will always be a part of her music.
Being wayward for a while
Sam had little to no support from her peers at the time of her father’s death, instead they started spreading rumors about her, she went through depression and sadness and began doing things behind her mother’s back like vaping, smoking, drinking and she even joined an all boy group of ‘bad boys’.
“These boys were close to me until they started spreading rumors about me. There is only one of the boys who I still talk to and is like a brother to me. Now it’s easy for me to cut off people who aren’t good for me,” she said.
The fallout from this wayward experience built the strong bond that she now has with her mother. Her mother, originally from Zimbabwe, moved to South Africa to study at the University of Natal and her parents met through work.
Starting her musical journey
Samz-ae started ballet at the age of 4 and changed to freestyle when she was 6. Her parents weren’t fond of this dance style and moved her to a studio that taught her tap dancing and modern dance which she has done ever since.
She began piano lessons at the age of 5 and drumming lessons at the age of 8. When she was 12 she found school life to be hectic and decided to drop piano to focus on her drumming. She is now studying for her Rock School grade 5 exams.
Samz-ae has tried her hand at modeling and drama and played a role in the Jo’burg Kids Theatre production of Cinderella.
Her voice coaching began at St. Andrews but her instructor told her she would never make it and kicked her out. She continued with independent voice coaches ever since.
“I enjoy singing adult contemporary and pop, but my favorite is rap and hip-hop. I feel like my dad is always with me because he has helped me get through a lot. I love writing music because it helps me vent and deal with my emotions. I know I can fully express myself through my music,” she said.
School work is still important
With her eyes on music as her career, Samz-ae is not discounting her education but plans on perusing sociology, EMS, English, Accounting and Computer Science.
She hopes to run her own business like her father did, with her mum handling the books of course!
Get in touch with Samz-ae
Samz-ae is dedicated to her craft, constantly writing new lyrics and melodies for production by Voltrex.
Look out for her EP on SoundCloud, and connect with her on Instagram
She is a natural performer and together with Voltrex is seeking opportunities to participate in gigs for birthday parties, celebrations, functions at schools, clubs, restaurants, shopping centres, and events.
For bookings contact Aaron on: aaronbongani7@gmail.com or call 078 313 5874
*Images courtesy of Michael Mbaya. View more in Instagram
