From a nobody, MC CBD makes strides
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Sunday July 28, 2024 06:00
The 27-year-old Serowe native says the challenges and experiences of adapting to the different cultures built the skills, confidence and opportunities for him to transition into a career of Master of Ceremonies or MC as it is often called. He adds that as someone who was always energetic during his high school days, taking part in the entertainment section, it also played a role in his career choice. He also says since he had the voice, he decided to channel the energy towards hyping people up. He said seeing them happy gives him satisfaction.
“I started MCeeing in 2017 at MKOP Lounge. From there I navigated to Cigar in Phakalane in 2018 where Gabsdiva was my mentor. She is the one who honed my skills through lessons like voice projection and timing (when to engage with the crowd) just to name but a few. Then COVID-19 happened, which resulted in a break. After the pandemic, I became a resident MC at DC Tours known as ‘Ko Passengeng’ where I got recognition since I was part of the team that started it,” he told Arts&Culture.
“T.H.A.B.O and Loungo Pitse inspired me. This was when T.H.A.B.O was a resident MC at the Clap Your Hands event in Palapye and Pitse in Flavour Dome. I instantly fell in love with how T.H.A.B.O controlled the crowd and how he hyped the performers. Loungo inspired me because I had an interest in the creative arts and his ability to think quickly, improvise and guide event flow made me put a tap on the career I wanted to pursue,” he added. He further explained that the public seemingly rejected him as a newbie with no following on social media but as DC Tours became famous it exposed him more because everyone wanted to know the person behind the microphone. He added that social media also played a huge role because people inquired more about him through comments, which was not the recognition he expected.
MC CBD also pointed out that his personality makes him different. He also said he mastered the skill on how to engage with the audience and encourage participation. This, he said, makes him versatile and compelling.
“Starting as a nobody is a challenge on its own because not everyone is willing to take a risk and see your potential. The challenges are no bookings, which resulted in pushing me to market myself through networking from bar owners to lounge/club owners. There was a time whereby they paid me with a five-litre wine while others offered only a six-pack of beer as payment. Through these challenges, I was blessed enough to network with people like my inspiration T.H.A.B.O who advised me to not give up since he has been in the industry for 13 years,” he said.
He said his goal was to perform in big events, which he knew would help his brand grow. His biggest achievement included gracing the Home Coming Concert (HCC) in 2021. At the concert, he shared the stage with South African DJ, Lamiez Holworthy, and also got the slot at Born and Raised (BnR).