BY DOMINIQUE FUCHS
Luthando Mathebula, better known as LT, recently released his rap EP titled NUMERO UNO on 27 September. He is a final-year BEng (Civil) student at Stellenbosch University.
“I’m feeling very excited; it’s such a special moment for me. I did everything myself—I wrote, mixed and produced the music,” said Mathebula.
He started making the tape around July this year, after the hard lockdown. “After ‘Mind Your Business’ [the last track on the EP], I liked what I came up with and wanted to see how far I [could] take this. Then I started making the tape and tried to make it resonate with people.”
LT described his EP as “the start of something new or amazing”.
“I feel like from here on my music can only get better. It is a very introspective album, and the songs are dwelling into my thoughts.”
LT has always been musically inclined; his grandparents were musicians, and his grandfather used to take him to choir practices. “I was always drawn to music. I kind of fell more in love with music when I came to university and saw a lot of my peers doing it, and it reignited the fire in me.”
LT then started writing his own music. He has been making music for over five years and started pursuing it professionally in 2019.
“I am very mood-orientated, so what is happening in my life, I will write about. I also use music to help me get through a lot of things. I draw a lot of inspiration from my experiences and all the stuff that I’ve been through, and that has [brought] me to this point. I then try to find a beat that accompanies that emotion.”
LT advises students wanting to pursue a career in music to “just do it”. He also lives by the motto “life is too short”, which he realised recently after a close friend passed away. “If you have something that you are passionate about, find a way to get it done. Everyone who has a success story got there by working hard and going through a process, making sacrifices. People might judge you, but if you care a lot about what people say, you are never going to get things done in life. Find people who will help you reach your goals.” After his studies, LT wants to pursue his love for music in Cape Town whilst still using his degree in some capacity. He is also looking forward to collaborating with different artists. NUMERO UNO is available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, and iTunes.
