Bravo Le Roux, Being a Maverick.

by | Feb 20, 2023 | CSA Celebrates, Culture, Entertainment, Music, New Talent, Talent, The Wire

  • What’s in a name?
  • Big Break and meaningful collabs.
  • Performances.
  • Creativity & Artistry.
  • Future foretold.

Rapper Bravo Le Roux is so quintessentially an alumnus from the creative incubator that is Cape Town that his cheery tongue-in-cheek swagger is no surprise. Neither is his talent. Although Cape Town brims with a history of Hip Hop and its tenets (MC’ing, Breakdance and Spray Can art all cooked up on the Cape Flats for years), it’s very urban, Jozi cousin, often calls bragging rights. But with a shrug, Cape Town has been home or launch pad to many great and a fresh rising tide of artists, from the likes of the late AKA (RIP), Youngsta, Dee Koala and so many more. Bravo Le Roux too exudes a certain flair for performance. He has quickly become one of the most sought after and fastest growing artists in South Africa. He injected a freshness to the South African Hip Hop scene with his successful one man show, “Come Alive with Bravo Le Roux”, in March 2020. He casually pulled the King of the City tag with his debut EP “Ndingu Ta Bravo Kuwe”, released during the pandemic, with a series of multiple music videos. He further blew up radio stations with his collab with award winning hip hop star, Yanga Chief, on the track “Amandla”. Notably, Bravo Le Roux is putting the X-factor into hip hop with four  RUMA (Rise Up Music Awards) Award wins and twice nominated twice at the South Africa Hip Hop Awards.

What’s in a name?

Born Sinesipho Peter, Bravo Le Roux, describes himself as a “township bru”. His stage name was born/gifted out of playing soccer at Kleinmond Primary School. “I scored a goal, and someone said Bravo! I had the word Bravo written in Tippex on my Karrimor backpack, and everyone started calling me that,” he said. The addition of Le Roux arose from having been black at a white school and he chose that to be part of his name, embracing the dichotomy, the humour and the cultural smash.

In the cut and paste content creation era, his stage name is culturally loaded and speaks of a coming together, a fusion of sorts that is so quintessentially South African. We are the ultimate mixing pot after all.

Le Roux who is from Khayelitsha, also spent part of his upbringing living in Kleinmond and Port Elizabeth.

Big Break and meaningful collabs.

As is the socio-economic desperation to many talented and creative youth in South Africa, Bravo needed a 9-5 job and worked at Kekkel en Kraai as a general worker. But what can only be fate intervened. “We were selling chicken for a living. I received an opportunity to perform alongside Nasty C but two weeks after that I got to meet him,” he said. “I let my job know that I can’t come in because I have somewhere to be. I even hitchhiked from Kleinmond to Khayelitsha.” And something in the universe clicked.

At the age of 25, Le Roux has already had the privilege to work with many local artists including Phantom Steeze and Youngsta CPT.

His collaboration with Youngsta CPT on “Yabo?!” sparked mutual respect between the artists, based on their shared work ethic. There were very salient lessons for Le Roux, marvelling at how Youngsta hustles hard and built up financial wealth through rap. “He showed me that success is possible through dedication.” Youngsta CPT, in turn, is said he is equally in awe of Le Roux’s talent and tenacity.

Performances.

In the game of hip hop you have show people who you are. Bravo, no slouch to putting in the work, has garnered a reputation as a lively and entertaining performer. He has built up a legacy of performances including Cotton Fest and a successful national tour for his recent project “International Gubevu”. He’s already performed at AKA’s Megacy Over Everything and Nasty C’s Ivyson Tour as well as make an appearance on renowned hip hop show ShizLive. Crowd surfing is often his highlight at events.

Bravo has also made appearances on some of the big shows on TV & online platforms like Massive Music, Yo MTV Raps, Channel O Lockdown Party and SlikourOnLife.

Creativity.

Le Roux has always been precociously creative, dabbling in various art forms. “From dancing and painting to drawing and designing, I’ve always been involved in art. Music just happened to be the one that’s helped me make my mark,” he says. He has indicated that he is getting back into dancing now and still continues to paint, preferring not to be tied down to one art form. Being in the constant state of imaginative play keeps him primed for his music.

Artistry.

Le Roux has won many fans by implementing his special brand of inclusivity. “I try use slang that everyone in the city can relate to. People from all areas, that’s why there’s English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa” he said. As to how he constructs his tracks, Bravo says: “I write on my phone. We usually chant around the beat, then I put lyrics over the chants. It’s all about the melody.”

Future foretold.

With the self-assured confidence of his own advice, to aspiring rappers, Bravo Le Roux says: “Listen to your instincts. If your sixth sense is telling you to change your career, do it. Don’t limit yourself to one art form. There’s so much you can do in the world.”

C.S.A.’s monthly cultural portal, The WIRE connects the dots of culture. With concise stories, many with video content, take a premium dive into the world of African entertainment & cultural fluidity. It’s one thing to be hip to what’s happening but it is another to know why.

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