shabzi madallion

My stage name stems from my real name. ShabZi is taken from 'Leshabe' which means 'for the people'. Madallion is long for 'mad lion' - 'mad' because I have a very energetic side to me and an alter ego very different to myself. Lion is my clan name and an animal I’m drawn to.

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I’ve been writing rhymes for 18 years. It started out as introspective poetry as I had no beats for what I wrote. I later got introduced to Tupac by my mother and then I realised I wanted to put my lyrics to music. My love for music really started in 8th grade when I became curious about hearing myself to a beat. My mom bought me a secondhand computer with the e-jay beat-making software where I could learn how to make the beats myself and as they say, the rest is history.

 

I'm influenced by, amongst others, Tupac. He's poetic, relatable and sometimes introspective. Others I admire include DMX for his unique voice, Busta Rhymes for the crazy alter ego he has, Zubz for his storytelling ability, Zola also for his aggression and Kendrick Lamar for his dedication to evolving in his art.

 

I believe there’s a huge gap in the market for someone who is extremely relatable in their music. In as much as I’m here to entertain and grow, I’m also here, to tell the truth, challenge the status quo and inform society of alternate truths. I would describe my music as introspective, aggressive and filled with truth.

 

My philosophy in life is that all humans have a purpose and it’s our job to realise it and then help others realise it in turn in order for the world to be more at peace. My secret to my success is being true to myself, working hard at what I claim to be good at, being punctual and reminding myself that the definition of success is relative.

 

The big dream is to be one of the great music exports in Africa, hosting my own shows in the cities where most of my fans reside, and performing at music festivals at home, Africa and the world. I believe that dreams evolve as you keep achieving the ones you’ve conquered. In my mind, right now, I’m just really focused on getting my career to a point where I’m making a decent living and positively change people’s lives as I grow. The next goals will come as I keep achieving them…”