Trip to New York: DJ Lag, who hails from Durban, says recording bests for Beyoncé was ‘surreal’. Photo: Courtesy Mixmag
There is so much power in boldly following your dream, especially when your surroundings are designed to thwart you.
“I knew that music was my ticket to go see the world and be great,” says Lwazi Asanda Gwala, affectionately known as DJ Lag.
He has released a new single titled Bulldozer where he features Novelist, an MC and producer hailing from Lewisham, South London. Novelist has produced for the likes of ASAP Rocky, Skepta, and Dean Blunt.
The title of the song is apt as the gqom beats by DJ Lag, coupled with Novelist’s high-speed lyrical flow, create a powerful sound.
Born in Clermont, a township in Durban, DJ Lag told the Mail & Guardian about his journey to becoming one of the pioneers of gqom, a genre of dance music
developed in Durban in the early 2000s.
“My mother supported me until the music started affecting my grades and, like any parent, she took my laptop, forcing me to focus on school but, because I am stubborn — or passionate, rather — I would go to my friend’s house and record music from their laptop.”
DJ Lag started producing music in 2008 and got into gqom in 2012.
The warm reception his songs got in Durban made him proud but, more than anything, it was validation that he was exactly where he needed to be.
“I would go to town and hear my song on every taxi. I just could not believe it,” he says.
If you have been to Durban, you know how serious taxi drivers are about fitting proper sound in their vehicles. In a way, they are part of promoting gqom, because once that beat drops, you want it to land on sound systems that can handle it.
Two years after he entered the gqom scene, a London record label reached out to DJ Lag on Facebook, offering to release his music. They also wanted him to play in London, which did not come about as he was still in school.
When you have been recording and producing music for a while, there can be times when you don’t feel creative. On days like that, DJ Lag says he draws inspiration from musicians such as Msawawa and DJ Tira.
“It is not a matter of me listening to their songs and making something similar, no, I just listen to them so they can get me out of a certain mind frame so I can get into a mind frame of creating.”
Gqom is a subculture of kwaito, which makes it fitting DJ Lag’s inspiration comes from the duo, whose music is laced with kwaito sounds.
DJ Lag is big on remembering where he comes from and uplifting his community. After touring the world, he comes home to host an annual event called Something for Clermont at least twice a year.
He also hosts workshops to teach and empower young people in his community who have an interest in music or the business of music.
“These are things I would have liked when I was an upcoming artist, and I do have a choice to go sit at tables with great people and never look back but I can’t because I think young people in my neighbourhood deserve a platform to be empowered to be great as well,” he says.
The king of gqom produced a song called My Power in Beyoncé’s Black Is King visual album that became an anthem for one unapologetically owning their power. The song features South Africa’s own Busiswa and Moonchild Sanelly, who are also contributors to gqom music.
“I was out with my friends when my phone went off with messages and videos of Beyoncé playing my song Trip to New York. I didn’t think much of it. It was when I got a call the next day from Beyoncé’s team telling me that Beyoncé is working on an album and they need beats …”
DJ Lag drove to Joburg, where he met the team, played them a few beats and the rest is history.
“I could not believe it was happening. I just remember being at the Grammys and rubbing shoulders with people I grew up watching on TV. It was a surreal experience. I really felt like a superstar, ” he says.
DJ Lag says he hopes his life can inspire young people from townships all over South Africa to cast off their shackles, and most importantly, to do things that make them happy.
“I found what made me happy and passionately pushed myself towards it, despite [my circumstances]. Never in a million years did I think I would make songs with the likes of Beyoncé but here I am, forging history for those who will come after me.”
DJ Lag’s Alpha Zulu World Tour series runs until September.