Images Shot By @vuyopolson - Styled By @GULUVA STYLESS

Strange how things turn out. I remember an odd evening chilling at my regular drinking spot way back in 2023, with the manager and the booking agent for the bar. For some reason, they had asked me and my mate if we had any idea who they should book for their next show.

I mentioned the names I had known at the time; however, it was my friend who brought up the name FleeQy and man was he shocked when he realized, I had yet to come across her music.

It was that evening when I decided to check out her discography, eventually finding myself lost in her “Chapters” album that was released back in 2022. I was amazed by how incredibly gifted Fleeqy was at her approach to her sound, always blending a variety of genres, while consistently flaunting her rapping and singing talents.

I became an instant fan, and it was after the release of her captivating 2024 project “3SIXTY”, that I knew a chat would eventually need to happen. We linked up over a coffee to both reflect on our journeys, while I got to learn more about her background and what her goals for the future look like.

Could you tell us the background story behind FleeQy?

“I’m from Durban, but I’ve been living in Cape Town for basically my whole life. I moved here when I was five and I’ve been living here ever since.”

“I started making music when I was fourteen years old with a friend. It was more my idea and I secretly wanted to do it on the low, but I was too scared to start by myself. So I asked my friend if she wanted to record a song with me which she said yes to. It’s a song called “Best Friend”.”

“It’s a very cute song and it’s still on my SoundCloud and when I listen back to it, it’s very nostalgic. That’s kind of what sparked that flame, that was a ripple effect. Because to me, that was just me doing something for fun, but when I think about it, I had always liked listening to music and I had always liked making music.”

“I have these earlier memories of always making my own songs, but I don’t know if it happens to you, but you have those memories which you aren’t sure if they were real or made up. But I vividly remember having a little book in my primary school days where I’d be writing my songs and then making the beats in my mind. And I remember doing it with my friends. But I don’t know if that was real.”

“But growing up I had always just liked surrounding myself with music. It’s not like I just woke up and randomly decided to write a song, obviously, I just liked listening to music all the time. It got to a point where I now decided I really wanted to create this for me.”

Surely with your love and passion for music, you must’ve had a creative or musical background of some sort, right?

“I’ve come to learn that my family is actually creative. And I never knew that because growing up I’m the second out of four kids. My sister used to draw a lot in her Primary and High School days, and I used to love doing what my elder sister did. And that’s how I got into drawing.”

“My sister also used to love to sing. She’d sing songs from High School Musical, she really loved Beyonce, and she was always singing.”

“And I also have a younger brother who also liked doing what I was doing. I don't know, I guess it’s just that thing of looking up to your older siblings. But he started drawing and he took it to the next level and became really artistic and now he’s started playing instruments and producing. I could actually even perform with him with a live band, and we did that not so long ago at my mother’s birthday party.”

“And my father has always played the guitar. Like for fun, but with us. And it’ll always be the same three songs but he plays them really well. When I’m looking around my family, I realize we’re a musical family. Like, how did I not see this all along? Looking back now, I noticed it’s been around me all this time.”

So then growing up until now, what music were you listening to that inspired your sound as an artist?

“The thing about me is my music taste is ever-changing. It’s never stuck to a specific sound. Okay, my Hip Hop love has been a constant, but the genres have been constantly evolving.”

“When I began, I was really into Trap. I’m talking about The Migos, Ski Mask The Slump God, Comethazine, you know. It was just Trap and Rap for a while, but my taste slowly evolved into a more Neo-Soul and slower sound.”

“I had always liked listening to different types of music but when it comes to actually making it, that’s how it evolves. But every day my music changes. Even if you have a look at my playlist, it’s very random. One moment I could be listening to Kendrick Lamar’s new stuff and then the next could be one of Black Coffee’s older stuff.”

“And it’s a lot of underground artists I follow too. I can’t believe I got to see Doechii become huge. I found her when she was making “Spookie Coochie”. I’ve been there from day one and I’ve seen her grow. Little does she know there’s been a girl in South Africa watching her journey. And now she’s won a Grammy. It’s crazy and I’m so inspired by her journey. It just secures the faith and the belief that anything is possible.”

One thing that impressed me was your rapping ability. It’s not an easy skill to learn, so how did you pick up that talent?

“I guess it’s because I love reading and I love poetry. I love a good poetic metaphor and I love spoken word poetry. So for me, rap was going to be a constant.”

“I hate to make it a thing of me getting something from someone else, but the first boyfriend that I had was really into Rap. And you know that thing of having a partner, you sort of start to like what they’re liking. He was into the more lyrical guys like Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, or Joey Badass. Listening to them is how I really got into doing that myself and putting it into my music.”

“Even in my early days, like my song “Throw”, it’s very lyrical and rhymy. Those songs are so funny but I could never hate on them. They’re just cute and I treat them like a time capsule. Every time I listen to them, I immediately get flashbacks and memories of those points in my life. That’s how it is for most songs though. You remember how life was when you were writing those songs.”

Listening through your discography, your sound is always unpredictable, and your projects come with loads of versatility. Why is that the approach to your music?

“For the longest time, I felt that it was a bad thing that I didn’t know what sound to stick with. I guess I just wanted to try anything and do everything.”

“I used to worry that it would confuse my audience. I actually used to worry a lot about my audience a lot. And that’s good to an extent. But your art is about you, and it shouldn’t be based around your audience.”

“Recently, I’ve come to realize that being versatile and moving with the times is becoming very important. Look at artists who have had longevity in their career. Beyonce just did a whole country album which did really well. It’s artists like them who always give us something new and fresh every time. They’re not forgettable or repetitive.”

“So, when I started to think about it like that, I realised that maybe it wasn’t a bad thing to keep being flexible with my music. At some point, when you’re on a huge platform, you’re going to have to collaborate with other people on a bigger scale, and you’re going to have to tap into other sounds.”

“You have to know how to be versatile, and it’s something I’m very proud of. I’m proud of myself for delving into all kinds of genres. Right now, I’m really into House and that’s something in the works. It’s House music but with a Jazzier upbeat feeling to it.”

You stated how you used to be so concerned with your audience. What was going through your mind during those times and how did you move through it?

“I used to be so concerned about every little thing. I used to think that if I sounded a certain way, I’d look corny. If I did this or that, they were going to unfollow me.”

“But when I stopped to think about it, I realised that I’m the reason they’re around, to begin with. They’re gonna either have to take or leave what I give them. And if you decide to leave it, you were never supposed to be here. And I’m not trying to say that in a mean way, I’m just saying if I’m not that artist for you, you’re welcome to listen to the many artists out there.”

“I realised that the people who are supposed to stay will stay. When the right people start to follow you, the algorithm finds more of those people with the same taste for the music and that’s how you grow.”

“When I started thinking of it that way, that’s when I stopped being so concerned about my audience.”

What about making music makes you so in love with what you’re doing?

“It’s the feeling man.”

“It’s that thing of bringing your ideas to life and watching it materialize. I guess also living your truth. I want to get to a point where work doesn’t feel like work and I just want to really be living my life how I want to. A life where you’re not really working and you’re just having fun.”

“And I can’t wait to get to that point. Not to say I won’t have issues or problems, but it’ll feel good. I feel good right now and I want to continue feeling good until I get to that point. If that makes any sense.”

“But yeah, the feeling has always been good, so I’m just gonna keep doing it.”

Let’s chat about your last project “3SIXTY”. What was the whole story behind crafting that album?

“It was good. It was at a time in my life when I wasn’t working and I was really stressed about that. But that also gave me time to think about what I really want.”

“That’s when I started to realise that my audience was gonna have to adapt. I was on some slow vibes, not the high vibes.This is what I’m on right now and this is what I’m going to be on. I needed to take time for myself, and I needed to really think about it.”

“I even took time from social media. I needed to silence the noise, and I needed to focus. And it was also a while due to my financial situation. How was I going to afford to record, or do shoots? At that time, I decided to step away. I figured if I was going to be too inconsistent, I’d rather just step back. I’d hate to be there and not be there you know? I didn’t plan it to be a year.”

“The more time I took, I really got to find what I liked to listen to, and listen to my inspirations, and I had just got my equipment. I wasn’t around people, and I was fully immersed with the music. I learned how to harmonize, and I took time to learn.”

“Usually, I’d use YouTube tutorials to learn how to do things but, in this case, because it was such a creative thing for me, I just did a whole lot of trial and error. I didn’t want to learn the formula behind it all. I just did it. And it felt nice because it felt like I was discovering something new about myself and my art. That’s how “3SIXTY” was born.”

My last question for you. In your journey as an artist based in Cape Town, what has that experience navigating the creative landscape been like for you?

“I stayed far away when I began. I stayed in Simon’s Town which is basically on the other side of the city. The job that I used to work was online and I’d get paid weekly, basically freelancing.”

“I would make sure I would work accordingly so that if there was an event I’d want to attend, I’d make sure I had enough for transport, getting drinks and you know so and so. It would be a long trip to get to town, so we’d take time getting ready and reaching those spaces in the city.”

“So, you can understand why we came with such high expectations, having the opportunity to start networking with others. I used to get so excited by all of that. I was so young and naive, but I also felt like I got the cold shoulder from people. Like everybody had their own clique.”

“I remember I’d show up to these places alone and I wouldn’t know who to gravitate towards. Another thing with being versatile is I would find it hard to chill with the R&B people. I don’t make R&B, but I love it, and I could easily chill with them. But then I can’t chill with the Trap people. They have their own vibe even though I also love that genre.”

“Trying to fit in was just a lot. I would always question where my people were at. My journeying around back then never really created anything solid. I really cared about it at some point, and it really got to me.”

“And there was a sense of wanting to have musical friends. I really wanted musical friends. I wanted to feel like I belonged somewhere. It was just all too cliquey though. The only time I felt relaxed is when I came somewhere with somebody. I feel like everybody keeps to themselves in this city. Those were the vibes I got.”

“I stopped caring about that though. I really don’t care and I’m just going to do my own thing. I’ll find the right people along the way. I’m not going out of my way to find those people, the ones I have now are just joining me on my journey and I love that I’ve found them.”

I really enjoyed the conversation the two of us had. Leaving that interview there was this feeling I couldn’t shake out of my head. I’ve come across many creatives who seem to struggle with all the pressures of being involved in the world of creativity.

However, FleeQy left me with the impression that she really cared about what she does, without really caring too much. I’m struggling to put it into words, but it felt like she’s over all the drama that comes with the job and has found herself purely enjoying what she does for the true passion of it…I don’t know, that’s just what I thought.

But it looks like FleeQy’s got new work approaching sometime in the future, jumping on the House wave, further expanding her range as an artist. I look forward to what she has cooking. For now, if you haven’t already experienced her work yet, I urge you to check out “3SIXTY”, and to truly understand how flawless her work is.

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