IN SESSION WITH AMAPIANO ARTIST JAN DE KID
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- October 24, 2022
‘Jan De Kid’, does that sound familiar? Maybe not to a lot of you but let’s let you in on what we mean. Real name, Masilo Jan Makoela (25) who has had a lot of stage names from Jan De Fisherman and finally getting to a name that made sense to him which is Jan De Kid. Is none other than Josiah De Disciple’s brother. Who hails from the Alexandra township, Johannesburg. Interesting fact is that his name is associated to his brother’s. Since he is a ‘disciple’ he would like to think of himself as a ‘kid’ to a disciple because he taught him everything the artist knows about producing music.
What inspires your music?
What inspires Jan De Kid’s music is listening to other artists. It betters his work and ignites his creativity as a musician. He added, “But more honestly I have to say my heart inspires me the most. My happiness, my sadness, and everything in between. In everything, I lead with how I’m feeling and how I can translate that into whatever music I may be feeling at that moment.”
When did your musical journey start and how was it?
This was a tough one for Jan because, for him, it is hard to pinpoint when exactly his interest in music began. Since he truly believes that he fell in love with music for as long as he can remember. This is what he had to say:
“But I do remember that I started actively pursuing music when I was 16 years old when I started tagging along with my brother at his gigs. At 17, Tshego, aka Hitman on Set, began teaching me how to DJ. I have to say this music thing has never been easy. Because even with all the love and support I got I still worried about how I was going to get to my next gig or whether people would love my music as much as I loved making it. But I guess every day I do this thing I take a leap of faith and trust that with this music, I’m setting someone’s heart on fire.”
How is it being in the same industry that your brother is in?
“It’s very tough because people often compare me to him which is not fair. And there’s an expectation that must live up to since “my brother “is doing big things”, Jan said.
What do you hope to achieve with your music career?
“I hope to heal and captivate people’s hearts with my music. After all, that’s always been what music has been for me. A place where I healed through the sounds of music. I hope my music gets to make people laugh, cry, and dance, even more making their burdens feel a little lighter. Most importantly, I hope my music is freeing.”
What kind of music do you produce?
Like his brother, Jan De Kid mainly plays Amapiano. “But I do often play deep soulful house. I produce all of the above. House, Amapiano, Sgija, RnB, and hopefully more in the future.”
What are you currently up to?
“I just released my freshman album ‘The Prodigy’ and have been working on the second installment of this project. I have also been planning and coordinating my first major event which will be taking place on the 29th of October this month it is a one-man show featuring emerging artists such as Char Monedi, Coolest Entertainment, Da Chino, and more established artists like Jaysax, Josiah De Disciple and Hitman on Set.”
Download ‘The Prodigy EP’ Now
Who are some of SA’s artists that you have worked with?
“I have worked with Hitman on Set, Mzu M, Josiah De Disciple, Da Chino, JazziQ, just to name a few…”
Who would your dream collaboration be with and why them?
“Musa Keys. I enjoy his chord progression. I can feel the emotion in his production, and it would be nice to work with someone who would see me on that level,” said Masilo.
