GOSEGO MOTSUMI
While the much-publicised Atlasaone ‘ATI’ Molemogi interview with South African podcaster MacG and co-host Sol Phenduka might have ruffled a few feathers, creative sector experts are convinced that it was a kick in the right direction for the rapper to further penetrate the SA market.
ATI had joined the hosts for an unfiltered conversation that sent social media into a frenzy at The Day Club event hosted at Wagga Gardenex in Gaborone recently.
Said Creative Sector Expert, Bailang Tlamelo, in an interview: “Any publicity is good publicity because ATI managed to create a spark. He did most of the groundwork and it is now up to his team to strike while the iron is still hot.”
Growing numbers
The interview was published on the Podcast and Chill platform on Youtube and garnered rave reviews with most South African ‘chillers’ acknowledging ATI’s musical talent. It also contributed to the growing number of views on his music videos online.
Prior to the interview, ATI was announced as one of the acts performing at the upcoming Born ‘N Raised activation tour in Fourways, South Africa. Bailang believes that even though some people were perplexed by the rapper’s demeanour during the interview, ATI has also commanded attention for his brand.
“ATI’s stage presence is the best and he never disappoints,” he told Time Out. “Now that he has a show in South Africa, he has already created a curious market. This will result in an increased fan base and numbers online.”
Interview decorum
He added that it is now up to ATI’s management to pick up where he left off by guiding the rapper on how to traverse the music industry. He suggested a manager with a good track record for training the “Lephoi” hit maker in proper interview decorum.
While viewers of the podcast have grown accustomed to how edgy and unfiltered it can be, promoter and businessman Seabelo Modibe says such platforms always help people to leap forward. Modibe noted that ATI already had a market in South Africa because he sings in Setswana.
“Podcast and Chill is the biggest podcast in Africa,” he told Time Out. “Of course, there is bound to be a dramatic boost to the interviewee’s numbers. The podcaster is a shock jock. Unfortunately, the music industry does not produce instant results, so there needs to be more work done by the artist to see more results.”
“ATI now needs to release new music quickly or create more content and monetise it online. He doesn’t need to travel across countries to make his mark.”
FAST FACTS:
The interview has garnered more than 285 000 views and 3 000 comments since it aired.
MUSIC VIEWS:
ATI’s song before the interview and after the interview:
Lephoi 323 000 – 347 000
Stimamolelo 482 000 – 506 000
Komiriso 227 000 – 238 000
Dumela 19 000 – 36 000
“I took screenshots of some of his music videos to see how they would perform after the interview,” said Modibe. “From Tuesday evening to Thursday Morning, ‘Stimamolelo’ (Official Music Video) went from 482K to 497K, up by 15K views.
“‘Lephoi’ performance video from 323K to 337K, up by 14K views. ‘Komiriso’ from 227K to 233K, up 6K views. ‘Dumela’ from 19K to 28K, 9K views up. I think the numbers will keep increasing as more people watch the interview.”