Arguably one of South Africa’s most industrious songwriters in the current age of Mzansi’s nuanced timeline, the name Baby S.O.N has mushroomed all over hits in the past several years.
From scoring multiple credits on AKA’s acclaimed final studio album Mass Country to adding his sonic fingerprint on Kelvin Momo’s beloved record Amukelani, the Son of Neverland’s sharp ascension contrasts with the humility he has employed to introduce himself to the industry through his debut body of work. Christened Baby Who?, the man who needed no introduction lavishly made an album with the express intention of letting the world know he had arrived.
Hardly a stranger to music, the DJ-cum-singer’s road was a deterministic journey, the stuff of story books which began with him being born into a music-friendly family. Predestined from the jump, he recalled how it all began for him, way before the chart-toppers and the multi-platform following.
“As a child, you learn what to do and how to go about things from those around you, and in the same way, my family influenced me. From my grandmother and my grandfather to my cousins and my sisters, we all sing and love music. Music was a common thing in our household,” said Baby S.O.N.
Baby S.O.N | SUPPLIED
Released on the 9th of August 2024, the diligent songsmith’s maiden album followed the releases of singles: “Njalo” and “Let Go Revisit”. Titled Baby Who?, the ten-track amapiano album featured the likes of Kelvin Momo, Sino Msolo, and Yumbs, among others.
With bangers like Kamo Mphela’s “Dalie” and BET Award-nominated amapiano star Pabi Cooper’s “Isiphithiphithi” in his discography, naming the album Baby Who? might’ve raised a few eyebrows, since he was anything but an unfamiliar face. However, the musician explained why he dubbed his first official collection “Baby Who?“.
“Baby Who? was basically a hello from me, not only to my audience but to the industry and those that don’t know me. It’s just to say, ‘If you didn’t know who I was and the type of person I am, this is who I am.’ Baby Who?: the project. It’s been a blast,” he said.
In the era of TikTok hits and viral earworms, Baby S.O.N tacitly lamented the deterioration of the artistic side of music as an artform. A purist at heart, the “Flight Ya Hoseng” hitmaker expressed a deep desire to see the industry return to the pursuit of excellence and to afford the music enough respect to enjoy the process.
“I just want people to take care of the music, to focus on giving it their all and to be present within the music. Not doing it half-heartedly just to make money. I would like us to really care about music all over again and to do our best with what we make,” he said.
Baby S.O.N | SUPPLIED
While most advocated for running up the hours in the booth, Baby S.O.N felt that the greatest amplifier to one’s creativity was brewing it outside the confines of the studio.
“It’s important to keep yourself surrounded by people you aspire to collaborate with. Apart from that, I believe the very best way to be creative in studio is to stay away from the studio for about a week or two. Just living life,” he said.
A cut from his debut LP, “Jesus Piece” was Baby S.O.N’s choice selection when asked about which song he cherished above others in his stellar career.
“One song I love the most has to be “Jesus Piece” because of the message behind it, and the encouragement that comes with it. It’s all about not giving up and saying that while things may take time, the most important thing is not giving up because you’re nearly there,” he said.
Listen to Baby Who?:
