“I recall the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Faculty of Law hosted a festival in 2020, and I was one of their headliners­­ – my first performing gig in front of a big crowd was at UP,” says rapper Lethabo Sebetso, popularly known as Focalistic.

The 28-year-old superstar, who graduated with a degree in Political Sciences in 2018, says growing up in Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria ignited his love of rap music. He recalls listening to the sound coming from taxis and Toyota Quantums around his neighbourhood.

“My musical journey started after the passing of my dad, when I was in Grade 9,” Sebetso says. “I started making music to express my feelings, because words were not doing enough. I needed melodies to capture certain emotions.”

He says his stage name, Focalistic, refers to a “focused catalyst for change”, adding that there’s no difference between Lethabo and Focalistic.

“Focalistic has been created by Lethabo,” he explains. “Focalistic is a place where I felt I could correct a lot of who I wanted to be, like a superhero. As one of my tracks explains: ‘ke President ya straata’, meaning ‘I own these streets’. Lethabo and Focalistic are helping each other to get through life.”

Sebetso says he loves seeing people smile and dance to music because it has the power to change one’s mood.

“I used to listen to American rapper Lil Wayne a lot; however, I also I loved music from South African legends such as Hugh Masekela, Spikiri and HHP, to name a few. To this day, I still enjoy their music.”

He says they inspired him to make “long-standing” music.

“I see my music as a time-marker – one can always feel at home even if they are not really at home. And I see my music as a mirror to society; history must be written in our music.”

As for his studies, he says his degree is an extension of his personality.

“Musically, I wanted to explain the circumstances that we grow up in, and through this qualification, I am able to express my love for politics. The aim is to capture that in a way that isn’t too serious and complicated for people; this degree is helping to bridge that.”

He adds that his degree also helps him to be more analytical in all aspects, especially when it comes to music.

“I analyse the music that I write, the lyrics that I choose to release, and I am able to put that into a political mind frame,” Sebetso says. “This qualification has also helped me to meet deadlines. I run a record label now, and this qualification helps a lot in navigating around that aspect.”

Sebetso says education plays significant role in shaping societies.

“Education means gaining a detailed understanding of something, and that is important. The more educated you are, the humbler you become. An ego blinds us from seeing the truth. I have learnt to be humble in life because you may be at the peak of your career today, but tomorrow could be a different story.