If your introduction to the artist known as Touchline was through his radio single Zone 6, what you heard next from him would’ve been another case of the popular saying “open for a surprise”.
From the dusty streets of Tembisa, comes Thabo Mahlele, popularly known as the versatile rapper Touchline. He is able to weave words together with a fresh, flexible flow and bring us music we can relate to. He uses his skill with wordplay and story-telling to take on social issues with a poetic touch to it all.
He dropped two projects in 2018, starting with S.O.O.N (Something Out Of Nothing), which secured him the accolade for Freshman of the year for Hype Magazine. He followed it up with another project in late 2018 titled 18 Flow. 18 Flow would be the more popular release which projected Touchline to higher heights. He raps like he is ready for it all. He then scooped Verse Of The Year from SlikourOnLife after snatching Verse Of The Month Twice.
Jointz Lyrics had a chat with Touchline to get to know more about him and what he represents.
Jointz Lyrics: That moment when you decided to write your first verse, what sparked that?
It was when I heard Prokid's song, Thola Rater. The first thing I did when I got home was go write my first script and I did it in Vernac
JL: Your journey since then, how has it been?
It's been a beautiful journey. It came with a lot of snakes in the grass, and when you finally find your way to an open path, there seems to be thorns all over the place...But we've been fortunate enough to have wings and to fly over all the
obstacles
JL: Please paint a picture of the rap scene in Tembisa.
It's
growing. Still not enough rappers from ekaslam in the mainstream, but there are still a lot of sessions where rappers get to showcase their skills...but we need opportunities that will move them out of the hood and into spaces where larger audiences can see them.
JL: You are well on your way to unlock those opportunities.
What inspired the title for your recent project, 18 flow?
In the beginning of 2016, I dropped a song called "16 Flow" where I spoke about my intentions and ambitions for the year, I did the same when I dropped a song called "17 Flow" the next year and when 2018 came, I
decided to drop 18 Flow in the form of a 10 song project.
JL: It all makes sense.
Three songs from your catalogue that you trust to get a new listener to want to hear more?
JL:.You’re fast becoming a force to be reckoned with. How much work goes into crafting your lines to be what they are when they reach the audience?
Not too much, I do scratch them out if I feel like they're not effective enough, but I write during moments of high inspiration, which makes it easier to say something dope at that moment.
JL: An appreciated element about your style of writing is how you pay attention to structuring verses and making them musical. Please take us through your writing process.
Firstly, I prefer to be alone in the studio when I write...But other than that there isn't much of a process...I whip out my phone and start scripting while the beat is playing. But for songs that have a little more depth (Like #5Grand) I like to take my time and meditate on the message I want to portray before I start writing.
JL: You also find a way to drop witty lines that don't really fly past anyone's head and that means what you have to say is not lost. Is that deliberate?
Very deliberate. I try to make my music accessible. That means people should be able to access the lyrics, The message, the beat. It should never feel like it's too far away from that...What's the point of speaking to people if they are not hearing you or if their hearts don't comprehend your message?
JL: It would be easy to come into the game with a commercial sound and light content. Why would you rather be a technical rapper and tackle social issues instead?
Because art needs to mirror society. I need to highlight what's really happening, not tell tales of the American dream when I grew up in conditions that are far different from it. I have an obligation, to be honest in my music. And regarding being technical, I grew up listening to the Pro's and Eminem's who really put hours into penning something incredible.
JL: When I first heard The Procedure, I cringed a bit ‘cause it could’ve easily gone south. You did it more than it’s a fair share of justice. How comfortable were you doing that?
Very comfortable, I'm in my element when I rap in vernacular, and jumping on a song where I'm bigging up my idol who is no longer with us came with a little pressure, but I'm very confident and I think it came at the right time for me because I have always wanted to show my gratitude towards PRO...I'm forever indebted to him.
JL: You tap into your Spoken Word element more on "These Shoes". How do you decide what approach will deliver the message more effectively?
It's a matter of feeling...but it also never made sense for me to deliver a deep message on top of high tempo instrumentals, I need to strip it down so that
people can truly feel what I'm saying and on "These Shoes" I decided to remove the instrumental completely so people can listen. It's also audio from a performance I did in Tembisa in 2018 that I took and put on the project.
JL: What's next on the cards for Touchline?
More features, More visuals, new project. And finding new ways to impact the youth of South Africa.
JL:Thank you for taking the time to speak to Jointz. Any message to your growing fanbase?
My message to my people is for them to keep on believing...because change is coming, from
everywhere. Grateful for the support and there's more great music on the way. Ngiyabonga
Thank you kindly.
