The Lowkeys Reminisce On How The Late DJ Sumbody Took Them Under His Wing. They started out when they were both 17 years old in 2016. They had a third member who left the group to pursue a solo career. Q Unlimited says they met in high school and the third member lived in the same area as Big Zee. They were discovered by DJ Sumbody when they were in high school. He gave them a platform to shine and now they are doing the same for other upcoming stars.
“We had other interests and tried other hobbies such as sports, but the music was always constant. We would fall in and out of love with other hobbies but their love for music never changed. And it brought us closer than ever and we continued to learn more about the making of music after school,” Q Unlimited said.
“We were pushing our things slow but things came together when we were discovered by the late DJ Sumbody in 2018, we got performances and things started to come live. I remember I had to choose between writing my exams or going to Durban in July. I chose Durban July and that was the best decision I have ever made for myself, even though my parents were angry I am glad that I went to the event because now I make their salary in a day,” said Big Zee.
Q unlimited says carrying on without the person who spotted their potential is one of the hardest things to deal with. “It is a bit hard for us since his passing because whenever we used to encounter a problem, we knew who to call and he would inspire us to carry on. Now it is a bit hard, but we are pushing and we are still going to work hard to make him proud,” he says.
“DJ Sumbody was a father, a brother, a mentor. Sumbody was God-sent to us because we come from a hood where a lot of bad things happen. In Mamelodi we do not have role models, most of our peers look up to people who do bad things as role models. Sumbody came and showed us a bigger picture in terms of how to carry ourselves, he mentored us well. Because of his teachings, we have been consistent ever since, we have been in the industry for five years now and we are not reckless, and we remain levelheaded. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him,” says Big Zee.
Q Unlimited says Sumbody was their teacher, not just in music but in life as well.”Do you know how strict parents are? We also had that in him, and he instilled it in us like how to behave in life in general, and how to tackle certain situations.”
They say working with Sumbody has influenced their decision to only work with unknown artists. They want to pass the baton to the new kids in the block because they have been there and know how it feels to not have a platform to showcase what they have.“We intentionally chose to feature the new kids in amapiano because they give it their all and they are hungry to be heard. And because it is a first album and it is personal even the subject on some of the music is about our emotions, touching on our experience during the lockdown and love, so we wanted to feature people who will authentically articulate their feeling and experience. We are here to spread joy, love, and light,” says Big Zee
