DJ Sumbody On What Kept Him Afloat During The Pandemic. DJ Sumbody has been one of the amapiano pioneers and popularising the genre. In 2009, when gqom was fast becoming the country’s most popular genre, DJ Sumbody wanted to cut himself a space in the industry. Gqom originated in Durban, and, as a Pitori native, Sumbody needed to create a counterpoint to the mainstream. Today, DJ Sumbody is one of the amapiano pioneers and his signature ‘Ayepyep’ has moved from being something he says to an amapiano hit.
Sumbody said that the pandemic impacted artists a lot since they depend on the clubs, restaurants and nightlife to get income. And they had to change gears since during the early stages of lockdown people were relying on streaming to get their groove fix while stuck indoors. Furthermore, he added that due to the hardships of those times, artists needed to find other forms of income.
The pandemic and lockdowns took a toll on many artists leaving them little to no alternative of making money. However, one such as DJ Sumbody migrated online through live streaming mixes and performances on MTV Base and Channel O. For a promoter, the golden formula is broken amid the pandemic. Just like every other artist, Sumbody needed a new avenue to reach his audiences for the music he produces.
Lockdown Sessions is a live streaming channel where DJ Sumbody, among other Pitori DJs feature. “When I did my streaming. I did things the way that I do them at Ayepyep Lifestyle—drink if you want to, smoke if you want to.” Because of that chutzpah, Hennessy and soft drink maker Schweppes have partnered with his channel to help fund the equipment, artists, data and other costs in exchange for the respective companies securing future alignment with the Ayepyep brand.
