A beast on the mic – Sabo-X
People came to know about me because I am a BEAST on the microphone – Sabo-X.
Sabo-X (Thabo Twala), formerly known as Sabotage is a rapper, musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. His talent has earned him accolades, notably the lyricist award at the 2019 Springs (Ekurhuleni) Hip-Hop Awards. He also secured second place in the 2023 Back to the City 10k Challenge, demonstrating his BEAST mode on the local and national stages.
“The lyrical content is what drove me to hip hop, I have been listening to more lyrics than beats when it came to songs. My thing has always been lyrics so I take pride in creating something that will make you think or be like how did he come up with that? Having the recognition makes me want to do more because it’s like people are aware and are paying attention to my lyrics which helped me improve my pen.”
“Back to the City is always good – it is big, especially for us here in the East. The opportunity doesn’t end there, the chances of you going to the bigger stage get closer and closer so from the number of people that entered the competition and for me to make it to number two was an achievement. Yes, everyone wants to be number one but it was a very humbling experience, it was dope and I got to learn a lot. I feel like it is a good platform for artists to come and showcase their talent and whatever it is that they are working on,” says Sabo-X.
The KwaThema rapper first found recognition after his first EP titled Make Volomel90. Since then Sabo-X has released singles building up to his new project Msouthen which is set to drop this year. Coming from a musical background he says pursuing music was natural.
“I come from a musical family and growing up my grandad was part of a band. On the other hand, my uncle had a studio so the choice was really easy.” His influences are drawn from a mix of 90s New York hip-hop and South African kwaito.
He made a conscious decision to change his stage name from Sabotage to Sabo-X to break free from negative connotations. “Sabotage just followed me around and even sabotaged me, so to speak. I decided to make it short and add the X as just an easy way to be found on streaming sites,” he explains.
Sabo-X shares insights into his evolving perspective as an artist emphasising the importance of growth, both as a human being and a musician, and how his music has transformed into a platform for telling others’ stories, especially those from his community.
“It is just perspective and growth as a human being and having gone through everything – life in general. I am trying to curate an art piece, something that you can listen to. My perspective is wider now. I can tell other people’s stories through my platform. I used to write from a point of personal experience but now with this new project I also draw inspiration from what’s happening in people’s lives especially in our hood because we sometimes miss these stories.”
He has collaborated with the likes of TLTAmazing, Bongo Riot, EeQue, Makwa, Steezy Stylish, and producer Master Kaos. These collaborations have not only expanded his musical repertoire but have also provided valuable insights into his career, “Every artist that I work with always brings something new that I can learn. Some of these guys have taught me a lot. More so how to be professional and that the quality of the music surpasses everything. They would rather compromise everything but not the quality of the music which is how I approach my music because now it has to be on international standard,” he says.
Beyond his musical achievements, Sabo-X is making a significant impact by supporting and nurturing upcoming talent from Kwatsaduza. Offering his time, studio facilities, and mentorship, he aims to empower the youth and create a platform for them to shine.
His advice to emerging artists is to stay original, authentic, and true to themselves. He advocates for self-competition rather than imitation, stressing the importance of maintaining one’s uniqueness in the crowded music industry.
As Sabo-X continues his musical journey, he plans to release more music, forge new connections, and expand his listener base. “I have a lot of music sitting around, I plan to release more and make a lot of connections and get more listeners. I just want to be heard!”
“I am also trying to shine a light on our brothers even though they are hooked on drugs and alcohol. They remain our brothers, we still love them and wish for them to recover. Addiction is a very slow poison and it is killing the nation. So I try to raise awareness and make people aware of the pandemic we are currently facing,” expressed Sabo-X.
