Welcome to Melodies Unveiled, where we dive into the musical world of the talented Ivy Rafu!
Who is Ivy Rafu?
Ivy Rafu is a Rapper, Singer, Songwriter recorder, and performing artist, born and based in Queenstown who specializes in Hip Hop Music, R&B, TRAP, and AFRO POP.
What inspired you to pursue a career in music, particularly as a female rapper? Have you faced any challenges in the industry, and how have you overcome them?
What inspired me to pursue a career in music, particularly as a female rapper is a passion for rap music. I grew up surrounded by Emcee all my brothers are rappers, and I grew up listening to rap music yes my mother's music was there which is Gospel she loved it but it was rap left right, and center for me, so I fell in love with rap music. I still remember getting excited each and every Sunday because my brother used to have Hip Hop sessions held at some carwash in my KASI so I used to go there each and every Sunday afternoon to watch them rap up until I decided to pick up a pen and write my own lyrics from there I never looked back. I have faced a lot of challenges in the industry and thee top-notch challenge we face as female rappers is having male rappers and producers wanting to have some sort of romantic relationship it makes things hard for us because most of us fell for it some not. It's hard for us to collaborate with most male artists, it's hard for us to hit the studio because most dope producers are males. I tried to deal with it for example if an artist approaches me and says Ivy I want to work with you I make sure that I make them understand that I'm all about business from the start, I make sure I pay the producer making sure it's all about a business that's how I've dealt with it and its been working for me.
Can you tell us about your journey as a female rapper in Queenstown and how it has shaped your artistry?
I won't lie and say it's been a smooth journey for me as a female rapper here in Queenstown, I'm not the only one though there are a lot of us, personally I've dealt with issues like not being taken seriously as a female rapper. Also being excluded from Hip-hop events that are held around here in Queens, has helped me push me to actually collaborate with artists out of my town out of my province it made me see that artists from outside show more interest than artists from my own town. I feel like we all think we are in some sort of competition.
As a female rapper, how do you see the representation and empowerment of women improving in the rap industry by 2025?
Well honestly I feel like most successful female rappers empower and represent sex more than anything in this rap game in our days, and I think it's about time to shift that perspective this year because it's weighing us down reason why most male artists and producers see us as "pornstars" because we clearly promote pornography. I am pretty sure if we focus more on writing and releasing music that focuses more on our daily struggles and challenges we are facing in our daily lives and stick to that female rappers would dominate in the rap game this year.
In terms of collaborations, what new and exciting partnerships can we expect from you in 2025?
Ive been hitting a studio alot collaborating with Expowzza hes one of the dope Xhosa rapper here in Queens and im featured in a lot of his upcoming projects and also ive worked with Owam who is the vocalist here in Queens. Im looking forward to work with other artist from other towns.
What steps are you taking to ensure your music remains authentic and resonates with your audience in the ever-changing landscape of the rap industry?
Staying true to my personal experiences I am not changing who I am and what I represent. The music that I'm going to put out there is all about the struggles and challenges that I'm facing throughout this music journey focusing more on quantity over quality that will ensure each and every release is meaningful and reasoning deeply to listeners, and also trust the creative process that will pretty much surely help me experiment and that is the best part I love about music expressing myself fully and finding inspiration in unexpected places.
In 2025, what do you hope to have achieved as a female rapper from Queenstown, and how do you plan to use your platform to inspire and empower others?
Well most importantly this year I'm focusing on learning as much as I can about the industry because I feel like I miss out a lot there is so much that I don't know at least let me pop ndinayo glimpse of what to expect and also I am planning on learning how to market and promote as well engaging my self with promoters and marketers so that my music can be out there in all platforms. I also want to show the young ones that if you don't put in work you are not going to get anything out of it, it's all about work consistency and a positive mindset.
What are your thoughts on the increasing influence of streaming platforms and their impact on the rap industry? How do you plan on leveraging this trend in 2025?
The increased influence of streaming platforms has transformed the Rap industry in a whole lot of ways in such a way that popular streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, etc. allow independent artists to reach wider audiences without being signed by any recording label. This helps us to collaborate with other artists from different cities and countries and big artists might hear your music from the playlists of these platforms. I would use social media to do live streams engage with other artists build a firm relationship and make sure that I put exclusive content like behind-the-scenes footage. Also, people should look out for those verse challenges big artists normally put out on TikTok because I will be using the same strategy on that platform.
What advice do you have for aspiring rappers who are looking to make a mark in the rap industry this year? Are there any opportunities they should be aware of?
I would advise young ones to learn as much as they can about the business side of the industry not only about the music and find what makes them unique like lyrically, flow, topics, etc. invest more in your craft. Use social media platforms to connect with as much of the audience and stay consistent on top of that try to maintain mental health because as much we see this as easy, it is not.
In conclusion, what message or impact do you hope to convey through your music in 2025? Is there anything else you would like to share with your fans and the rap community?
The only thing that the music I'm going to put out there is conveying hope, have hope in life. I've been through a lot of things in ebomini and I've dealt with it through God and support from my family and friends, omnye umntu mhlawumbi they don't have abobantu banjalo ebomini bakhe so my music is there for them to comfort them and also give them hope that tomorrow might be the day they see the light because we see a lot of youth bezibulala abanye besonzakala ngenxa yezimo abakhulele phantsi kwazo abanye ngenxa ye situation they are facing with, and I feel like we are not doing enough as artists to give hope to the people.
As our conversation wraps up, one thing is clear: Ivy Rafu isn’t just here to make music—she’s here to make waves. With her fearless ambition and undeniable talent, she’s paving a path not just for herself, but for others who dare to dream big. Whether you're a fan of her music or inspired by her journey, Ivy's story reminds us that with passion and perseverance, there are no limits. Later this year, Ivy might bless us with an EP as she has a lot of unreleased music.
Watch this space—Queenstown’s finest is just getting started.
.png)
0 Comments