12 Jul 2023

Baanthata Mokgwathi alias Ban-T’s artistic seed was planted at a young age when all he knew was being a child who couldn’t care less about what the world was all about.

Surrounded by a family of creatives, with a muso of a  grandfather, Sekgoma Tshekedi Khama and an events management guru father Thuto Mokgwathi, who also operated the then Kwest Restaurant now Main Deck in the main mall, there was no way the 26-year-old could dodge the music bug.

His success story would not be complete without the mention of his grandfather, who gifted him with a piano on his second birthday.

Growing up, he would press play on his piano and create a cacophony.

“Growing up I had a piano kwa lapeng, ke e tobetsa tobetsa and I guess the music bug bit me from then,” Ban-T said.

Throughout his high school years at Maru a Pula, Ban-T knew his career path was in music, but did not know he could do it on his own.

He then started engaging on activities closely related to hip hop culture as he was figuring out which music genre to follow, but later on he fell in love with hip hop.

The award winning musician then started skate boarding, a sport associated with hip hop,  which he did for 10 years at Gaborone’s Molapo Crossing and Main Mall, where the hip hop community entailing the late Dramaboi, Zeus, Urban Souls and many others would convene.

“It was the place to be for hip hop courtesans and I met a lot of hip hop artistes there, and started making my own connections,” he said.

Ban-T was 14 years old at the time, and hanging around hip hop artistes at the skate boarding venues attracted VS of O Icheke fame, who spotted him.

His demeanor, swag, look and the attitude got him a ticket to record at VS’s studio.

“I did not know how to jump into a song or beat, let alone been to a studio before.

But my attitude was what got him interested.

And I would go to the studio when he was not in, because his producers were of assistance and held my hand for months, and I learnt during that period,” Ban-T continued.

Along with his peers at high school, they formed a rap crew CBS, which performed at school activities such as fashion shows, talent shows and family fun days.

After high school, Ban-T was even more determined to do music, but his parents disapproved as they believed it was a naïve thought.

However, his mother advised him to choose a music business related course to pursue.

Then, in 2015 he moved to Johannesburg and studied sound engineering at the Academy of Sound Engineering at the SABC studios for three years.

The hit single Naomi came about just when he was about to complete his three-year course.

Ban-T blew the music space with the hit single landing him the title  ‘hottest new rapper in Botswana’ at the time, with some people wondering if he was a Motswana or a South African ‘because I was that side ke dira that song,’ Ban-T said humbly.

Whilst the single was enjoying air play and popularity among his fans, Ban-T did not have a manager.

“I then put my mother’s number on my Facebook page for her to handle my bookings in Botswana,” explained Ban-T, adding that at the time he was willing to even perform for free here at home, just to find his way into the market as he was still a new kid on the block.

“But my mother, Caroline Mogotsi, was not okay with that, and he pushed me to finish my studies.

The demand was huge.

One day I came home for a weekend, there was a gig where two international acts could not make it, and I was the only hip hop artiste with my homie Faded Gang booked for it.

So we saved the show and that performance changed the game for me.

I think God was in the room that day,” Ban-T quipped.

After this show, the country’s seasoned promoter Zen Hirschfield known for working magic in the industry came in as his manager with his mother’s help.

After a little research on the industry and a meeting with Zen afterwards, the rest is history.
More work came in.

Living in South Africa, Ban-T said he took away an important lesson of researching and being knowledgeable.

“One thing I learnt is that people here in our industry are not willing to go an extra mile to inform themselves and do research, whilst in South Africa they do their own research, they go on the ground and find information on their own,” he said.

He added artistes needed to put in more work and not wait to be fed everything.

Ban-T has worked with Family Tree record label in South Africa, Casper Nyovest label.

He did a remix of Naomi with two of Family Tree’s artistes, Tshego and Gemini Major.

“I actually wanted to do the remix with Casper, but I think at the time my brand was not that  big.

However he saw the potential in it and distributed it.”

Khuli Chana is also one of the artistes whom the 26-year-old has a solid relationship with, with the Mafikeng born rapper always coming to support Ban-T’s events in appreciation of his vision.

“Like I said, these people help those who help themselves.

They have big brands and they really do not have time to waste on people who are not willing to put in work,” he said.

To diversify his income, Ban-T, who has a Music Business and Law degree, is the brains behind Why So Sundays and Why So and Friends events under Why So Group.

He was inspired by South Africa counterparts where musicians are having their own events.

“Being in Joburg inspired me.

Seeing some guys doing their own events because they did not like how promoters treated them, so I also wanted to get into this events space so that I change the game and have my own rules,” Ban-T noted, saying he treated artistes he booked the way he would want to be treated.

For him, events came about as a hobby before he expanded and monetised it.

“The love for events also was inspired by my father and growing up I was also social, and I was that guy who planned our gatherings with friends.”

Why So, Ban-T said was a name that did not have meaning when established in 2016 along with his music.

“It was just a movement for looking cool, if you had a nice picture you would just type ‘Why so Sunday’ and post on Instagram or twitter.

But then growing and in school, my mind opened up and I did some research and found ways to monetize the events along with my music,” he explained.

As he grow the Why So brand, Ban-T said his vision was to make the brand to be an influential event which would bring international creatives to Botswana, to play a big role in the local tourism sector.

He also has big plans of growing the Why So Group into many things, with his expertise in music and law.

“The end goal is to roll it into things such as record label and sign artistes and eventually open a music school that focuses on the specifics of music business to enable our industry to be informed on the behind-the-scenes of the whole game.”

To do this, he said locals needed to believe in and help each other as he believes some have ideas while others have the resources.

Therefore, he said all it needs is to work together and create something with a big impact in the country.The Hip hop artiste also has merchandise as part of expanding his brand and diversifying it into product development.

Ban-T said he viewed music as a key to any door.

He said he would not be able to do Why So events if it was not for his music or even sell his merchandise.

“Take care of the music and it will take care of you,” Ban-T stated. ENDS