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Text: JACO-MARI FUTCHER. Photographer: JACO BOTHMA. Hair and make-up: ANTOINETTE DE BEER. Venue: AVIANTO. Flowers: EVENT INSPIRATIONS.<br />
Q ueen<br />
OF HIP HOP<br />
14 Get It Joburg <strong>West</strong> <strong>Aug</strong>ust <strong>2019</strong><br />
Don't underestimate<br />
Krugersdorp's Claudia<br />
Witbooi. She might be<br />
young and petite but<br />
she has moved many<br />
mountains through her<br />
music and activism. We<br />
caught up with her in<br />
between her studio time<br />
and mommy duties.<br />
This dainty gal shocked the<br />
country with her honest lyrics and<br />
unique beats when she made a<br />
name for herself as award-winning<br />
Afrikaans hip hop artist, Yoma. She<br />
is bright, playful and has a heart<br />
of gold. One of the songs on her<br />
brand new album, Moedertaal,<br />
is called My Blom, and is all<br />
about growth.<br />
'We grow as women and as<br />
mothers. During my own<br />
pregnancy, I grew on an<br />
emotional and spiritual level and<br />
I realised that no matter what<br />
happens in your life, God will<br />
help us grow and we will all<br />
eventually bloom.'<br />
Music with a message is what got<br />
her through some of the toughest<br />
times in her life. She said that<br />
music has always been a part of<br />
her life but things only started to<br />
fall into place a few years ago.<br />
'I don't remember my very first<br />
special encounter with music but<br />
my mother told me how I used<br />
to put on a show for the whole<br />
family when I was little. My love<br />
for music never stopped. I wanted<br />
to be a singer but my family made<br />
it clear that I didn't have a singing<br />
voice so that dream was out the<br />
door. I loved writing poetry and<br />
decided to use this talent and<br />
freestyle rap over a rap beat, and<br />
that's when the magic happened.'<br />
Back then, there weren't a lot<br />
of female hip hop artists in her<br />
hometown and Claudia couldn't<br />
imagine doing something that<br />
hadn't been done before.<br />
'A family member introduced me<br />
to the hip hop crowd. My mind
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