R B Singers

"Firstly, I am showing that it's possible to every poor, unappreciated and broken young girl out there in our country. It's possible to dream and chase after your dreams, it's possible to be heard, it's possible to achieve and break the mould and be something"

"[A] few years as a struggling artist in Mahikeng and seeing people that are half talented being given a chance and messing it up while I was overlooked or being boxed in as just a female wannabe rapper. That is painful beyond words. Thank God I never even thought of giving up, not even for a day"

"I feel social media was important in creating this ecosystem of people that I possibly wouldn't have had access to. We all work together in our community to create despite coming from different cultures and from different backgrounds. And what connects is our passion for music, our work ethic, our drive and our morals."

"I was teaching myself how to write music but I also took a break from engaging in cultural activities around tenth grade because I was working on my confidence."

"Well, I’ve been singing since I was 6 years old. I was in the choir at that time. I was in the choir basically my whole life and that life really set the foundation for my music, but when I got to high school I became a bit more independent. I wanted to take my love for music a step further and that’s when I decided to leave the choir. I was 16 years old at that time. I was teaching myself how to write music but I also took a break from engaging in cultural activities around tenth grade because I was working on my confidence. Then when I got to the University here in Johannesburg. That’s when I really started taking the music seriously."

"It really is about your faith and your work ethic."

"I'm a very, very lowkey and private person [in everyday life] so I use social media and that's actually how I met all of the people I worked with on this project."

"I think it was just to represent who I am. I wanted it to get to the point and to get my message across. The EP was the right introduction for me into the music industry. It's not too much but at the same time it's not too little, it's just enough and that's exactly why I wanted to get the right amount of songs out there for people to relate to."

"It was the moment I got to the University. I was trying to make all the music I can with my allowance. I would literally not eat and use the money I would get from my parents to book studio sessions and buy beats instead. I was busy sourcing people that could help me work on my project at the time and I could definitely say Pretoria fueled my love for music, which I said in the beginning. Although it’s a quiet place, when I make music there’s so much color, life, and entertainment. That’s all I wanted to do."

"Then when I got to the University here in Johannesburg, that’s when I really started taking the music seriously"

"Sittin' down by my window, Honey, lookin' out at the rain. Lord, Lord, Lord, sittin' down by my window, Baby, lookin' out at the rain. Somethin' came along, grabbed a hold of me, And it felt just like a ball and chain. Honey, that's exactly what it felt like, Honey, just dragging me down."

"Love's got a hold on me, baby, Feels just like a ball and chain. Now, love's just draggin' me down, baby, yeah, Feels like a ball and chain. I hope there's someone out there who could tell me Why the man I love wanna leave me in so much pain. Yeah, maybe, maybe you could help me, come on, help me!"

"I come from a talented family of singers and musicians, and I never thought being talented in music was a gift. I thought everyone could sing. I found out later that it was a gift and decided to pursue music as a career."

"My first reason for singing is my love of music. When I am on stage, the real me comes out. It gives me great pleasure that people actually love me and my music. But I am just an ordinary Kenyan and I still eat my githeri (maize and beans) in the same restaurant I did since I was a small girl."

"Music is my life. And through these last few years, I've experienced various challenges. But through it all I have recognized that music and life are quite similar. Music and life alike is a balance of order, rhythm and harmony."

"When I performed, Rwandans loved me, they kept shouting, ‘we want to see Miss Jojo, we want to see Miss Jojo and this was my beginning which was very successful and hopeful."

"All the songs are my personal experiences and journey through life. I hope to touch everyone with this album and I pray the people find it worthwhile"

""...and if Rwandans, can feel me like this, I knew that there was nothing else I could do but to sing words that could change their lives.”"

"I didn’t trust the whole process in the deal, that’s why I turned it down."

"If they can listen to our songs, that means they can listen to these messages of hope and change their lives,"

"“I still wonder why people do bad to each other. My prayer and wish is that Rwanda continues to grow and become the best mother land it can be""

"“I am happy to provide a gift that makes people happy""

"I love positive criticism but I hate people who tell lies about me"

"Most of my fans are children under 15, I am a role model to them, I have to be careful about the things I do— I am young, I feel the vibes of modernity but I pay more attention to them (children) because I am an example and I am not only living my life but a life of a generation, I do not want to mislead people, so I try to keep myself clear,"

"“I want to be like Chaka Chaka, one day I want to be the ‘Queen of Africa, representing Rwanda to the world as I sing songs full of rich messages, no matter how long it will takes I will work towards that,""

"Music is a business, sometimes if the deal is not worth price, you have to pull out."

"I feel happy that I can express my self and best of all I can pass on a message. I fear that God may ask me why I never used my talent like in the parable of the three servants in the bible,"

"My musical approach adapts the necessary ability needed to memorize what I hear and analyze various contexts that comprise the interpretive process. With all this in mind, nothing was ever going to stop me from singing."

"Music is my passion, my dream. In fact, I am living my dream! I have been unable to stop it’,"

"Everyone was telling me not to do it. They said the society viewed girls who sung as loose and reckless…I had a story to tell, I loved music and I over came these challenges at the end of the day,"

"Being a singer, involves marketing yourself, but being a woman, this is very tricky, I try to stick to our values and remain proud of myself as a Rwandan woman"

"My stay in Europe then, has largely influenced my career because it taught me how to be open to life and people in general.”"

"Its not that I’m scared of crowds but it’s something in me that I’ve done since childhood."

"If fans still remember me, it’s a gift for me and it’s something that is very valuable and I have to pay much attention to."

"I found myself in a profession that I had always looked forward to. I am living my dream to become an international musician."

"You know when you go to the location in a city you haven’t been to in a while and you look extra fly so the past comes around you, as expected, trying to sell you hopes and dreams but you’re not buying it this time because you finally know your value and you just wanna chill and be on a vibe instead… that’s basically what I was thinking writing this song. Good vibes at a nice location, surrounded by great people with good energy."

"I didn't know that I was starving till I tasted you Don't need no butterflies when you give me the whole damn zoo By the way, right away, you do things to my body I didn't know that I was starving till I tasted youBy the way, right away, you do things to my body I didn't know that I was starving till I tasted you"

"I think finding your balance is truly about finding your happiness and being patient with yourself and being kind to yourself. It is a term that we hear a lot along with a lot of suggestions as to maybe how to find that balance, but I think you are the one, the only one, that can really define what that is for you."

"I want to get louder I got to get louder We 'bout to go up baby, up we go We 'bout to go up baby, up we goWe're blowing out speakers Our heart a little clearer We 'bout to go up baby, up we go We 'bout to go up baby, up we goFor worst or for better Gonna give it to you In capital letters"

"With [my] music, I feel like I get to be myself, tell my own story, and take my life experiences and not put them into another story but into my own words."

"The new music I have coming, I’ve been working on. All my fans know and they are waiting so patiently or impatiently actually. Its kind of an never-ending process really. I continue to grow each and every day as a write and as a person. There’s more that I want to talk about. There’s more that I am comfortable talking about. I’m constantly being inspired by new artists and producers. I’m definitely taking my time with this."

"Gonna love myself, no, I don't need anybody else (hey) Gonna love myself, no, I don't need anybody else (I love me) Can't help myself, no, I don't need anybody else Anytime, day or nightGonna love myself, no, I don't need anybody else (hey) Gonna love myself, no, I don't need anybody else (I love me) Can't help myself, no, I don't need anybody else Anytime that I like (I love me)"

"From 8 to about 12, I learned very quickly what rejection felt like, what going into a room full of adults expecting a lot out of you felt like. I realized that I'd be in these situations where I had to present myself as someone who, whether I was or wasn't, is confident enough to follow through with the job that I was trying to get."

"I'm very excited about the fact that this is just a very small taste of what's to come. I cannot wait to put music out. It's been a long time coming. It is absolutely going to represent a new era. I've been living with what I've been working on for years now, a couple years, which I really do feel I needed in order to get to where I'm at with the music. And though it is rather frustrating. I have the most patient fans, I don't know how but I got so lucky."

"I've never left a workout or a gym session feeling anything other than great and happier. Just knowing what my body is capable of and being able to challenge myself…it does something for you mentally that not a lot of other things do."

"It’s really unfortunate. I feel like artists don’t realize that if we all really truly actually stood together, something could change. But we’re also all living day to day. People are just trying to make sure they’re ok. I get it. But it is a shame how much courage you have to muster to just tell the truth."

"I was sitting on the couch and I was just like, “I’m tired of this.” And by “this” I mean: Being quiet when there’s something I want to say. So I just said it, I wanted my music off. I honestly thought I would say it and then have to go into a legal situation that was more quiet. But when people started responding, that’s when I wanted them to understand what I was really saying. Social media is certainly not a place for nuance, so I did my best to explain everything, how it all interacts and how it all feels. For me it wasn’t even about exposing Joe Rogan. It was about exposing what it’s like to be an artist of color in the business. Our biggest streaming platform is allowing this. Now it’s become a conversation of me against him — that was never my intention, and that’s not how I feel. We’ll see how many more times I can say Joe Rogan’s name; I’m getting a little tired of it. This is about the way Spotify treats artists. I’ve been saying that on my Instagram for a while. People listened to it this time because [Rogan] is involved, which has its own element of race, too."

"It's been about two years. More energy, my face clears up, weight falls off. I lost, like, 30 pounds! … Initially, I watched the documentary ‘What the Health’, and to put it frankly, it p***ed me off. It really did. I was like, let me get this straight: The person giving you the disease and the person fighting the disease are in bed together? To hell with y'all. Out of spite, I went vegan because I was like, Y'all don't care."

"I've known Zayn for a really long time, I think his voice is one of those that is really rare and I think he's really special and wonderful and it's really, really amazing to get to work together."

"I don't speak to him but his girlfriend is beautiful and I wish him well. We went through an experience together that was life-changing."