A great storyteller emerging from the dusty roads of Kanana Orkney — Vulindlela Freedom Magiba(26), affectionaly known as Vuli F — Ubiquitous and appealing, the aspiring rapper and poet is known for his witty, thought-provoking insights on life, love and art. He has always been a bookworm of note, but at the same he also knows his way around the streets, which makes his music more visible. Vuli F 's love for music began in his primary school days, where he was intrigued by rappers such as Nas, 50 Cent, Zubs and Eminem etc. His introduction to the music scene came as a breath of fresh air and his sound was immediately identified as one for the ages. With his early collaboration with Klerksdorp producers, Vuli F morphed into an avid MC and bespoke member of the Maglera Hip Hop movement. His music took a bit of a knock when he decided to head back to school to study Law at the North West university in Mahikeng. Vulindlela has been involved in a handful of projects where he has diversified his music as a whole and also unearthed a few gems in the process. During this realization, he has been riding the train of poetry, intricate wordplay and storytelling which has caught a lot by surprise. His enthralling words and profound wisdom is one thing the world is yet to witness. Vuli F is one of the most talented rappers who are participating in the Reflector Dot Rap Contest Round 2. Find out more about his music journey through the Question and Answer interview we did with him below.

Question and Answer Interview with Vuli F (Q & A)

1.) Who are you and what do you represent? (tell us about yourself)
A. I am Vuli F. Magiba... half part man, half part a mechanic, that is just a way of describing how I'm a normal human being on one part and on the other I'm a bit of a perfectionist. Perfectionist in a sense that I'm always trying to get 110% out of myself and I always pay attention to detail when it comes to my art.
I represent my city and my hood, Maglera is all I've known and is the reason I am who I am today. I stand for all the talented kids who are trying to hone their skills and make it in the industry.

2.) What makes you different from the other rappers who are participating in this rap contest ?
A. I think what sets me apart from the other rappers is the belief that I have for always going a step further. My flexibility when it comes to lyricsm is also a very strong point of mine. My ability to convey a message in a verse is unmatched.

3.) Why do you deserve to win this contest?
A. Without trying to come off as controversial or anything, I deserve to win because at the end of the day it's a Rap contest and when you listen to both of my entries you can clearly hear and tell that this man is a better rapper... And that's what it's all about.

4.) Would you say that you are a good role model?
A. No doubt, I'm from a place where its very easy for a young person to get distracted by the troublesome life. I've been able to keep myself outta trouble for this long and I think it takes alot when you're from where I come from.

5.) What goal do you want to have achieved in 2021/2022?
A. To have made so much music I possibly can, and also reaching the masses with my craft. My goal is to be known outside my area, that would be a big step towards world domination.

6.) What was the hardest sacrifice you had to make when preparing for your Round 2 entry video?
A. Well, since I'm always prepared and ready to rap, writing the verse from scratch wasn't a problem. The difficulty came when I had to shoot the video. I always prefer using a camera for my videos but since my camera lady was out of town I had to bribe my sister to use her phone for better quality...So that little bit of compromise in quality was my sacrifice I guess.

7.) Who or What inspired your Round 2 verse?
A. What drove me as I was writing the verse was the need to display my lyrical abilities. I just went in it wanting to kill off the competition, you know what I mean? I just had the desire to come off as hard, Bar for bar! And that is generally what drives me in anything I do. The need to be the best.

8.) What is your favorite part about this contest?
A. My favourite part about the Reflector Dot Rap Contest is basically the platform to rap to people other than just my friends. Since the whole pandemic.. There aren't many opportunities to gain an audience.. And this sort of feels like performing live at a show.

9.) Apart from yourself, who else do you think has the potential to win this competition?
A. I honestly like Muffin Man's style. He's a bit different and that makes him stand out for me. I see Mash has a great following too.. That could work in his advantage.

10.) If you could describe this experience in 3 - 5 lines, what would you say?
A. The experience has been crazy. I went from thinking I was the only one capable of winning this to finding out that there are other very talented individuals in their own ways.
Almost everyone has a unique style and other things that could work in their favour. It's thrilling really...