It's a Ghetto Ballerina weekend

STAFF REPORTER Sensational rapper Ghetto Ballerina is set to rock Namibia with new music and a brand new album. Today the musician, who has taken the industry by storm, will host a listening session for the media and public at The Kitchen Restaurant between 18:00 and 19:00.After this she will set off for Chopsi’s, where she will premiere her latest music video, followed by a performance. Her latest album will be on sale at The Kitchen, as well as some other goodies.With 14 years of training in classical ballet under her belt, it was in Moscow, Russia where her love for hip-hop was ignited. “Basically I switched the tutus for the mic and the rest is history,” she said. Multifaceted, by day she works as a veterinarian, constantly expressing her love for animals through her healing hands. “Being a vet is basically something automatic for me, because I have an undying love for my furry friends. I am a registered veterinarian, yes, but also an independent artist in my own right.“I think because I was able to juggle the arts and school, then music and university… it was basically automatic to be able to balance being a vet and an artist,” she says about doing it all. Her new album is titled Chronicles of Ghetto Ballerina and is a project she has been working on since early 2016. “A gradual process of creating a craft that I wanted to reflect who I am as a person in all different aspects of my being; being a mother, daughter, sister, doctor, friend, and the list is endless. It’s just a feel-good album that I feel caters to everyone in different times of their life,” she says of the album. While the project doesn’t offer a lot of collaborations, there are some exciting artistic unions.The album reflects on a number issues, including mental health and gender-based violence (GBV). She believes the world is at a place now where some of the most important fundamentals are being overshadowed. “Mental health and GBV are some of the most impactful media reads we get on a day-to-day basis. I didn’t necessarily want to preach and be in people’s faces, but I managed to leave a message or two for people going through situations that they feel they have no control over. “We need to be able to take care of each other. Music heals and I honestly want people to be able to relate to what I have created,” she explains. About her stage name, she says everyone always say that being a Ghetto Ballerina is one of the strangest combinations, because it’s two different worlds. She maintains that she is a product of a classical art, which she fell in love with at the tender age of five, but she was always exposed to hip-hop as well. Her dad used to bring LPs from abroad. “I had people like Tupac, Notorious BIG, Queen Latifah, TLC, Naughty By Nature… the list is endless, playing on a day-to-day basis. So what I’m basically trying to say is as much as I was on my tip-toes, I managed to always have an ear out for the rap game, but it only became a realisation when I stepped foot in Moscow in 2010,” she added.

It's a Ghetto Ballerina weekend

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-07-03

Please login to leave a comment

It's a Ghetto Ballerina weekend

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-07-03

Please login to leave a comment

Login