A Parkwood hip hop artist is making her mark in music by launching a studio record this week.
Monishia Schoeman AKA Eavesdrop is a rapper, poet, lyricist and activist and has been on the music scene for over a decade and a half.
She will be launching her EP Scrolls of the Unseen on Friday June 15. On the EP, which is her first solo project, Monishia deals with social ills faced by people living in underprivileged communities of South Africa, the current state of the music industry and the importance of sustaining the fundamentals of hip hop as a culture.
Besides her music, youth development is Monishia’s other passion.
She has facilitated programmes for the youth in Parkwood.
In 2011 she started an NPO called Rebel Arts People’s Project (Rapp), which was run from the Parkwood community hall, where she did arts and crafts and life skills training.
Working on her EP and earning a living has, however, been keeping her busy.
But she hopes to spread a positive message through hip hop with her EP.
“I hope to conscientise people and bring about hope. I see a lot of hip hop artists glorifying themselves instead of building their communities and that’s what I want to do,” she said.
Monishia hopes people will learn about themselves through listening to her music.
“As a coloured woman from Parkwood, and a coloured woman in Africa and the world, knowing myself was very important and I want to bring that across to people.
“To stay in touch with who you are, your history and to have self pride. That’s the one thing I wish to achieve through my music,” she said.
The EP launch will be hosted on Friday June 15 at Youngblood Arts and Culture Development at 70-72 Bree Street, Cape Town, from 8pm till 1am.
Admission is R50 before 10pm and R70 after 10pm.
Supporting her on the night of the launch is a line-up of rappers, producers and DJs including Andy Mkosi, Arsenic, Jedi Knight, Abadon Horsemen and B-one Tha Selektah.
A special offering on the night will also include the screening of her music video for one of the singles off the EP, Cape Flats Kung Fu where people will get an audio visual glimpse into her world and the people she so passionately represents.