ByLwansta, the genre-defying South African artist-entrepreneur, rapper and multimedia designer, continues to push creative boundaries with his deeply personal storytelling and striking visuals. Known for blending introspective lyricism with an eye for design, he has carved a unique space in the music industry, making him a standout voice in contemporary art and culture. With projects like SPIJØNGET, he has redefined the relationship between music and visual storytelling. His work resonates deeply with audiences, offering both authenticity and innovation in every release.

1. Your music has a deeply autobiographical feel, with vivid storytelling at its core. What inspires you to bare so much of yourself in your art?

It’s my deep desire to be understood, or to not be misunderstood. At this point it doesn’t even feel like so much. I figured that oversharing is ironically connected to a fear of being judged, and a huge part of my formative years as a rapper was unpacking my experience of the world adjacent to everyone elses.  

2. SPIJØNGET has become synonymous with your brand, not just as a project but as an experience. What does the word mean to you, and how has its concept evolved over time?

SPIJØNGET means “fuck it, just do it”, and how it’s evolved over time can be summarised by the quotes “Create the things you wish existed” and “Someone’s gotta do it” – the stories I tell, the culture and scene my team and I are developing, the audience we’re cultivating, the release strategies we’re innovating and pioneering. Everything we do at NORMVL starts with identifying the gap, the understanding that we have the capacity to fill it, so fuck it. 

3. You’re known for your hands-on approach to every aspect of your work, from music to visual design. How does maintaining this creative control impact your process and final output?

I often say, everyone can bite your flow and delivery, but no-one can bite your story, it’s what makes you unique. So it’s my duty to ensure that the story we want to tell is being told in the most authentic way possible. My role as artist and creative lead means that I have to communicate the messaging to everyone involved in the projects we develop, so it always translates in whatever format and touch point it can be experienced in. My being hands on is just a matter of quality control, brand management and consistency.

4. Collaboration seems integral to your artistry. What makes a collaboration successful, and how do you ensure your voice remains authentic in the mix?

In recent years, yes, it never used to be. The moment I began to look inwards, accept and develop a clear awareness and understanding of my own limitations I was able to understand that it was time to delegate certain roles to people who are far better at them than I was. This was actually what pushed me into the creative lead/director role where I’d be able to, again, to quality control and ensure that the story (my voice) remains authentic. 

5. As an independent artist in South Africa, what has been your biggest challenge in navigating the industry, and how have you turned those challenges into opportunities?

I prefer the title artist-entrepreneur to “independent artist”, it speaks more accurately to the intentionality that characterises how to approach my career. By thinking of myself as a business (and actually building structures), my challenges become very similar to those of the everyday entrepreneur – having consistent cashflow to run and manage the business and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. The opportunities exist in getting to “create the things you wish existed” – I host a weekly live music platform called Your Weekly Touch Up, which means I don’t wait to be booked to be busy, we’re building a community of eager alternative music fans that we can grow with each time we release music. We couldn’t find a seat at the table, so we built a table.