Dynamites do come is small packages indeed. You too would attest to this if you met this young tenacious, highly confident yet humble and gratuitous Metro FM award winner. She is statically one of the most played artists in South Africa and is the most played SA female artist between 2015 and 2016 across all radio and TV platforms. We know her as the incredibly gifted Refilwe Mooketsi, and you know her as Fifi Cooper “the first lady of Motswako” whose Instagram following is over 500 thousand alone. Her endless hits are well documented and her perseverance has yielded great results over the years. We invited Fifi over to chat all about this consignee’s inimitable lava of talent and arsenal of rap-lines which has left all her haters in acerbity.
Tell us about Fifi Cooper, where did it all start and how did you become one of Ambitious’s most successful artists? I’ve always been a rapper and a singer, I come from a small place in Maftown called Montiwa and yeah man … that is where Fifi Cooper emerged from. I grew up in Mafikeng listening to people like HHP, Khuli Chana and Tuks Sengana. I eventually saw a gap in the market that we didn’t have enough female rappers in the genre who represent and embody where they come from. After so many years of pursuing the dream and polishing my art, in 2015 around April/May we just decided we want to open a new record label and I was the first artist. We worked hard and it paid off.
How long have you been in the hip hop industry and how long did it take to reach your peak? I’ve been in the Hip-Hop Industry for over 10 years now, I’ve always been intrigued by this industry hence I went to do media and studied marketing, Journalism, and PR as so to grasp more knowledge about being a musician as well as being an artist. Although it has been more than 10 years, things actually started moving just in 2015 and I eventually released my first album “20fifi” in 2015.
What do you think about female rappers in South Africa and what sets you apart from the rest? I think female rappers in South Africa tend to dwell too much on being a female rapper and I don’t consider myself as a female rapper, I consider myself as a Rapper. They get lost and forget who they are. And like I said; we are all different and people will always love you for who you are. We already have Nicki Minaj and if you try and be like Nicki, that won’t work because there is already someone like her. I always tell them that if you talented you don’t have to change, people will love you for who you are.
You know people diss me all the time saying “ohh you are like a tomboy” and I always tell them that – the fact that I am the way I am and the way I dress is because of the impact of growing up with two brothers, and that is part of my authentic image. It is who I am, I love the dress code and feeling comfortable. I think females are allowed to do that as well.
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