Rabi Mooketsi has been one of the leading PR & Marketing strategists in the music business for the past few years. She has has a whimsical touch when it comes to events management and all things public relations, having worked with popular brands and artists such as Riky Rick, Nasty C, Lady Zamar and Kwesta.
Rabi Mooketsi is the main link between the Musicians and actually getting the name and the music out to the people. Her field of expertise are what make a great talent into a Superstar. Recognition usually doesn’t come from having great talent, but having the talent exposed to the masses one way or another.
As a PR & Marketing strategist, Rabi believes her field is what sets big stars and starving Artists apart, it’s what sets Nasty C apart from the rest of the flock. Having great talent as a Musician is not enough, you also need another set of talent and hard work behind the scenes and she brings all of that. It’s not just about having a good product or service, its also about building the right relationships. “people buy relations, stories and magic – that is not just about buying goods and services” – says Rabi.
Growing up fun filled Mahikeng, Rabi always knew she wanted a taste of the Entertainment industry. A funny and warm personality, she enjoyed being centre stage and loved to be in the company of others. Like many of us, she used to watch popular TV show, YOTV and mimic the presenters with the hopes of being in the entertainment industry one day. . Her parents however were confident that she would do well as a lawyer because of her talkative side!
In 2011, Rabi paid her dues and was accepted as a Law Student, however her yearning to follow her passion would call her back to Mahikeng, where she would spend her time surrounded by music and being involved with working with the likes of the late DJ Zondi Chakane who introduced her to homeboys that were recording music at the time, such as Morafe, Lection and the late Jabba.
An act of courage to apply for a Radio gig, saw her joining Mafikeng FM as a Radio Presenter at the end of 2011. In 2013, Rabi left radio to study for a degree in Communications with the University of the North-West. Following her graduation in 2016, Rabi packed her bags and set her sights to Johannesburg. Her hustle paid off when she landed a job as a PR intern at Sony Music. During this time which describes as magical, she was able to work with people that she saw on TV such as Joyous Celebration, Madodana Ase Wesile and popular rapper Kwesta.
About six months into this experience, Rabi had made an enormous impression that saw her being headhunted to join Universal Music. Through this platform, Rabi was a coordinator for all local music releases where she worked with the likes of Prince Kaybee, Lady Zamar, the late Robbie Malinga and Kelly Khumalo.
She cites one of her best experiences as having worked on Nasty C’s album ‘Strings & Blings‘, which did very well on the music charts. In September 2018, Rabi left to start her own company, iBar Publicity which prides itself on having worked on the highly successful annual fashion and hip-hop festival, Cotton Fest which was hosted by Rapper Riky Rick in 2019 and 2020.
We caught up with Rabi Mooketsi on Kas’lam TV’s IG Live to talk more about what a PR team offers to a Musicians career. The perks of having a good PR team as well as what most Independent label get wrong when it comes to PR.
Watch the Full Interview on below.
