Male Artist Of The Month For September 2012

Not being signed to a record label presents complicated challenges for any artist. But that has not stopped Neo Pitso, StarCentral Magazine’s Male Artist of the Month for September 2012 from making his mark on the entertainment industry.

And what a mark it is. The Sydney based hip hop artist has already performed alongside stars of the music industry such as Montell Jordan, Nas (“…my favourite rapper alive…”), Jessica Mauboy, Bone Thugs & Harmony and GAME. Neo was first introduced to the hip hop world via a Tupac CD given to him by his father. Fascinated by the rapper’s ability to blend music and a message, the young Neo began experimenting with songwriting himself. Before long, his natural ability emerged and when he was 12 years old, he first performed with his band at the time, ‘The Macaroni Boys’ at their church’s youth night, sparking a love for live performance. “The best thing about performing is being able to express yourself more than just vocally. By performing your songs live you are able to paint a better picture or tell a better story.” He remembers his music moving an audience to tears during his performance at the Royal Society for the Blind in 2005. It was a “…really touching experience to know that I was able to paint a vivid picture for people who can’t see…”

Since that debut, the South African native has applied a blend of talent, passion, drive and sheer hard work to his chosen career with amazing success. “If I miss practice for one day I know it, if I miss a week the critics know it, if I miss a month the public knows, I practice every single day! Because I know that I can NEVER make up for one day’s loss.” At the moment, his song ‘The Other Man’ feat Jaeteen’ is playing on Australian commercial radio and he has recently released his pre-album, ‘The Outlier’ to enormous critical success.

The cover of his album is very telling of where the 23-year old hopes to one day find himself. The cover art shows a young man looking up at a billboard atop Madison Square Garden in New York proclaiming a concert by Neo Pitso as ‘Sold Out’. It is a future that he wholeheartedly believes is very possible. “…seeing someone else succeed in their chosen profession is one of the biggest inspirations ever. It shows that making your dreams a reality is a possibility…”

YouTube Channel, ‘NeoPitsoTV’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E92P8H3toLQ&feature=plcp

Additional info attributed to Neo’s interview on online magazine, ‘Liquid Style’: http://liquidstyle.co.za/blog/music/interview-neo-pitso-the-outlier/ and blog by Teurai Chanakira on: http://www.teuraimodel.com/1/post/2012/05/success-with-every-breath-spotlight-on-neo-pitso.html