Are you ready to Ruff it?

RUFF-WAN was born in 1975 in Meadowlands Soweto. During his matric year he realized that his love for music was compelling him to follow music production and performing as a career. His first experience with hip-hop music was in the early ‘90s. 

About his name Ruff Wan says:  “When I was in a group, I called myself the “rough neck” for having my own mentality and attitude. As I grew beyond the group I realised I couldn’t just be the “rough neck”, I had to have something which was more my own. Rough became “ruff” when I called myself RUFF-WAN, standing for Real Underground Formulated Formulas – Winning Against Negativity. It sums up all that I’m trying to be.”

Ruff Wan finds his inspiration from God and has a constructive approach to hip-hop;”…I remember one lady telling me, “You! You will never see heaven; you’ll never be saved because of your love of hip-hop music!” She thought that hip-hop was only about negativity. She didn’t understand that I was here to teach; there is something you can learn from it. Hip-hop is open, positive and good. It’s for everyone, young and old, you know?”

Ruff-Wan’s humanitarian outlook makes him not only a positively unique hip-hop artist, but also a poet, community builder and motivational speaker; he has worked with disadvantaged youth, prison inmates and church groups all across the country.

Ruff’s advice for upcoming artists: “You’ve first got to go to school (and everybody says that). Because without school there is no knowledge: you can’t read the contract; you’re not going to understand how to operate the PCs and the other machinery. If you don’t, it will mean you will always be dependent which means somebody else will be driving it. You have to empower yourself with education. After that take it easy and learn step by step than try to rush because easy come easy go. Sometimes when you rush you crash a lot. You know, you find yourself caught up in a world of lights and glamour. You have sold your soul.”

Even if you’re not into hip-hop, have a listen to Ruff Wan’s enthralling tune, Get Ruff from his Murwa Muthu: D.A.V.I.C. album, due to be released soon.  Click here to visit his website.

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