'I was a rascal at school, so portraying that character on screen was not hard as I just had to re-visit the younger me," said local rapper Zuluboy of his role in the newest season of Soul City.
Zuluboy is one of the new additions in the ninth instalment of the popular drama series. He plays one of the lead characters, Zakes.
"I am very honoured to be selected after auditioning for the role on Soul City. It was a gruelling process, but the production team was amazing - they made it easy for us," he said at the series' launch last week.
Zakes is an ordinary kasi boy who is dating the ravishing Lulu, (Mbali Mlotswa). Although they are a sweet couple there is trouble in their relationship after Zakes finds out that Lulu is having an affair with an older and married man, Zimele (Themba Ndaba). Zakes cannot confront Zimele and therefore takes his anger out on the man's son.
"I got word from sisi Kgomotso (Matsunyane, who also produces the show) to come and check out the auditions. When I got the script I fell in love with Zake's character - because I knew I could relate."
To Zuluboy, acting is something he does naturally and this aided him in outshining the other hopefuls at the auditions.
"I am Mxolisi Majozi and yet daily I play the Zuluboy character as a hip-hop artist," he explained.
Apart from acting, Zuluboy also is part of an all-star music team that is behind the exceptional soundtrack for the TV series.
"It was an honour to work with Siphokazi, Zonke and Busi. The good product that came out of it is testimony to this."
Zuluboy not only confines his HIV- awareness advocacy to the screen, but takes it to his music.
On his album, Inqolobane, released last year, he dedicated some album space to catchy rhymes about HIV and how to live cautiously in these dangerous times. The album has done well both in sales and receiving kudos from the critics.
"People are loving 'skandi-hop (his hip-hop is a mix of maskandi and hip-hop). I sold 2 000 copies in the first week of its release, which was a major achievement for me."
According to the South African National Aids Council (Sanac), this season of Soul City will build as many new characters as possible, so that viewers can identify with them rather than having the HIV do's and don'ts preached to them.
"We hope people look at their own lives while they watch this production," said Sanac Deputy Chair, Mark Heywood.
"We have lived for a long time with the HIV information and still have about 1 000 new infections every day. This series is a campaign to encourage discussions from the grassroots to a national level," he added.
- Soul City is back on our screens on Monday night at 8.30pm on SABC1.