Byline: Nonjabuliso Nhlambo
30 April 2023
A 25-year-old poet, Jay Slim T.A.F whose real name is Bonginkosi Tshabalala from eMbalenhle, started his journey in poetry after being a rapper for a long time.
His love for poetry developed in 2020, whilst busy recording a song named Sophephakanjani.
“I was supposed to rap but the producer suggested I do a poem, which I did and they loved it, ” Bonginkosi narrated the beginning of his poetry journey.
Bonginkosi describes his style as “musical poetry”, where he is inspired by life, his own experiences, his own beliefs and his own stories.
Bonginkosi believes poetry is not equally recognized as music/ drama/ dance and that’s the main reason why upcoming poets quit.
He believes that poets are not given enough platforms to showcase their talents.
Late November 2020, Jay Slim T.A.F met up with those who shared the same vision as him and they formed an organisation in eMbalenhle named Emba Squad, which serves as a hub for all local artists to help smooth out their journeys.
So far, JAY SLIM TAF has accomplished great things, but forming Emba Squad with his team is the highlight of his journey and he encourages everyone who wishes to do poetry to believe in themselves because it all starts from within.
He quotes a wise man who once said, “Being patient is a gift”.
Therefore, he believes being a poet is not his only talent, he’s also a brilliant soccer player and the year 2023 is definitely going to be a fruitful year for him because he’s planning to publish a poetry book titled “ISIFUNDO SOMHLABA” and to create his own label, Aipmac Creative Records.
