MK ULTRA: A Conversation on Music, Men and Money
I'm 5 minutes into my interview with Money Badoo and Sauwcy when it hits me that their connection really transcends music. The pair share the intimate details of how they formed and maintained their friendship during challenging times-and how it formed the foundation on which to cultivate the artist in each of them. “When we met there was no Money or Sauwcy- just Jade and Kiara '' shares Money Badoo, on how the friendship came long before the music.
Sauwcy
From an Insta DM to putting out a joint 6-track EP a little over a week ago, these two are pretty much inseparable. In our interview, we dissect the art of the hustle, the challenges that come with defying stereotypes for women in music and what's next for them together as well as apart.
Money Badoo
This interview has been lightly edited for the purpose of clarity and context.
Jade Kelly: I feel like a good point of departure would be to discuss how this partnership (or friendship) came about in the first place.
Sauwcy: Wow what a story
Money Badoo: The infamous Instagram DM-Sauwcy messaged me asking where I live.
You just be giving out your information like that?
Sauwcy: She’s not telling it properly![laughs] We were following each other on socials and I recognized the elevator she was posting her selfies from-so I asked her if she lived in the same building as me.
Money: And I did!
And the rest is history?
Money: For real though
Sauwcy: Something like that.
So at which point did your friendship develop into a working relationship with regards to making music?
Sauwcy: Its so funny because we were both pretty hesitant to tell eachother that we wanted to do music
Money; I was already in the fashion game so I felt like trying to do music people were gona be like “Nah this girl needs to relaaax”
Sauwcy: But once we shared this secret desire with each other, it was only up from there.
Money: For real. If no one else believed in me, knowing that the person closest to me was riding for me so hard-that was more than enough.
How did your families take it-that you both wanted to pursue this notorious path of a career in music
Sauwcy: Not to well at all, they were shook.
Money: Lets just say, it took a while for them to come around.
Why do you think that is?
Money: Definitely because of the lack of financial security.
Sauwcy: You need to understand that neither of us come from money, so having to sit your parents down and tell them that you are going to chase something that for a long tie, isnt going tp put you in a position to help the family is very difficult.
Money: It wasnt easy, but we made it work-we are both so used to the hustle.
It’s an art-being able to juggle all of that at once.
Money: For real. As badly as I wanted to do music, I also needed to eat-and I had no shame doing multiple side jobs to make that happen-for a long ime I worked as an online teacher.
Sauwcy: Or picking up late night shifts at the club- we were determined to make it happen for ourselves.
So you started in music together, or as individual artists?
Money: Not many people know this, but we actually entered the scene as a girl group-we called ourselves “Two’s a Party”
Sauwcy: Good times.
What prompted the decision to part ways?
Money Badoo: I think because we were so close and supportive of eachother-in a way that would eventually limit us from really trying to push to do the uncomfortable-which is really where your growth happens as an artist.
Sauwcy: Its like.. We were so confident together and we knew who we were as a pair..but we needed to explore our individual identities as artists to be able to come back and make something even more fire.
Which is where your joint EP, MK ULTRA comes into play..
Sauwcy: Absolutely. I don't think we would have been able to put this project together had we not taken that time apart.
What is this project about?
Money: Being a boss..
Sauwcy: Owning your sexuality..
Money: And reclaiming the word “bitch” as something that is empowering..Also the fact that men can be bitches too!
Sauwcy: They really can [laughs]
Money Badoo: People need to realize that this is the first trap heavy project by two female artists in this country[South Africa]. I dont think it's viewed that way now-but give it time.
Do you guys have any visuals coming for this project?
Sauwcy: We have the visualizer for ‘Lil Bih” out already, with some more to come
Money; Yeah, we’ll be putting out a music video for A.L.I.V.E pretty soon, so Im looking forward to that.
What’s next for you?
Money: We’re already working on some new stuff together
Saucy: But also individually, so look out.
Okay my final question-or request, is for each of you to describe the other.
Sauwcy: I’ll go first.
Money: No pressure![laughs]
Sauwcy: How to describe Money..She is a ray of sunshine, I didn't even know how much I needed her when we met. She is a force to be reckoned with, and you need to know not to f*ck with her or her family. She rubs off on other people, in the best way. When she says something she says it with her chest! She pushes me to do anything Im scared of. She is light. Before anything, she was the love of my life.
Money: Not me crying during this interview!
Sauwcy: I meant every word.
Money: Okay okay.. Where do I even start? When we met there was no “Money Badoo” or “Sauwcy”- just Jade and Kiara. She is incredibly strong, but only because she is so soft. I’ve seen that strength in the way she has repeatedly shown up for me in my life, like my literal light. When it comes to trying to place her in a box, the box could never come close to capturing all the good that she is.
Maglera Doe Boy takes us to his hometown of Makazana to reflect on his past life, multicultural upbringing, and why community is such an important part of his enviable rise in the South African music industry.