Vee Mampeezy’s song: A case of Botswana’s stagnant music industry
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Monday December 1, 2025 06:00
There are a number of them, such as Charma Gal, the late ATI, Dramaboi, Han-C, Franco, Scar, Zeus, Ditiro Leero, Amantle Brown, Maxy, Mpho Sebina, etc. Also, there are music groups that have also shown potential, like Machesa, Matsieng, and Women of Jazz, to name but a few.
These are some of the musicians or groups that entertained Batswana at the peak of Botswana’s music industry. The local music industry was rising in the late 90s and early 2000s. The music was unique and penetrated borders. Examples being Machesa with their music that won them the Kora Award, Culture Spears with Kulenyane, and Matsieng with Setswana sa Borre.
These gave Batswana hope that the industry would rise to another level and give our artists a chance to compete internationally. However, years later and despite these talents, Batswana are still waiting for that big break, as the music quality shows signs of regression. The local music scene is yet to stake its claim and dominate the charts like the South African and Nigerian counterparts. This might sound more like a sweeping statement because other artists have consistently given us hit after hit over the years. These artists have tried to raise the bar with the quality of their music. Artists such as Charma Gal, Han-C, and ATI, before he departed this world, have been keeping the fire burning. There are also upcoming talents such as Thato Tladi, Lioness Ratang, Lera, and Priscilla K, who have also shown immense potential and dropped quality music. But Vee Mampeezy’s latest single, titled Shut Up & Dance, shows exactly where we are in terms of the quality of the local music. It doesn’t matter how much you love Vee Mampeezy and follow him blindly; his new song can only be described as a downgrade. For such an experienced artist who has given us hits for years, this is shockingly below the standards. One doesn’t need to be a music expert to know a good song. From the quality sounds of Dumalana, Letlhale, Ukondelela and Your Time, Vee Mampeezy has literally dropped the ball. There is a clear reason why Batswana have taken to social media to bash the song. It is not that Batswana hate Vee Mampeezy, but it is because the man has set the standards in the past, as such, Batswana expect him to better.
Music is art, and as a craftsman, Vee Mampeezy knows very well that you cannot produce a quality product in such a hurried manner. Vee Mampeezy took just over 24 hours to produce the song, which contributed to its low quality. When Batswana called for him to drop a December hit, they wanted something that would give them joy. For one to produce a ‘perfect song’, it is important to do overdubs.
While sometimes, an idea flows quickly and a song is finished in a short time, most times, it can take a long period to find the right inspiration or to finalise the song to a satisfactory level. Did Vee Mampeezy take time with his producers to refine the song? And this is exactly what could be the case with much of the music that is produced by local artists these days.
Despite showing great potential in the years gone by with a unique sound rooted in indigenous tapestry, Botswana’s music industry is yet to live up to that billing. The quality continues to drop, a classic case being reflected by Vee Mampeezy’s latest single, writes Staffer, GOITSEMODIMO KAELO