Masego is one of the leading musicians of his generation. The 29-year-old R&B artist paved his own lane by integrating his ability to play saxophone, sing and rap together to create a new-age jazz sound.
Now, Masego is the first celebrity ambassador for Simply Mixology, a new product line under Simply Beverages and The Coca-Cola Company. After the partnership was announced, Masego spoke to rolling out about what he envisions as the product’s first celebrity ambassador.
Why did you agree to this partnership with Simply Mixology? What are your favorite cocktails?
It’s my Gemini energy: I’m grateful to have had such a busy year so far, but I’m really looking forward to kicking back and relaxing this summer. I’m looking forward to good food, new experiences and good drinks. My go-to drink has anything with fruit that is refreshing. I’ve been enjoying the Strawberry Guava Mojito from Simply Mixology. Depending on my mood, I’ll probably drink it without alcohol and on a rare occasion, add some silver tequila or mezcal.
Music is essential — I like to bring people together and set the vibe. At home, or even on the road with my tour crew, we’re always improvising and making things up as we go. I can’t entertain my friends without good food and drinks. I’m Jamaican, so I can’t get enough of rice and peas; and the Guava flavor in Simply Mixology’s Strawberry Guava Mojito — I love it. Jam sessions with good people, good food and good drinks — that’s the recipe for community building and music blending.
What three artists or projects are you listening to right now?
I’ve enjoyed this artist Medasin’s project from 2015 called The Pink Polo EP. I love “Loose Thoughts” by Masego from 2017, and this year I’ve been listening to this project I found called Masego.
What do you enjoy more — building the base or instrumental of a song, or singing and rapping over said base to complete the product?
I’m a creator at heart, so I love building something from scratch, or even taking one of my songs and remixing it live. At the core, I’m always mixing it up. Jam sessions are a way to bring about a community and blend; and with good food, good people, and no expectations, that’s when I create the most authentic music.
What three tips do you have for aspiring artists?
Something that really helped me was to make sure to sound like myself. A teacher once told me that Miles Davis said that and it stuck with me.
I think it’s important for musicians to ignore anyone that says, “Worry about your taxes later.” That was probably some of the worst advice I’ve received. Make sure to read a lot and educate yourself on the music business early in your career.
Lastly, don’t listen to anyone that says they don’t understand your vision. Keep building on it until the right people see you.
