Phumudzo Mulaudzi from Hamasia, known by his stage name of “Trippie Dollar,” released a new hip-hop extended play (EP) album, Trapyano, last month.

He explained that the EP was a very emotional piece of work, inspired by the reality of the world and the challenges that people were currently facing. The album has been well received by both music lovers and radio stations.

Trippie Dollar is a second-year B.Com accounting student at the University of Venda. He believes that music is a universal language through which he can interact with millions of people from different cultures across the world. “In spite of different languages, music connects us, and through it, we ignite global peace, unity, and harmony.”

He said that he took his time to release the new EP. “I had to balance my music with my education, but I am not surprised that it is doing well because, like everything else I do, I put a lot of effort into it. Sometimes I would work on a song and shelve it for days while I was busy with my studies. Now that I am about to complete my studies, there will be more time to dedicate to my music career,” he said.

Mulaudzi said that although he loved music, education was still his number-one priority. “I know how important that foundation is. I have seen many big names living on handouts today because they neglected their education once their music careers started to blossom. If we all get a proper education, South Africa would be a better place to live in,” he said.

He is currently working on his next project, which will be a full album this time. “I am working on my new album. I am not sure yet if I will release it at the end of this year or by early next year. The good news is that I am working with many local artists on the album,” he said.