INTERVIEW:dj lag
Rooted in Durban but shaped by global movement, DJ Lag has spent the past decade redefining what gqom can be. From township dance floors to some of the world’s biggest stages, his sound has travelled far without ever losing its core. On his latest mixtape Southside, DJ Lag pulls together years of music-making into a project that feels personal. We caught up with him to talk about letting the music lead, evolving gqom, collaborating across generations, and what it means to represent Durban and Joburg on a global stage.
Interview BY kofi owusu
WHAT DID YOU WANT SOUTHSIDE TO REPRESENT AT THIS POINT IN YOUR JOURNEY?
DJ LAG: Honestly, everything came together quite naturally. I was not really planning to make the mixtape sound a specific way. Throughout 2024 and 2025, I was just making a lot of music without the intention of putting a project together. Later on, I started listening back and selecting the songs that felt right for the mixtape.
WAS THERE A SPECIFIC MOMENT THAT TOLD YOU THIS IS THE PROJECT YOU NEEDED TO MAKE NOW?
DJ LAG: There was not really one specific moment. It was more about listening back to the music I had been making and realising that these songs belonged together.
HOW IS THIS MIXTAPE DIFFERENT EMOTIONALLY FROM MEETING WITH THE KING OR THE REBELLION?
DJ LAG: I do not know if it is that different. It is similar to The Rebellion in the sense that it blends different genres, but gqom is still at the core. This one, however, feels like a more honest and complete representation of who I am.
THE MIXTAPE BLENDS 3 STEP, AFRO TECH, AND GQOM. WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO PUSH THESE SOUNDS TOGETHER ON SOUTHSIDE?
DJ LAG: Because all of those sounds represent me. Gqom is always at the center of what I do, but I am constantly inspired by other genres as well.
DID THE FUSION HAPPEN NATURALLY OR WAS IT A DELIBERATE CONCEPT FROM DAY ONE?
DJ LAG: It happened naturally. Nothing was forced.
DO YOU EVER FEEL PRESSURE TO “PROTECT” A SOUND YOU HELPED CREATE?
DJ LAG: Not really anymore. In the beginning, especially when I started traveling, I felt like I had to push gqom and protect it because I believed I needed to carry the genre forward. Now it is not just me doing that. The new generation is pushing and protecting the sound too.
WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE MISUNDERSTAND ABOUT GQOM OUTSIDE SOUTH AFRICA?
DJ LAG: I actually do not think they do. People outside of South Africa tend to respect gqom more. It is often South Africans who misunderstand it. Because it comes from townships and taverns, some people look down on it.
“I wasn’t planning a project at all. I was just making music, and later the songs told me what Southside needed to be.”
TRACKS LIKE “NGYASINDELWA” ARE DESCRIBED AS RAW, SPIRITUAL, CINEMATIC. HOW INTENTIONAL ARE THOSE MOODS WHEN YOU PRODUCE?
DJ LAG: I do not really think about the music as spiritual or cinematic. As for it being raw, gqom is a raw and real genre by nature, so those elements come through naturally. I do not force it. It is just part of the sound.
ARE THERE SPECIFIC PLACES, PARTIES, OR MEMORIES THAT SHAPED THE MIXTAPE’S SOUND?
DJ LAG: It is a mix of both Joburg and Durban.
THE FEATURES BRING TOGETHER A BIG CROSS SECTION OF TALENT. WHAT WAS YOUR APPROACH TO CURATING COLLABORATORS FOR THIS MIXTAPE?
DJ LAG: For me, it always starts with the beat. I spend time sitting with it and listening, and eventually it becomes clear who would fit on the song. I do not like forcing collaborations or settling for something that does not feel right, even if that means waiting months to make it happen.
WHO BROUGHT OUT A NEW SIDE OF YOU IN THE STUDIO?
DJ LAG: KC Driller and DJ Knator. These new kids are teaching me new things all the time.
HOW HAS WORKING WITH ARTISTS OUTSIDE SOUTH AFRICA CHANGED YOUR PRODUCTION PERSPECTIVE?
DJ LAG: I have learned a lot. Working with Ape Drums and Arttraxx taught me so much. They have been in the game for years, and even having the opportunity to work with them is a blessing. It has allowed me to explore more genres. I also have another song coming with Ape Drums that I am really excited to release.
YOU’VE PERFORMED AT HUGE GLOBAL STAGES LIKE GLASTONBURY, DC10, EDC, AND ADE. HOW DOES A DJ LAG SET CHANGE FROM DURBAN TO IBIZA TO VEGAS?
DJ LAG: I try to match the vibe and always give people what they want. I play what I feel will make the crowd move, but I always bring gqom energy into everything I do, no matter where I am playing.
YOU SAY THIS PROJECT IS FOR DAY ONE SUPPORTERS AND NEW LISTENERS. WHAT DO YOU HOPE A FIRST TIME GQOM LISTENER FEELS WHEN THEY PRESS PLAY?
DJ LAG: I want them to feel exactly what gqom is and what the Durban and Joburg sound is. That is what this mixtape is about. Even if they do not understand the music, I want them to feel it. The sound, the drums, the energy. I want it to hit them and make them move.
YOU WERE FEATURED ON BEYONCÉ’S THE LION KING: THE GIFT. WHAT DID THAT MOMENT MEAN FOR YOU PERSONALLY, AND WHAT DID IT REPRESENT FOR GQOM ON A WORLD STAGE?
DJ LAG: That was a crazy moment for me. It is someone I grew up listening to and watching on TV, so being part of a project like that was surreal. I got contacted after my music was played at Global Citizen, then I sent beats that felt like me, and they chose what fit. Working on My Power was just a blessing. It put gqom on a platform people might not have heard it on before. It showed that the rhythm and energy from Durban can stand next to other sounds from around Africa and still be strong, and I think that helped open ears globally to what we have been doing for years.
THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE SOUTHSIDE?
DJ LAG: Durban, Drum, Party
MESSAGE TO THE DAY ONE GQOM FANS?
DJ LAG: To the fans who’ve been there from the start, thank you. This mixtape is for you. Let’s keep pushing the sound.