GUSHER MEETS: PHENYO WAZE
PHOTO FROM PHENYO’S IG
Meet PHENYO WAZE
THIS MONTH GUSHER MEETS* PHENYO WAZE, A YOUNG CREATIVE WHO HAS QUITE A DIVERSE PORTFOLIO. TWO MUSICAL PROJECTS, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY FOR A SHORT-FILM NAMED CHILDHOOD’S END (DIRECTED BY SCOTT PATON-LEVIN & CHAEL DAE) AND RECENTLY FOUNDED A JOHANNESBURG BASED BRAND NAMED “SUGARWOOD”. PHENYO’S CLEARLY SOMEOME WITH HIS EYE BEYOND THE SKY.
TO check out PHENYO WAZE’S WORK, CLICK HERE.
GUSHER:
Do you mind introducing yourself, what you do/ make and where you from?
phenyo waze:
I AM PHENYO WAZE. I CAN’T TELL YOU WHAT IT IS I DO. WHAT DON’T I DO? THAT WOULD BE A SHORTER ANSWER. BUT WE GOT A LOT OF TIME. WE ARE YOUNG. I WANT TO DO EVERYTHING. FASHION, BIZNESS, MUSIC… ART. I’M NOT A RAPPER I’M AN ARTIST. IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. THE BEST @ WHAT I DO. WHAT DO I DO? I DO ME. BORN & RAISED IN JHB.
GUSHER:
You carry the energy of someone with an insane amount of ambition, where does that come from?
phenyo waze:
I’M SUPER OVERLY AMBITIOUS [no entertainment]. i used to feel like i would dream too big. now i know there is no such thing. my ambition drives me. my vision of the future. i have big plans 4 the world. for the planet we live on & the living beings we live beside. i’ve always wanted to be heard. not only for my own gain but because if enough people listen to each other & are open to new ideas & concepts we can make a real change instead of staying in a cycle. the world is changing & we won’t go forward i we’re looking back. innovation, sustainability. change is inevitable so don’t fight it. the future drives my ambition. a big future. today iz the shadow of tomorrow.
GUSHER:
Are there any reference points or people u model yourself after? Influence you, your work and how you move?
phenyo waze:
i don’t model myself after anyone. i’m still very much on my journey of self discovery [like a homemade land rover]. however i am heavily influenced by the world around me. everything we see influences us. everything. whether we notice it or not. which iz why i can’t name my influences or inspirers over the past year a big shifter of my mindset regarding art and creating has been virgil abloh. is see a lot of myself in him i feel like i can relate to him. i can’t relate to anyone not even my freinds or family, so i always feel comfort of some sort when i watch his interviews or look @ his work/him work. I’VE ALWAYS FELT LIKE BECAUSE OF MY APPEARANCE OFPOINT OF VIEW I COULD NOT BE WHAT I WANTED TO BE. REAL TALK. BECAUSE PEOPLE THAT LOOKE LIKE ME WERE NOT IN THOSE ROLES/POSITIONS. VIRGIL ABLOH AND YE ARE DEFINETLY BIG INSPIRATIONS TO ME. ARCHITECTURE INSPIRES ME. I WROTE SO MUCH OF “WAZE OF THE WORLD” OUTSIDE THE JD BUILDING IN BRAAM. ARCHITECTURE IZ FASCINATING.
GUSHER:
MIDDLEMAN is such a 10/10 name for a record, where did that title come from and what was the meaning behind the tape?
phenyo waze:
THe title middleman came from my pov of life. i ffeel like we we are at the place we are at right now to get to the next. our current life situation is the middleman that we have to live & go through to get to where we wann be. to me, every song is the middleman.
GUSHER:
What does the next five-years look like in waze world?
phenyo waze:
who knows what the world has to offer. i know what i want. i know what i’m working towards. it’s all on god. i want to think for the now . focus all my attention on now. i have a clear vision for the future.
GUSHER:
What is SUGARWOOD? Should we be excited or threatened?
phenyo waze:
sugarwood is a creative hub where free thinking & ideas are encouraged. we are focused on making the world a better place by pushing sustainability through fashion. upcycling. the process of creating something new out of something old. we are slowing down fast fashion. we are bringing out a new way of dressing. a new way of thinking. a new way of life. no boxes, no categories. just existing. it’s beyond clothing. it’s art. do not feel threatend. sugarwood is ours. i am sugarwood, you are sugarwood.
GUSHER:
Can we expect anything new from you, musically?
phenyo waze:
yes! expect a lot of music in this next few weeks & months. there’s no album, not anytime soon. i’m curating a sugarwood ep with some really talanted artists on it. it should be ready by june.
GUSHER:
The five most important things in your life?
phenyo waze:
family, self expression, art, music, achieving my dreams. - honestly i never know how to answer questions like that because so many things matter to me. i cant even rank them.
GUSHER:
Anything else you want people to know about you?
phenyo waze:
i just want to have an impact on our world. a positive impact. i do everything for the greater good. good will always prevail.