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Johannesburg - Rapper Cassper Nyovest is doing his last filling-up concert in Gauteng this Saturday at #FillUpFNBStadium.
And he plans to take his concept to other parts of the country.
Having started the concept in 2015 with #FillUpTheDome, followed by #FillUpOrlandoStadium last year, Cassper said it was time to extend the phenomenon to other provinces.
As #FillUpFNBStadium is coming closer, the rapper had to contend with shortage of sponsorship, which had posed a threat to the success of the event.
It will cost the rapper R15m to #FillUpFNBStadium, which includes R5.2m for building the stage.
Speaking to City Press on Friday – a day after Standard Bank signed the deal – an elated Cassper said it was ironic that another bank was sponsoring the show, which will happen at a venue owned by another bank.
Other sponsors include Cîroc SA (of which Cassper is a brand ambassador), Budweiser and SABC1.
More sponsors are expected to come on board. “It’s very difficult, but at the same time, there’s no amount of money that can buy history. It’s a very small price to pay,” Cassper said.
“A big shout-out goes to the sponsors that have come through to help us. We are investing that money back into the industry.”
In the run-up to the event Cassper has not only faced sponsorship issues but he had to put his foot down and refuse his rival AKA, born Kiernan Jarryd Forbes, perform at the #FillUpFNBStadium.
Rapper AKA offered to perform at the stadium and help Nyovest.
He used social media to announce his intention of performing at Cassper’s brainchild concert next Saturday without consulting the Mama I Made It hitmaker.
Cassper did not take kindly to AKA’s move, telling City Press on Friday at the venue that they “will never get along”.
He likened the rift between him and AKA to that of President Jacob Zuma and Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema.
He said it would be “impossible for the politicians to get along, even for the sake of the country’s harmony”.
“AKA has never been a part of Fill Up FNB Stadium; you can’t ask if he’ll be performing.
“He never approached me; he spoke on public platforms,” said Cassper, adding that AKA had not even bought a ticket, which he should like anybody else, because “people who buy tickets are the legends”.
“He [AKA] sent people to talk to me and I said that I have long been over the beef and fights with him,” said Cassper.
“That’s why I never mentioned his name throughout the year, which I’ve been avoiding. I can’t avoid it any more, I guess. Everybody wants to hear what I think.
“I honestly think everybody knows that we will never get along. We will never be the best of friends.
"I just think that it’s great that I’m at a place where I’m cool with sharing the same workspace as well as being compared to him. I’m cool with people who like him and like bashing me. I’ve made peace with that.”
Cassper said the only thing left for them to do was to “just love and respect each other from a distance” because it would not be necessary to put them in the same room and “try to make us work together”.
He said he performed at the same venue with AKA last week and the two of them couldn’t be in the same space.
Given that each of them was doing so well on their own, added Cassper, AKA did not have to set the cat among the pigeons in public as that would attract unnecessary media attention.
He advised AKA to simply buy a ticket to attend the #FillUpFNBStadium gig if he was genuine about his declarations of unity and lending a helping hand.
AKA tweeted a few weeks ago that he wanted R1 million to perform alongside his rival.
“I just want my cheese. We don’t have to be best friends or nothing like that. But I KNOW that we respect each other on some level,” he tweeted.
It was followed by another tweet: “Anyways, tweet the ni**a or whatever and see what he says. Maybe he’ll call me or I’ll call him”
Cassper then tweeted: “Just buy a ticket to #FillUpFNBStadium broer.”
Yesterday AKA changed his tone.
His business partner, Prince Nyembe, told City Press that AKA was not scheduled to perform at the #FillUpFNBStadium concert.
“He is not even buying a ticket or supporting the cause. If he did, people would have known about it,” Nyembe said.
Asked whether reports were true that he was expecting a child, Cassper uttered a resounding ‘no’.
He refuted reports of impregnating a woman from KwaZulu-Natal known only as Nontobeko, saying he had no knowledge of where the pregnancy rumours originated.
“That lady’s mother was frustrated because she thought it was true, but she isn’t pregnant at all.”
Nyovest admitted to having a “cool” relationship with a woman, whose identity he refused to reveal, saying he wanted to protect her and her family.
He added that her mother liked him.
Some artists joining Cassper at #FillUpFNBStadium include Tshepo Tshola, Mahotella Queens, Kwesta, Babes Wodumo, Somizi, Riky Rick, DJ Tira, A-Reece, and Distruction Boyz.
“It’s gonna be humongous! I can imagine the stadium full of people and Distruction Boyz’ Omunye Phez’ Komunye playing – that’s the perfect song.
"I wish it were my song at this present moment,” said Cassper.
“My performance is really going to blow people away. I know that they’re not expecting it.
"They know I’m a great performer and so they are expecting me to do well,” said the hip-hop maestro, adding that he aimed to create a historic concert that would be spoken about for years to come.
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