Money Badoo Is A Reflection of Freedom And Truth

Written By Sizwe Shabalala

Living in a time where music is so accessible, it can be a challenge to scour through the market to find gems and for artists, it can be a challenge to breakthrough and standout from the noise. However, what is very apparent is that, real, genuine artists always find a way through. One of those artists who seems to have found her stride and is now establishing herself in the industry is Jade Alves, popularly known as Money Badoo.

As a kid, Money Badoo used to write songs as a hobby when there was nothing else to do but she never really saw it as anything more than just a cure for her boredom. Even when she got her first guitar at the age of 12, it never crossed her mind that a career in music was something that she could pursue.

“What I do know is that, I was very much obsessed with musicians and performing artists and so, in my early teens, like most 14-year old's, I was also into people like Justin Bieber and Hannah Montana.” She admits that, during those teen years, she saw it as nothing but a phase that every girl went through and so she never quite grasped the gravity of the influence and the calling until later. In grade 11 and grade 12, she knew that fashion was something she wanted to fully explore because it was already a big part of who she was growing up as a teen trying to express herself.

When she was 19 years old, she and a couple of close friends started a fashion collective known as JKW, where they would put their creative minds together and conceptualize and execute some of the most innovative looks and styles. Money Badoo reflects on how so many concepts they were creating over 5 years ago are only now catching on in the mainstream.

“I started gaining valuable experience as a stylist, doing fashion shows and getting involved in other creative avenues. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if it wasn’t for JKW. It’s changed the way I think about myself as a brand and it also shows our influence in the shift in culture and I feel proud to be one of the pioneers.”

“It’s such a blessing to see some people who got their first real opportunity in the industry by working with us and to now see them with well-established careers, working with some of the biggest brands in the country. Our ideas from back then have transpired and birthed other people’s dreams and careers.”

It wasn’t until she was 20 years old that she finally gave music a chance. It was during a time when she was juggling multiple jobs but still feeling like there was something missing in her life and like most great creatives, it’s hard to ignore that emptiness once you acknowledge it.

“This void I was feeling compelled me to go after all my creative endeavours and, to be honest, music was the scariest one. My lack of confidence came from a number of things. Some of those being the fact that I was from a small coloured community, went to a public school that never really exposed us to all the possibilities of art as a career and the longevity of it all.”

Now, a few years in the game, she has released her debut album: PORN$TAR and it has been received with a lot of positive feedback. Not only is PORN$TAR one of the most impressive South African albums this year, some might even go as far as describing it as a musical trojan horse designed to dismantle preconceived ideas of what it means to be a bold, unapologetic, expressive women in a culture designed to police and suppress that kind of freedom.

With the album title, the striking visuals and daring fashion outfits attached to this project, it’s easy to draw stereotypical assumptions about what this era is all about for Money Badoo but there is a lot that’s very under the surface.

“PORN$TAR is an art piece and a time capsule of who and where I am right now in my life. Don’t let the title fool you, this is a layered story about the feminine divine and being a woman of colour in South Africa and so many other things. Those were some of the main things I felt were important to address. While the album title might conjure up some preconceived ideas of what that word means, many of the songs on this album are vulnerable, heartfelt, and soft.”

Many great artists will agree that making compelling art can often be a difficult journey. Constantly looking for inspiration or the constant struggle of finding the perfect combination of words to pen down a song to express exactly how you feel — a lot of effort goes into the process. For Money Badoo, what she has managed to produce with PORN$TAR may seem effortless but it has taken a lot of work and struggle to deliver a body of work of this caliber.

“I was definitely nervous to put myself out there the way I did on this album. I was sharing parts of myself and sharing yourself can be a daunting experience for anyone, not just artists. To be an artist that raps and sings, I always need to make sure that I am showing up on the highest level whether I’m delivering real rap bars or heartfelt harmonies. Every time I was in studio, I had to constantly remind myself that nobody can recreate Money Badoo and so I had to be confident in what I was creating because it’s the only way this can work.”

Some of Money Badoo’s musical influences include the likes of Mac Miller, Drake and Nicki Minaj, who have earned respect as rappers and singers. She is one of those artists that can seamlessly go from rapping to singing and still feel natural doing it.

It’s easy to look at Money’s stage persona or singles like “PI$TOL POP” and make the mistake of thinking she’s just a trap-star. However, when you explore her approach to her music, it quickly becomes clear that she is thinking much bigger. Watching her perform a stripped-down rendition of one of her club bangers and you get to see how deep her artistry goes.

“Yes, it’s cool to be a baddie but there’s more to it and I’m more interested in exploring the more-to-it side of things. I am beyond just looking pretty or being called sexy when I’m in a tight dress or when I’m showing a lot of skin. This is not just an aesthetic, this is my life, this is my soul. This self-expression is the essence of who I am.”

Money Badoo bares her soul and pours her heart out on songs such as “Your Way” and “H3ART OVERBOARD”, which have layers of vulnerability, warmth and sweet sadness. These are just a couple of the songs she admits were some of the hardest to record due to how emotional the process was for her.

A song like “Gone Girl” which many assumed was about a girl being so head over heels in love, is also, in fact, about her working hard and being so successful and so removed from her old life and so far gone to the point she’s able to exceed all expectations. Producers, Mars Baby and NotBenjamin, are responsible for majority of the production on the album and they provide the perfect canvas for Money Badoo to really explore and stretch herself artistically.

Seeing her away from the stage and social media, in her most natural state with no head-turning outfits or makeup, just her at home in sweats, rocking spectacles, it almost feels like seeing a superhero like Spider-Man in their Peter Parker element. You get to see her peel back the layers of Money Badoo and get a sense of who Jade is.

“When I’m off-stage, being Jade and not Money Badoo, there’s a shift in energy and how I feel. Having this distinction between Money the artist and Jade the person is very important to me because, I am someone who doesn’t want to just be a creative for the rest of my life, I recognise the value in exploring other avenues and monetising my intellectual property so I can effectively address the socio-economic issues we’re facing and find ways to change the world in ways beyond being the cool artistic persona associated with Money Badoo online.”

Money Badoo goes on to mention how, there are many things she is very passionate about that she is unable to vocalise in her music but at the same time, she doesn’t want to be labelled as just a woman or a coloured person. Instead, she wants to be a human with a soul and create music that makes people feel free.

“I can’t wait to travel the world because of my art and to see how people from around the globe resonate with my music; to me that’s success. I want to be able to do things I never thought I would be able to do and I want to do it my way on my own terms, without sacrificing my integrity, both artistic and personal.”

When it comes to Money Badoo, it feels like she puts a lot of emphasis on intention because when you move with pure intentions, your proximity to truth is closer than most and she is as true as it gets. It’s no surprise that she’s managed to gain an audience that embraces her authenticity. She is a reflection of freedom and truth and she holds space for anyone who comes into contact with her to exist in that safe space as well.