‘Oe Batla Kae’ hitmaker started music because of his friends.

Da Mogul, whose real name is Tshepo Rangaka, said he gravitated towards music because of his friends.

"My boys had sound equipment and they liked doing music, so I started as a DJ after matriculating."

The 27-year-old DJ from Mahikeng in North West said when he was in his second year at university, he developed an interest for producing music and decided to learn the craft.

"I taught myself music production watching YouTube videos, and I started to produce sounds that were influenced by Da Capo and Culoe De Song," he said.

Rangaka said after he dropped out of university - where he was doing media studies - because of financial difficulties, he devoted his life to music. He sent one of his songs to DJ Ganyani, who invited him to come to Joburg.

"He signed me under his Ganyani Entertainment and mentored me. We worked together on his Ganyani's House Groove 9," he said.

Rangaka said it was then that he started thinking of music as a possible career. Oe Batla Kae was released in April and shot to the top of the music charts.

He said while partying in Soweto, a lot of people used to shout - oe batla kae, ko mokokotlong - while dancing.

"I then did research and decided to do a song out of it and it worked," he said.

He said when he asked people what it meant, most said it meant they wanted the song to hit them on their backs.

The song, which features Ms Mo and Makhensa, is his first commercial song as he has released much underground music.

"I am currently working on an album that will be released in 2018," he said.