Ishmael Morabe mostly known by just his first name Ishmael was a musical sensation in the 90s. He featured on so many kwaito genre singles. He also dabbled in a few RnB sounds. One of his most iconic hit songs is the popular old school song called War Was Jy.
War Was Jy was the Afrikaans language titled song which directly translated to, “Where were you?” In the song, he gave Mzansi hints of their nostalgia at the time. Asked Mzansi where they were individuals when certain iconic events happened in South Africa. For the chorus, he asked the question in several official languages in South Africa.
As a musician from the 90s, most of his musical peers stopped making music. The reasons were that they got worn out and lost relevance. Another reason is that they switched up and changed career focuses. Ishmael levelled up in music and adapted to new musical genres.
In the mid, to late 2000s Ishmael joined the hip hop krunk music group Jozi. Jozi consisted of 4 members namely Ishmael, Bongani Fassie, Da L.E.S and Crazy Lou. Jozi came crashing into the Mzansi music scene with a fresh image when South African hip hop was at its peak.
Jozi became a success and collaborated with the iconic local brand Ama Kip Kip. Together they made hits like What’s With The Attitude and Motherland. Of course, they won several awards for their success.
After some years of being together, the group decided to split and focus on their solo careers. At the time a lot of hip hop groups were growing apart. Morale, Entity and many more split apart. Unfortunately, Crazy Lou passed on after the band was silent for years.
Fast forward to the year 2022 we see Da L.E.S and Bongani Fassie doing things in the media. Da L.E.S performed at Cotton Fest and made peace with A.K.A. Bongani on the other hand is busy with his family life and being an entrepreneur. Where is Ishmael?
After Jozi, he proceeded to stay in his musical career. He still produces music but with a more refined palette. He has a music studio in Midrand where he charges people for beats and recording sessions. For some extra moolah, he does event hosting and promotions. Fans will be happy he is still alive doing what he loves.