grammy award winning artist. software engineer. creative director. thought-leader
When I first heard the song “Go Deeper” with IDRIS (aka Idris Elba) and Una Rams, I was instantly hooked. I’ve been following IDRIS for a few years and even had the chance to see him perform live in London. Oh, and if you haven’t seen his set, Idris Elba – Live from Amsterdam (Heineken powered by Defected), I highly recommend it. I’ve watched it over 10 times, and it never gets old!
But I digress. IDRIS collaborated with Una Rams, a South African singer, songwriter, and music producer known for blending various genres like R&B, soul, and electronic music. In this interview, Una shares his musical journey, explains how his upbringing and background influence his musical style and themes, his experience collaborating with IDRIS, and his creative process when writing and producing new tracks.
This was such an amazing conversation, and I’m honored to share Una’s story with you. Without further ado, it is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to Una Rams.
Can you share the story of your musical journey and how you got started in the industry?
My musical journey started way back when I was very young, around 5 or 6 years old. At that time, my oldest brother Bono had already begun writing his own music and recording songs onto cassette tapes. Our family was involved with a church called The Salvation Army. My mom and Bono were heavily involved in the choir, so we would often go there for rehearsals on Saturdays. Although I was too young to be part of the choir, I was determined to join in. I would stand on a crate just so I could sing along, even though my voice hadn’t broken yet, so I was singing with the girls.
In the church is where I first truly encountered music and understood its power. I could see the way it made others feel, and I could feel its impact on me. In a religious context, music is used for worship, right? There’s a specific feeling attached to that. I feel like every time I create music, I’m chasing after that feeling. That’s what we’re trying to capture in this.
As I grew older, I started listening to a lot of hip-hop and artists like Usher and Michael Jackson because my older brother was into that. I began dancing as a way to express myself. I was a shy kid, but I was never shy about getting up and dancing. I remember one time when my older sister was in a beauty pageant, during the halftime, they asked, “Who wants to come up here and dance?” I just went up there and did my moves.
Fast forward, my parents moved and started their own church. As their children, we became heavily involved in the roles that needed to be filled. A worship team was formed, and I remember that during the first few services, we didn’t even have instruments yet. We had this big box at home, so I used it as a drum. Eventually, we got a proper space, acquired instruments, and I taught myself how to play the drums. I became the lead drummer at the church for a while. Then my other older brother, Tondi Rams, who is also a talented musician, had to leave for university, so he wouldn’t be around anymore. He started teaching me how to play the keys, and soon after, I became the worship team leader and pianist at the church.
I got back into production and started making music again. My brother Tondi introduced me to a friend of his named C-Tea. C-Tea, whose real name is Jonathan Takyi Mensah, was based in Pretoria because he was studying at an institution called EMENDY, which specializes in sound engineering and production. When I met him, he said, “Yo, you should come through anytime. We can record.” So, during my first year after moving over, I hit him up and said, “I want to take you up on your offer. Let’s make this music.” I went over there and recorded my first professional song. I had used my last bit of money to get a taxi and get there. I remember having to call my dad to ask, “Yo, please send me some money so I can get home.” He did, and I spent the whole night blown away by how I sounded on the record.
That led to many more collaborations with C-Tea because he was also happy with what we were creating. Then, I saw post on Twitter from DJ Doowap saying, “If you have any music you want to submit, I’m over at YFM, so send it in.” I started doing that, and we got my first radio placement. That was my first big break in the industry.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when starting your music career?
Starting out, I felt pressure from the audience to be boxed into a specific genre so they could understand me. And I get it—it’s a natural human instinct. A lot of people asked, “Are you a rapper?” They might not have known how to categorize me, but I knew I needed to stay true to what I love. With my eclectic taste, I naturally create across many genres. Initially, it felt strange, but as I’ve continued my journey, I’ve embraced this diversity more and more. One of the biggest challenges was always the desire to be understood.
How did your upbringing and background influence your music style and themes?
I come from a big family—six kids in total—with a very loving mother and father who were super supportive in the best way they knew how. Growing up in the church, you’re surrounded by gospel music, which instills a deep sense of worship and a longing for something beyond the ordinary. It makes me want to speak a lot about love. I’m a lover boy, you know. With the support I’ve received from my parents and siblings, I feel like I can achieve anything. I grew up watching a lot of Cartoon Network, where the message was that you can be whatever you put your mind to. My family reinforced that belief, and it has allowed me to go on fearlessly and genre-bend.
How did growing up in Makwarela, a township in Thohoyandou, influence your musical style and career?
I grew up in a place where it almost felt like we were in a silo. I knew I wanted different. I knew I wanted to escape. I grew up seeing a lot of dreams die, and that’s one thing that I hate to the core. I feel like it’s made me have the sense of responsibility for the fact that I am not doing this for fame or anything, I am really trying to express myself. I know that comes as a byproduct, but I want to use that responsibly to inspire the next generation of kids, especially the ones coming from the same environment I come from.
We grew up looking outwards. American pop culture was at its peak and growing up on the internet you were exposed to so much, but there’s this, I don’t really want to call it a renaissance, but there’s this emergence of pride in your own. I think seeing people like Sho Madjozi, Mizo Phyll, and Makhadzi really doing their thing sparks or fans that flame even more. Now there’s this pride wanting to teach the world about our culture and wave our flag high.
Why did you decide to go with “Una Rams” as your professional alias rather than using your full name, Unarine Rambani?
A lot of people butcher my name. (Laughs.) I used to go by Prince without even knowing about the legend. Like I said, we were living in a silo. My older brother Tondi started going by Tondi Rams, and I thought it was the coolest thing. This was around the time Kendrick Lamar was coming up, so it felt cool to have both a first and last name. ‘Una’ is what they call me at home, so Una Rams just felt right. We could be the Rams brothers, Tondi and I, you know? I still want to make that project one day where it’s just the two of us.
That’s why Una Rams rolls off the tongue a lot better. It’s easier to say. It’s a beauty brand name.
Can you share more about your new hit single “Go Deeper” with IDRIS, out now on Defected Records Limited? What was it like collaborating with IDRIS, given his diverse talents in acting, rapping, singing, and DJing? It must have brought a unique dynamic to the project.
The story is, I barely check my Instagram, and a lot of my social media are off. I prefer to live life in real life. But we get this DM from a talented producer and DJ named Aero Manyelo, and he hits us up, saying, “I am working on this project; please share your contacts.” My younger brother and manager handle some of my social media, so he sees the message and replies to it. We then get an email, and Aero says he’s working on a project with IDRIS, sending over a beat or instrumental, asking if we could do something with it. Honestly, I thought he was just name-dropping for fun. But we sat with it for a little bit since we had other projects we were working on. It wasn’t until he checked back in with us that we realized, okay, maybe this is really serious. We should probably take a look at it. We were meant to meet up with another producer, who didn’t pitch. So, Matthew and I—my younger brother and manager—decided to use the time as a songwriting session. We either use beats we have or start writing from scratch. Matthew suggested, “Why don’t we work on that track Aero sent over?” He had this other idea we were doing with Omagoqa, this incredible trio that’s coming up. We tried that on this instrumental, and it was working well. I was enjoying what was happening. We recorded it, liked it, and that was that.
We had another session with 808x, who is another incredible hip-hop producer. A very versatile producer. We finished recording a song for him, and it’s late, and everyone wants to go home. I said to him, “I know it’s late but please do me this solid. I want to record something and submit it.” So, we record those vocals and send them over. I remember getting to a point in my life, because I feel like any person that is pursuing something in life, you’re going to feel the weight of it, especially if you are pursuing it daily. I, too, had a similar experience. At that point, I just said a little prayer: “God, if I am meant to be doing this, give me a sign and show me something.” Lo and behold, the very next day, I go on my Instagram for some reason, check my DMs, and there’s Idris Elba saying, “I really love ‘Deeper.’ It’s such a crazy tune.” He hits me with a follow, too. I was beaming with joy. It was such a moment, and I could see that this was my sign.
The whole process goes through, and we go back and forth over versions and what to do with this and that. Working with Idris is a dream come true. A dream I didn’t even know I had. We grew up watching this man on television, and growing up, it is cool to see how multifaceted he is, and I am inspired by it. He’s gone out and branched into so many things. There’s a care he puts into the craft he does, and you can see and tell. I felt really honored to have gone through this process. The song exists, and it’s out for the world to hear.
I will take this opportunity to say a big thank you to Idris and Defected for giving me such an opportunity.
Can you tell me more about your experience working with Defected Records Limited on this release? Did you pitch the project to them, or did they approach you for this collaboration?
This project was by divine intervention and coordination. Defected are pristine. They are like royalty in the electronic music scene. This was a great honor, completely and truly humbling. I don’t think I have the words to express how excited it makes me feel to know that this actually happened.
The whole process was through Aero and Idris’s Defected team.
How do you approach blending various musical genres to create your distinctive sound, and what are some of your key influences?
I like to call myself a sonic nomad. And that’s because I feel like I am traveling through different soundscapes just to sightsee or experience. I’ve drawn inspiration from many different places. I have an eclectic taste. It’s not that I need to listen to hip-hop or just R&B the whole time. I am just a fan of music, and I love music. As such, you put out what you put in. I will make music.
The sights I’ve set for myself involve becoming this global and generational artist. I want to make music that lives and outlives my own existence, that gets passed down from generation to generation. I’ve been looking at a lot of people who are legendary in their own rights. More so recently, I’ve been looking at talent from home because I feel like there is a deep and untapped beauty that we maybe let lay dormant for a while.
Just recently, on this project we’re working on called Meet Me at the Altar, we worked on this song that just sounds so old and South African. We reached out to this legend. His name is David Mmbi, who is an old Venda musician, and it was just so beautiful to be in the studio and see his process, to see that after so many years, he’s still got it, and how he expresses himself, learning from his writing and his life experiences.
I want to do a lot more looking into who we are. I’ve done a lot of research on who we are and where we come from, but I don’t want to digress too much. I create from feeling and where I am at the moment. That is bound to change; the music I create is also bound to change.
Winning a GRAMMY for your track “Flava” with Black Coffee must have had a significant impact on your career. Can you describe how this achievement has influenced your musical journey and inspired your future projects that showcase your versatility and genre fusion?
The whole story on how I met Coffee and how he eventually got to the GRAMMY exists online, so I won’t go into that now. It was a beautiful moment. It is something that has given me a chip on my shoulder. Something that has made me more confident and bolder in my ideas. Something that has shown and proven to me that our dreams are within reach. For me, it just says go out and be the best you can be at what you want to do. For me, it says go create whatever music you want to create. Create the most beautiful pieces of art because it’s not just for just…. The world is watching. I am eternally grateful to Coffee for taking me along on that journey. I am putting it out there into the universe: I want my own GRAMMY. It’s nice to have the certificate, but I want the trophy. I’m working towards the trophy.
Additionally, could you walk us through the creative process behind “Flava” and how you managed to create such a distinctive sound?
I went to the cinema with this girl I was seeing. We were having a little fight after the movie. It could have been about how I put too much salt on the popcorn. But we get in the car, and this melody falls onto me. I said to her, “I know we are fighting right now, but I need to go to the studio.” And I thank God she knew how much I loved music. She was willing to drive me out to the studio.
On the way there, I am calling Tondi, my brother, C-Tea, and Rendition. By the time I get there, we are all together. I start playing this melody. Once I have that, I look at C-Tea. “Four on the floor.” He knew it was a house track. I get up, and I start writing. In my head: salty, salty, salty, too much flavor. So, we put that in and continue writing the verses. That night I sent it over to Coffee because I was so excited. He is one of the first people that came to mind when we made that.
I remember the next day, I was at a mall out in Rosebank, and he sends me a text, a page full of fire emojis. He’s like, “This tune… Yo, we need to do something about this. Can I have it for the album?” That’s when we start working on it, going back and forth. There are many versions. He tried to get Drake on it. Swiss had it for a while. He wanted to get Alicia Keys and Chris Brown on it, and then Coffee took it back for his album. To get a GRAMMY for that, what a story, man.
That’s what happened there! I feel like collaboration was key in getting all of the different sounds in there. Without contributions from myself, C-Tea, Tondi, Rendition, Coffee, and the other guys on Coffee’s side, we wouldn’t have achieved that sound. It is really like working with a blender, bringing all of these ingredients together to make a nice smoothie.
What is your creative process like when writing and producing a new track? Do you sit down with a yellow pad or do sounds just come to you in your sleep?
It’s different, you know. There are times when something inspires me at a random moment, especially when I’m doing mundane tasks. But now, I’m focused on showing up and seizing opportunities. I feel like spending more time in the studio allows me to sharpen my skills as a producer and songwriter. I literally just want to get hold of a story and then tell that story. It doesn’t necessarily have to be my own story. Mostly, I write on my phone and record voice notes. You hum a bit of a melody, top line, and then play with words like a puzzle, making it all fit together to tell the story.
How do you stay motivated and inspired to keep creating new music?
I love it, and it loves me. (Laughs.) There are times when it’s a bit more challenging. There are times when I don’t want to go to the studio. It’s the art of showing up—you never know what’s going to come out. I try to feed myself with other great artistic or just cool content that will inspire me. It’s a give and take.
What message or themes do you aim to convey through your music? And has that message changed since you first started producing?
I am a Loverboy, but I want that to translate into the general community. (Laughs.) This may sound naïve, but I do want people to love each other. Let’s just live, be kumbaya, and live in peace. I want the world to be a more vibrant place, a more beautiful place, where people see each other for who they are. The romance is cool, but I feel like I’ve always been that Loverboy. When two people meet, are happy, and grow happier, that kind of energy spreads throughout the community. Hopefully.
What has been the most rewarding moment in your music career so far?
I don’t think it’s just one moment. There are many moments that add up to make this fulfilling. Even now, to go out into the streets, meet someone I’ve never met in my whole life, and have them thank me for my music is a surreal experience, and that is rewarding on its own. There is still a long journey to go. Let me continue trying to practice gratitude. Going into the studio and coming out with something new is always so rewarding. I am always so grateful for it because I don’t take it for granted.
How do you manage the demands and high expectations of the music industry and what steps do you take to ensure that each new song showcases your growth as an artist?
I haven’t been trying to meet anyone’s demands. I am creating at my own pace. Don’t get me wrong, I’m working really hard. If I try to satisfy any external needs, I’d be setting myself up for failure. The person I want to impress is me. The person I want to make proud is me, and of course, the people closest to me. I’m being guided by this internal and intrinsic feeling. I’m not necessarily trying to maintain or attain something externally. It’s just about staying disciplined and consistent and letting everything else be. I am only trying to control what I can, and the rest I leave to God. By being consistent, sharpening my skills, and learning new ones, I feel like I grow. The more experience I have as a living human being, the more my frame of reference changes. I’ve been fascinated with the concept of saying the same thing in different ways. That’s bound to come up, especially if your subject matter is love and relationships. It’s always interesting to see how I can look at the same scenario or the same object and say it differently—maybe more meaningfully, maybe more profoundly, or maybe not. (Laughs.)
Can you share any upcoming projects or releases that your fans can look forward to? Maybe a tour to support this new single.
I would love to tour. I was speaking to my brother yesterday, and we’re praying. That’s the other prayer because I feel like these prayers come true. The prayer is for doors to open. I would love to see the world with this music or through this music. We’re working on a new project called Meet Me at the Altar, a collection of wedding songs—a celebration of love. I’ve always said I want to grow with my audience. I am at the age where many of us are getting married. It’s exciting to create a soundtrack for that. God knows where we’re going to go, but we’re planning some things on our end. I love the little surprises life has been coming up with so far. We’ll see.
How do you connect with your fans and build a loyal following?
I have my moments where I go online and have a rant—a motivational version of a rant—saying things that someone might need to hear. Sometimes I’ll pop out and share where I’m at, being completely honest with people to let them know what’s going on with me. I want them to hear it in the music.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are just starting out?
The world is your oyster. Polish your talents. Strive to be the best you can be—dreams are definitely worth chasing. It might not be an easy, straight road, but do enjoy the journey and celebrate the wins, regardless of their size.
We’ve talked about a lot today. But what did we miss? What else can you tell me about Una Rams?
Outside of music, I am a software developer. It’s like living in two worlds—literally coding all day and in the studio all night. It does catch up with me at times, but it’s beautiful. I love this life. I love being multidimensional, multifaceted. I have a deep passion for this music; I love music. I love what it does to people. I want to change my family’s lives with it. I want to change the world with it. We are watching this movement unfold, and in about two years’ time, we will be speaking a different tale.
Thanks for doing this, man. “Go Deeper” is what brought us together, but I can’t wait to see where you go from here and what music you release next. In all of the interviews I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.
Thank you so much for having me here. I hope you get a lot from this. Blessings. I can’t wait to see how this turns out!
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