Newbie to the music industry, Ameer Hendricks, is a force to be reckoned with.
Most of us live inside the confined space that is a box of our own making, filled to the brim with people and things that make us feel safe and secure, afraid to venture beyond, live on the wild side or simply risk it. But, for Ameer Hendricks, the above does not ring true.
The 22-year-old pop artist based in Cape Town is making waves in the music industry and is stopping at nothing to reach his goals. He has ten singles (and counting), one of which charted on the Chicago Top 40, studies law at the University of the Western Cape, and is a four-times South African Goju Kai karate champion. Aside from his many interests, karate being one of them, his dream was and still is to be a successful musician. And despite the negativity of naysayers, he is pursuing his dreams – and thankfully so.
Ameer Hendricks on Taking Charge
Ameer’s positive attitude has surely gotten him where he is today. ‘I took a chance, recorded my own song and posted it to social media,’ he says. Realising that his future lies in his own hands, he happily took it in his stride. Soon after, he met producer Marc Ronin who asked Ameer to have a guitar feature on one of his tracks.
This then led to the opportunity for Ameer to have his music recorded professionally in a studio. He is currently working on an EP filled with features from some of his fave artists, which he is extremely grateful for. ‘I’ve worked with amazing and incredibly talented people’, he adds – one of his favourites to date being his close friend Mahmood Osman also known as ‘Moody Visualz’ on Instagram. Ameer also attributes his father as one of his biggest inspirations and a driver of his success, while adding that artists such as Jimmy Nevis, YoungstaCPT and Ameen Harron have also been a major influence in his career.
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East meets West
Along with a promising music career, he is also very passionate about martial arts. ‘If it wasn’t for them I would not be the goal-orientated person I am today,’ he asserts. Goju Kai has taken him across the world, mainly to Japan where he was awarded his first black belt. When asked how the two polar opposite disciplines impact each other, his answer is finding a balance. ‘Karate is my physical outlet of emotion and way of peace, whereas music is a calmer and more passionate way of expressing myself.’
Ameer views himself as a ‘driven, hardworking and inquisitive’ individual. He believes that determination, perseverance and the willingness to risk it all is at the core of making it in any industry. He provides some sage advice for those aiming to break into the industry: network. That’s it,’ he says. Networking and knowing the correct people have definitely impacted his life for the better. With patience and determination peaking at a close second.
With such a positive start to his career, Ameer seems to be on a mission to partake in the World Karate Championships and a world tour. As for his music, he believes that music is an escape from reality and he hopes to transport his audience away from the stress of daily life, and seeks to connect listeners across the globe through his personal experiences.
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Words: Dylon Phillps | Photography: Courtesy Images
