Media personality and musician Mzwakhe Mthandeni Ntshengula Mbuli Jr. popularly known as Robot Boii sat down with The South African for an exclusive interview on his The Masked Singer SA experience.
Bontle Modiselle won The Masked Singer SA season three under the mask of Spotty. Robot Boii was the runner-up under the mask of Mosquito. Khanyi Mbau (Chopsticks) and Judith Sephuma (Gogga) also placed in the Top four.
ROBOT BOII PLACES AS RUNNER-UP ON ‘THE MASKED SINGER’ SEASON THREE
Salary Salary hitmaker Robot Boii said that it felt amazing to have placed as the runner up on The Masked Singer SA season three.
“Coming so far is amazing. I’m super excited for being on the show, what an experience, what a time. I’m grateful,” he said exclusively to The South African.
Robot Boii also shared that the show was so secretive that he would be in a hoodie and a visor when the driver fetched him. He also explained that on set, no on sees you moving.
“Sometimes the call time is like 7am, and you have to leave the house covered, hoodie, visor, everything covered your arms, your legs. You get into this car, you’re not talking to the driver, it’s like squid games. And then you get there, they have cleared the path and the corridors and no one sees you in. No one sees you leave. Even to the bathroom, no one sees you move. That’s like some serious secretive underground stuff. You get mic’d, you go for rehersal and the show starts,” he said.
He also explained that he liked to really embody the character. So, he would have to switch on Mosquito once he was fetched to be taken to set and then switch off the character once he gets back home, where he kept the secret from everyone.
“So, the day-to-day is crazy because for me, I really embody the character. So, I have to switch Mosquito off when I get home and I have to switch it on when I get fetched again. That balance is interesting to be so secretive and locked in. But still have to live like myself off social media. And yeah, an amazing experience 10/10,” he said.
HOW DID HE KEEP THE SECRET?
Robot Boii went on to explain that his way of keeping the secret from his family, friends and fans was simple – he just didn’t say anything. The musician explained that he is naturally discrete about things and he just filled his calendar with something else for the time ge would be on set.
“I just didn’t say anything. I’m being fetched, they don’t know my schedule like that and I’m always productive. I’m always everywhere doing everything. I’m naturally discrete about things. I show people what I decide to show them and keep everything else to myself,” he said.
He went on to say that those close to him would be questioned as people thought they would know, but the only person who did, was his manager.
“My driver was not aware. My DJ sent me a text yesterday, everybody keeps getting asked because they are so centred to me and they assume just everybody knows. That’s how secretive we kept it. Even my whole team that has my calendar, doesn’t know that I was shooting. I changed what it’s called on my calendar,” he said.
Robot Boii also said that his favourite performance of his own on the show was Sister Bettina.
ROBOT BOII ON CLOSE FRIEND BONTLE MODISELLE WINNING ‘THE MASKED SINGER SA’ SEASON THREE
The musician went on to say that he knew Spotty was his close friend, who he often works with, Bontle Modiselle, from the quarter final. He explained that his dead giveaway was her dance moves and her energy. Bontle is a dancer, and previously expressed that she had to tone down her dancing in order to conceal her identity behind the mask of Spotty.
“Quarter final… I was like nah… the dance moves and the energy was the giveaway for me. Remember the masks are difficult, some are heavy, some are tight, some are limiting. But for you to be able to do that in a mask, only a dancer can do this. And I know her voice actually. A lot of people didn’t know that she sings, but I know her singing voice. I know her, I was like ‘this is B’,” he said.
“We knew…we found out about each other quarter, semi and final and it was like joy and happiness,” he continued.
Robot Boii also congratulated Bontle on her win. The pair performed Drive by Black Coffee together as their final song on the finale of the series.
“Congratulations sis, well deserved W, proud and I’m glad it did what it did for her and God bless,” he said.
Bontle told The South African in an exclusive interview that her favourite song to perform was down to two: Titanium and Drive by Black Coffee.
“That song just affirmed that ‘you actually got some chops, there’s something we can do with it’ but Drive was so many things. It was vocal and it was performance and it was a performance next to a contender, who I absolutely respected. He (Robot Boii) was one of my favourites on the show, and he is in my personal space and world. We work very well together,” she said.
She also expressed that she was excited to be under the mask of Spotty. However, it was a bitter-sweet moment for her when everyone found out as the show had come to an end.
“It was two things: I was excited, but also it was like ‘oh no it’s me, and now you guys know’. There was something about individuality that was interesting because you’re excited to be revealed. But you also come to the reality that it has come to an end, but it was magical. Absolutely magical.”
Who do you think deserved to make it to the Top four of The Masked Singer SA season three?