Angie Oeh came out as gay at the age of 16, when she found herself in a conservative community, and a conservative school. Currently in her mid-20s, Angie is breaking down stereotypes rapping unapologetically about her life as a gay woman. And she is doing it in Afrikaans.
Angie Oeh has a badass attitude.
“I grew up in a very Afrikaans household where my mother always listened to Kurt Darren and Theuns Jordaan,” says Angie, who was born and raised as Angelique Greeff in the Moot in Pretoria. “Oeh is a dedication to my go to add-lip that I use in my songs,” says Angie, when explaining her stage name.
In high school she started listening to hip-hop and rap music and “that is where it all started”, says Angie.
Now she has face tattoos and brings provocative lyrics to the Afrikaans music scene. She proudly reflects her link to the Moot in her songs, and she makes a point of bringing the community of Moot to people’s attention.
Angie Oeh originally started as an English rapper but fell in love with the Afrikaans language. She now only raps in her mother tongue. PHOTO: Kara van der Merwe
The person behind the persona
Angie sings as a gay woman, and about gay women.
Having a gay woman rap about her sexual desires and admiration for women, advances feminism and claiming space for the LGBTQ+ community, says Angie.
“By celebrating gay women and encouraging women to embrace their sexuality, in a conservative country, Angie is helping to rewrite the Afrikaans narrative,” says Louise Crouse, one of Angie’s business managers. “She is really one of a kind.”
Angie unapologetically represents a part of Afrikaans culture that is in many ways rejected and is kept off mainstream radio stations, music channels and other media platforms, Crouse explained.
The expression of sexuality, especially that of people with same sex preferences, are continuously frowned upon in many South African cultures, Angie noted.
However Angie admits that she “accidentally” started the conversation.
“I just make music that I love. And the message comes after the fact,” Angie says.
The strong feedback from her songs is what motivates her today to make a strong point with her music, Angie explained.
Angie Oeh got her first tattoo on her face to motivate her to never fall into the 9-to-5 routine. All her tattoos are “random and spur-of-the-moment”, says Angie. PHOTO: Kara van der Merwe
All or nothing
Life as a gay teen in Pretoria was not always easy, says Angie.
“I’ve always known that I am gay but coming out as gay at 16, in a very Afrikaans high school, desensitised me a lot,” says Angie. She jokes that this experience is the reason that she effortlessly deals with the hate and bullying she receives today.
“I’ve always known that I wanted to make music,” says Angie. After matriculating in 2016, she decided to commit to her music career.
And to get a face tattoo.
“The first tattoo I ever got was the smiley on my face,” says Angie.
She explains that the motivation behind the face tattoo is to force her to excel in her music and prevent her from falling into a conventional 9-to-5 work routine. “I also just think it looks sick,” Angie adds.
When Angie first started making music, at the age of 18, she originally released a few songs in English. “[But] it just didn’t fit,” Angie says.
She jokes about all the “weird stuff” she produced in the beginning of her music career, but chalks up the experience to being an important part in creating her current brand.
She is often asked to describe her brand, and finds it a difficult question to answer.
“I just do what I want and I don’t care about the rest,” says Angie.
In December 2021, Angie released her first Afrikaans song called Dis jou wyfie. “It immediately got traction and I felt like I was going to be something after that,” Angie recalls.
After the release of Dis jou wyfie and the success of the song, Angie rebranded to solely rapping in Afrikaans. “I fell in love with Afrikaans,” Angie says.
The lyrics from Mooiste Meisies, that Angie Oeh released in 2022, are still among her favourite lyrics to sing. GRAPHIC: Kara van der Merwe
The turbulent journey
Angie recently fought cancer. She doesn’t linger on it, and chose to stay focussed on the one thing she lived for: Making music.
Angie had a malignant tumour, with a diameter of 15 cm, removed from her back. She required no further treatment.
“The music from the first EP really helped me get through it,” Angie says
After the life altering encounter with cancer, Angie decided to make the most of her possibilities. This included collaborating with some of the top musicians in the Afrikaans music industry, such as Fokofpolisiekar and Jack Parow.
“[Angie] is a very strong person and has had to face many hardships that most people would be overwhelmed by. She chose to rise above everything and despite that, she remains kind and caring,” says Crouse.
Angie Oeh is the newest it girl on the block, taking the Afrikaans music industry by storm with her facial tattoos, racy songs, and tough attitude. PHOTO: Kara van der Merwe
‘This girl is something special’
Crouse reflects on the first time she saw Angie perform on stage and describes the feeling of realising that “there is something big here”. Then Crouse knew that “this girl is something special, she is super cool.”
The Afrikaans alternative music industry is historically known for fighting for equal rights hoping to inspire a more liberal and inclusive Afrikaans culture, changing the way we view Afrikaans as a language, Crouse explained. Angie’s music does the same, proving that the language can be used to express yourself when it is allowed to be moulded and bent.