She is one of Metro FM's hottest female deejays. Her success has seen her entertain crowds from across the country and the continent. Today, Prudence Mathebula, fondly known among her millions of fans as Pru Luv, is at the height of her career. Looking back, she tells ZiMoja that her journey to stardom hasn't been easy and requires a lot of resilience, hard work and patience. 

OVERCOMING DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND BIPOLAR

They say, 'Don't brag' but she marvels at her own achievements. "If I could actually bear everything that I have been through in life, one would fall flat in disbelief," she says. "It took me 10 years to come out in public to speak about depression, stress, anxiety and bipolar because I didn't want to be judged or have it used against me," she says. It was only last year that she realised she was gifted and that she had something special. "Just imagine all the time I wasted doubting myself, because of others and because of gatekeepers who deemed me not worthy," she says. When she started DJing, Pru Luv says she had doors closed on her face. "But I never gave up. Some people believed in me and I went out to hustle for myself," she adds. "I was stubborn and intentional about my gift. I hustled alone. I worked hard and I used my gift and character and gifts started opening."

BODY SHAMING AND TRAUMA

In 2014, her mother passed on and in 2021, when things seemed to be moving in the right direction, Pru Luv lost her father. This put her in a dark place where she was already dealing with depression, bipolar, and anxiety. "In 2021 when I lost my dad, I gained a lot of weight," she says. "I was dealing with a lot." While fighting struggles to stay alive, she was judged by many for her rapid weight gain. "In most cases, when you're on the radio or seem successful, people don't see your battles. I was being body-shamed. People would comment about my weight, but nobody really took the time to realise what I was dealing with. Our industry is very cruel, especially because appearance is everything. I have been a DJ for over six years. Many people have not seen me" she says, adding that "I allowed myself to gain weight because I understand that I am in a healing process. I think we don't understand the healing process that it is painful. I am confident in owning my pain and facing myself."