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D.Y.K – DID YOU KNOW?

D.Y.K 16 June

BRUNO MARS

  • Bruno Mars, byname of Peter Gene Hernandez, (born October 8, 1985, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.), American singer and songwriter who was known for both his catchy pop music
  • He was the son of Pete (“Dr. Doo-Wop”) Hernandez, a Latin percussionist of Puerto Rican extraction from Brooklyn, and Bernadette Hernandez, a Filipino vocalist and hula dancer.
  • He was nicknamed Bruno when he was a toddler and began entertaining in Honolulu at the age of four as an Elvis Presley impersonator with his parents’ band, the Love Notes.
  • He taught himself to play piano, guitar, bass, and percussion. After graduating from high school, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a musician.
  • In 2010 Mars released the four-song EP It’s Better if You Don’t Understand, followed five months later by the album Doo-Wops & Hooligans.The album made him a star and garnered him his first Grammy Award, for best male pop vocal performance (for “Just the Way You Are”).

 

 

ANDERSON.PAAK

  • Anderson Paak, born Brandon Paak Anderson, is a genre-blending American rapper, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist.
  • Brandon Paak Anderson was born at St John’s Regional Medical Center in California, on February 8, 1986. He is of mixed African American and Korean heritage.
  • Accompanied by the band The Free Nationals, Paak’s released four studio albums to great acclaim, with the most popular being 2016’s Grammy-nominated Malibu.
  • He released his first album O.B.E. Vol.1 under the name Breezy Lovejoy.
  • In 2021, he formed a duo called Silk Sonic along with fellow recording artist Bruno Mars

 

 

ANATII

  • Anathi Bhongo Mnyango (born 8 January 1993), known professionally as Anatii, is a South African singer, songwriter and record producer.
  • Anatii began his professional musical journey at the age of 16 when he received his first major South African placement with L-Tido, for the song “When It Rains”.
  • His debut studio album  “Artiifact” was released on 9 September 2016. The album features South African acts AKA, Cassper Nyovest, Nasty C and Uhuru, as well as Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage
  • In August 2017, Anatii was selected as The Young Independents influencer of the year. October 2017 saw Anatii being selected by GQ South Africa as one of the best-dressed men in South Africa
  • 2018 has seen Anatii, listed in Forbes Africa’s 30 under 30 creatives list

 

 

MOOSKI

  • Despite the Alabama native releasing “Track Star” in June 2020, the song didn’t reach commercial success until January 2021 after a Tik Tok user named @cityboyj uploaded a video of a dance challenge he made to the song.
  • The song became a hit among social media users while simultaneously charting No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late March 2021.
  • The catchy hit has racked up millions of streams, inspired some hilarious memes, and even got covered by singer Jacquees and Trey Songz
  • Mooski’s viral song has a deeper meaning than it seems. Over a piano-dominant beat, the “Game of Love” crooner compares his love interest to a track runner because she leaves him when times are rough.

 

SHANE EAGLE

  • Shane Patrick Hughes (born June 7, 1996), known professionally as Shane Eagle, is a South African rapper, songwriter, television personality and record producer.
  • He rose to fame in 2015, after finishing third place on the first season of the Vuzu rapping reality competition, The Hustle.
  • After releasing several non-album singles, Eagle released his debut album “Yellow” in 2017, which features the gold-certified lead single, “Let It Flow”.
  • In 2019, Eagle released his debut mixtape, Dark Moon Flower

 

 

YOUNGSTACPT

  • Riyadh Roberts was born Riyadh Emandien; on 23 December 1991. Known professionally as YoungstaCPT, he is a South African rapper and songwriter.
  • He is known for incorporating details about his Cape Malay culture and his Cape Town roots in his music.
  • YoungstaCPT has been described as “one of the most outspoken South African emcees of this generation.
  • He released his debut solo album 3T (Things Take Time), in April 2018, which won Album of The Year at the 2019 South African Hip Hop Awards.
  • Prior to the release of 3T, YoungstaCPT had released 30 mixtapes, 6 extended plays and two collaborative albums since his debut in 2010

 

 

RIHANNA

  • Rihanna, by the name of Robyn Rihanna Fenty, (born February 20, 1988, St. Michael parish, Barbados), is a Barbadian pop and R&B singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur.
  • She grew up in Barbados with a Barbadian father and a Guyanese mother. As a child, she listened to Caribbean music, such as reggae, as well as American Hip-Hop and R&B.
  • In 2004 she attracted the attention of Evan Rogers, an American record producer. He helped Rihanna record a demo that led to an audition with the rapper Jay-Z
  • She released her debut single “Pop de Replay” in 2005. The song’s success buoyed sales for her debut album, “Music of the Sun” (2005).
  • For the sophomore album “Good Girl Gone Bad” (2007), Rihanna sought to transform her youthful image. The album was led by the single “Umbrella”, featuring an introductory rap from Jay-Z, became one of the year’s biggest hits and earned Rihanna her first Grammy Award.

 

 

ELAINE

  • Ndivhuwo Elaine Mukheli (born 2 April 1999), known mononymously as Elaine, is a South African R&B singer and songwriter from Pretoria
  • While studying law at the University of the Witwatersrand, she self-released her debut EP Elements in September 2019
  • The EP reached No. 1 on both the national iTunes and Apple Music album charts, making her the first independent female artist to do so.
  • Elements were certified Platinum by RISA a year after its initial release and was nominated for Best R&B/Soul Album at the 26th South African Music Awards.
  • Elaine was subsequently signed to Columbia Records in December 2020

 

 

SZA

  • Having grown up in  a Muslim home, SZA says she was afraid to wear the Hijab after 9/11
  • SZA was the most nominated woman at the 2018 Grammy Awards
  • She trained as a gymnast for 13 years
  • She is the only female artist signed with Top Dawg Entertainment, who reps rappers like Schoolboy Q and Kendrick Lamar
  • Her name is an acronym derived from the supreme alphabet, which is a system of interpreting a text by assigning meaning to letters of the Roman alphabet, the religious belief system of the Nation of Gods and Earth.

 

 

TOOSII

  • North Carolina rapper Toosii quickly developed his craft throughout the late 2000s, going from uploading songs online to signing on with the label that helped DaBaby breakthrough worldwide.
  • He has earned significant followings on social media, particularly on Instagram, and rose to fame on SoundCloud
  • His lyrics often draw on more intimate details of his personal life than standard rap fare, and he delivers them with a melodic sensibility on projects like 2019’s “Who Dat” and 2021’s “Poetic Pain”.
  • Toosii (sometimes known as King Toosii) was born Nau’Jour Grainger in 2000. He grew up in Syracuse, New York, but relocated to Raleigh when he began taking music more seriously in 2017.

 

 

SHO MADJOZI

  • Maya Christinah Xichavo Wegerif (born 9 May 1992), known professionally as Sho Madjozi, is a South African rapper, singer, songwriter, actress and poet.
  • Madjozi was born on 9 May 1992 in Shirley Village, Elim, Limpopo. She incorporates the Tsonga culture through her music and public image.
  • In 2019, Madjozi was named as one of Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 for her contribution to the music and entertainment sector.
  • Madjozi rose to fame after her collaboration with rapper Okmalumkoolkat on the track “Ngiyashisa Bhe” and the hit single “Gqi”
  • Limpopo Champions League, Madjozi’s debut studio album, was released on 14 December 2018. The album was also supported by the 5-minute short-film Trickshot composed of several tracks from the album

 

 

THOMAS CHAUKE

  • Chauke was born in Salema(Saselamani) Village in the Limpopo Province, South Africa.
  • His uncle, who was into mbaqanga music and played the Tsonga guitar, which he taught Chauke how to play
  • Chauke started his band with 13 singers from a shebeen in the late 1970s. After a few months, only five remained.
  • Chauke signed a contract to record with GRC. Under GRC, the music was branded Nyoresh. He moved to Wea Records, where he got a better deal and changed his music brand from Nyoresh to Shimatsatsa (“a beautiful girl”)
  • In 1981, he recorded his first album called Shimatsatsa no. 1 under the burner name Thomas Chauke and Shinyori Sisters.

 

 

BRYSON TILLER

  • Bryson Djuan Tiller (born January 2, 1993) is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter.
  • Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he started his career in 2011, releasing the debut mixtape titled Killer Instinct Vol.1.
  • Tiller initially gained notable recognition following the release of his debut single, “Don’t” which peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. The record’s success led to a deal with RCA Records.
  • He released his debut studio album, Trapsoul in October 2015, which reached number eight on the Billboard 200.
  • His debut album’s second single “Exchange” peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned him a Grammy nomination.

 

 

NINIOLA

  • Niniola Apata (born 15 December 1986), known professionally as Niniola, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter
  • She participated in the sixth season of “Project Fame West Africa” in 2013
  • After releasing her debut single “Ibadi”, she was nominated for Most Promising Act to Watch at the 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards.
  • Niniola released the Sarz-produced single “Maradona” in 2017. The song spent 13 weeks on South Africa’s Metro FM chart, retaining the number 1 position for 6 weeks.
  • Niniola has earned nominations at the 2018 BET Awards and SAMA’s. She has also received nods from Canadian rapper Drake and American record producer Timbaland

 

 

DJ KHALED

  • Khaled Mohamed Khaled (born November 26, 1975), better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is an American DJ, record executive, songwriter, record producer, and media personality.
  • Khaled first gained prominence as a radio host in the 1990s on the radio station 99 Jamz and translated his popularity by working with Terror Squad as a DJ for their live performances.
  • Khaled released his debut studio album “Listennn… the Album” in 2006, which earned gold certification. He followed it with the album “We The Best” (2007), which contained the top 20 single “I’m So Hood”.
  • His subsequent two releases were released after he founded the record label “We The Best Music Group”. Both albums charted in the top ten on the US Billboard 200,  with the latter containing the single “All I Do Is Win”, which was eventually certified triple platinum.
  • His eleventh album,  “Father of Asahd”, was released in 2019; it peaked at number two, and the song “Higher” won Best Rap/Sung Performance at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards,  Khaled’s first Grammy award win.

 

 

NAS

  • Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones born September 14, 1973), better known by his stage name Nas, is an American rapper, songwriter, and entrepreneur.
  • Rooted in the New York rap scene, he is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time.
  • Nas has released twelve studio albums since 1994, seven of which are certified platinum and multi-platinum in the U.S.
  • The son of jazz musician Ola Dara Jones’s musical career began in 1989 as he adopted the moniker of “Nasty Nas” and recorded demos for Large Professor.
  • Nas’s debut album “Illmatic” (1994) received universal acclaim upon release and is considered to be one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.
  • After receiving thirteen Grammy nominations in his career, his 13th studio album, “King’s Disease” (2020), won him his first Grammy for Best Rap Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

 

 

Jay Z

  • Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z (stylized as JAY-Z),[a] is an American rapper, songwriter, record executive, businessman, and media proprietor.
  • He is widely regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop artists in history,[5] and often cited as one of the greatest rappers of all time.
  • Born and raised in New York City, Jay-Z first began his musical career after founding the record label Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995, and subsequently released his debut studio album “Reasonable Doubt” in 1996.
  • He has gone on to release twelve additional albums, including the acclaimed albums “The Blueprint” (2001), “The Black Album” (2003), “America Gangster” (2007), and “4:44” (2017).
  • Jay-Z is one of the world’s best-selling music artists, with over 50 million albums and 75 million singles sold worldwide. He has won a total of 23 Grammy Awards, the most by a rapper, and holds the record for the most number-one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200, with 14.

 

TYLA

  • She was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa to a family of Mauritian and Indian descent.
  • Tyla is a multi-faceted artist who sings, writes, paints, acts and dances in addition to a multitude of other creative talents.
  • Tyla began pursuing her music by posting videos of herself performing both covers and original songs on Instagram, and sending those videos to everyone in the industry. She eventually received an email from her now manager who she was convinced was trying to scam her.
  • Tyla was soon having regular recording sessions with her go-to collaborator Kooldrink, who produced her impossibly catchy breakout single, “Getting Late”
  • With her single “Getting Late” (2020) doing the rounds, Tyla is currently working on her debut project, a combination of R&B, House, Afrobeats and Global Pop.

 

 

KOOLDRINK

  • Munashe Kugarakuripi is a South African DJ, sound engineer and record producer who found fame with the name Kooldrink. From a young age he began experimenting with electronic music and discovered his incredible ear for the technical aspects of production
  • He became a resident DJ on the 5fm Ultimix @ Six, at the tender age of 13, and went on to play the main stage of the highly publicised H20 festival.
  • At age 16 he was offered a record deal at a major international label before finishing high school.
  • His dream is to take African electronic sounds to spaces like MainStage at ULTRA.
  • Kooldrink has worked on projects with Sho Madjozi, DJ Maphorisa, Rudeboyz, Diplo, Shane Eagle, Ganja Beats, Youngsta CPT and many more.


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