ANDERSON .PAAK
When Anderson .Paak was seven years old his father went to prison for 14 years.
Anderson .Paak performed six songs on Dr Dre’s 2015 album ‘Compton’.
Anderson .Paak was the drummer for the American Idol contestant Haley Reinhart.
Anderson .Paak’s son is named Soul Rasheed.
Anderson .Paak used to work on a marijuana farm before becoming the star that he is today.
BRUNO MARS
Bruno Mars real name is Peter Gene Bayot Hernandez, a far stretch from his moniker, ‘Bruno Mars’.
He received the nickname that he now uses as his stage name ‘Bruno Mars’ from his dad after the professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino.
At the tender age of only four years old, Bruno Mars became an Elvis impersonator.
Not only does Bruno Mars sing, but he also plays the drums, keyboard, bass AND guitar!
Bruno Mars is of Puerto Rican and Filipino descent.
MAJOR LAZER
Major Lazer was founded by Diplo and Switch, but Switch left in 2011 over creative differences.
The first single “Hold the Line” from their first album ‘Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do’ was featured in the video game FIFA 10.
Major Lazer became the second U.S. act to play a major concert in Cuba after more than 50 years.
Major Lazer partly produced UK singer Rita Ora’s debut album, Ora.
Their most successful track, “Lean On” was first offered to Rihanna and then Nicki Minaj, who both turned it down. MØ is now famously recognised as the girl in “Lean On”.
BABES WODUMO
Babes Wodumo is called the Gqom queen.
Her real name is Bongekile Simelane, and she was born on the 25th of March, 1994.
She rose to fame following the release of her breakthrough song “Wololo”, in 2016.
Babes is in a relationship with the ‘boss’ of her record label, Mampintsha.
Babes Wodumo’s father, Welcome Simelane, is a pastor, so she is a Preacher’s Kid.
DJ STOKIE
DJ Stokie’s real name is Setoki Mbatha.
DJ Stokie was born and brought up in the township of Soweto where he started deejaying at a very early age.
DJ Stokie got his big break back in 2006 on the Mad Half Hour, a feature program on the Joburg-based youth radio station YFM.
DJ Stokie released his debut album, Amapiano Movement, Volume 1, on December 13th, 2019, the first of more episodes to come.
He has an estimated net worth of $200,000 which he has earned as a DJ and record producer.
DALIWONGA
His full name is Daliwonga Matiwane.
Daliwonga was born in Diepkloof, Soweto.
He has been dropping hit after hit since 2019 under Maphorisa’s Blaqboy Records.
He has collaborated with acts like Kabza De Small, Sha Sha and even King Monada himself on a song called ‘Tester’ last year – which is still doing the rounds on commercial radio stations.
One of his biggest songs ‘Moya’ featuring Aymos has over 700 000 views on YouTube.
JUICE WRLD
Juice WRLD often rapped about his mental health struggles in his music. His song “Wishing Well” spoke about his struggles with depression and addiction.
Eminem was one of Juice WRLD biggest musical influences.
Juice WRLD was discovered on SoundCloud as “JuiceTheKidd”.
In 2018, Billboard named Juice WRLD their top new R&B/hip-hop artist, followed by the Top New Artist Award at Billboard Music Awards in 2019.
Juice WRLD’s favourite food was pasta and chicken tenders. His least favourite food was lasagna because it had too much cheese.
In 2017, Juice WRLD gave his first-ever live performance at a local REC centre in his hometown of Chicago.
YOUNG THUG
Young Thug was born Jeffrey Williams in 1992, in Atlanta and is the second youngest of 11 children.
Young Thug became a Grammy award-winning artist in 2019 for his work on Childish Gambino’s “This Is America,” which was named Song of the Year 2019.
Young Thug was featured on the front cover of Dazed magazine in 2015 wearing a Gucci lace top and a sheer tulle dress.
Young Thug has always preferred women’s clothes because they’re slimmer than men’s.
Young Thug caught the attention of Gucci Mane after releasing three instalments of a mixtape series titled ‘I Came from Nothing’.
MI CASA
Mi Casa’s Mo-T launched a cancer awareness project in 2020.
J Something moved to Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape, South Africa when he was seven years old.
DR. Duda was born in 1981 on July the 18th at Mathyssen Loop kwaNdebele in Mpumalanga Province.
DR.Duda’s real names are Sipho Philemon Mphahlaza.
Mo-T’sreal name is Moshe Kgasoane.
YOUNOTUS
The duo played in front of a huge international crowd at the official New Year’s Eve party at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate in 2019.
In 2016, the duo featured on “Please Tell Rosie” by German DJ/producer Alle Farben, which peaked at number 2 in Austria and number 3 in Germany.
The song “Please Tell Rosie” earned the duo a nomination for “Best Single” for the 1LIVE Krone radio award.
In 2019, they were nominated for the German radio award 1LIVE Krone in the category “Best Dance Act”.
CHARLIE PUTH
At 2 years old, Charlie was attacked by a dog which almost killed him and gave him his famous eyebrow slit.
Charlie learned to play the piano from the age of 4 after his mother decided to teach him. His favourite song to play is Emily by Bill Evans.
Charlie’s full name is Charles Otto Puth Jr.
He is 29 years old and was born on December 2, 1991, in Rumson, New Jersey, United States.
Puth’s star sign is Sagittarius, putting him alongside other celebs including Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, and Vanessa Hudgens.
SELENA GOMEZ
Selena Gomes has suffered from a disease called Lupus, an autoimmune disease that attacks your tissues and organs, leaving you tired, depressed and achy.
When she was seven years old she appeared on the TV show, Barney and Friends.
Selena became the youngest UNICEF ambassador when she joined in 2009 at age 17. For her first mission, she travelled to Ghana with UNICEF.
Selena Gomez’s friend, Francia Raisa, donated a kidney to Selena in September 2017, to help her lupus recovery.
For the Netflix adaptation of Thirteen Reasons Why, Selena was an executive producer. She also recorded a single for the show called Back to You
SALMA SKY
Salma Sky is a famous World Music Singer, who was born on November 22, 1985 in Zambia.
In November 2012 she won Zambia’s highly viewed Born & Bred Award for Best R&B video.
She has 90,000 followers on Instagram.
Salma Sky’s zodiac sign is Sagittarius.
In October 2018 she and her father appeared on the Zambezi Magic TV show My Father and I.
MARK RONSON
Mark Ronson is a multi-talented musician who writes, sings and produces.
He produced Mars’ 2012 ditty, “Locked Out of Heaven,” and the late, great Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab ” in 2007.
Mark Ronson DJed at Tom Cruise’s wedding.
In addition to Mars and Winehouse, he’s worked with Christina Aguilera, Ghostface Killah and pretty much everyone else in music.
He’s a TED Talker. In March 2014, Ronson gave an awesome TED Talk on how sampling transformed music.
MILEY CYRUS
Miley Cyrus’s godmother is country music legend Dolly Parton.
Miley originally tried out for the role of Lily that eventually went to actress Emily Osment.
She hasn’t always come out on top. Miley lost out to Selena Gomez for the lead in ‘Ramona and Beezus’.
Miley was rumoured to be in consideration for the role of Peter Pan in the live television production that eventually starred Allison Williams.
Miley Cyrus has said she identifies as pansexual, and she came out to her mom when she was 14 years old. Her mom has accepted her sexual identity ever since.
MAJOR LEAGUE DJZ
The twins have done a lot of weekly mixes on Khozi FM and Mafikeng FM.
The DJ duo has decided to become the ambassadors for the McDonald’s Street Rhythm campaign.
Banele and Bandile’s favourite artists are Sjava and Nasty , Zonke and Nadia Nakai.
The estimated net worth of the twin brothers is about $200,000 – 500,00$
The twins were born on January 3, 1991.
TELLAMAN
At the age of fifteen Tellaman pursued music as a career and began writing and recording his own music.
Tellaman was signed and featured in Soul Candi Records compilation album titled Soul Candi Sessions 15, alongside MoFlava, Lulo Café, Cueber and Hareal Salko.
Tellaman’s real name is Thelumusa Samuel Owen and he was born on the 14th April 1991.
Growing up in a musical background, he is most known for a number one charting single by DJ Speedsta titled “Mayo” which features himself, Yung Swiss, Frank Casino & Shane Eagle.
MANU WORLDSTAR
Manu WorldStar is 23-years-old and grew up in Johannesburg.
He is a South African-born Congolese hip hop artist.
He featured on Vuzu‘s reality TV show, ‘The Hustle’ season 2.
Manu WorlStar is signed to Sony Music.
He has 13 number #1 spot and counting for hit single Nalingi, on key radio & TV charts in territories such as the UK, Nigeria, Botswana, Zambia and South Africa.
WIZKID
Wiz Kid first started singing at 11 years old under the stage name Lil Prinz.
The first album Wiz Kid released was with a band he formed called Glorious 5 and sold 10,000 copies.
In April 2012, E.M.E signed a joint deal with Wizkid with Akon’s Konvict.
Wizkid’s first International Collaboration was with Akon on ‘Don’t Dull’ the Remix.
Wizkid is the first African pop star to perform/sell-out Royal Albert Hall in London.
TRESOR
In 2016, Tresor was invited by British Grammy award-winning musician Seal to join his South African tour the week after his SAMA win.
Tresor’s real name is Mukengerwa Tresor Riziki. He was born on the 24th of April 1987.
Tresor is a Congolese-born singer, songwriter, music producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
His name “Tresor”, when translated from French, means “treasure”.
He is one of eight siblings. Orphaned at the age of seventeen, he left his home in 2007 after completing high school.
THE KIFFNESS
The Kiffness wrote a song about English people giving Afrikaans oral presentations and it has hit number 1 on the SA iTunes chart.
David Scott known by his stage name The Kiffness, is a South African musician, producer and parody artist who is the founder and lead singer for the band.
In 2019, Scott banned the South African Broadcasting Corporation from playing his music when it emerged they had not been paying musicians for playing their songs.
In 2020, The Kiffness parodied a song called “Nkosazana’ Dlamini Trafficker” as part of a criticism of the ban on the sale of cigarettes in South Africa during the COVID-19 lockdown.
He was educated at Michaelhouse school and went to the University of the Witwatersrand to study medicine.
MAPARA JAZZ
Mapara A Jazz whose real names are Man Malaya Wa Tshwenya and Leonard Sbechu Malatji were born in Pretoria, South Africa.
Mapara A Jazz started off their career professionally as a duo in 2007. They had singles upon singles that didn’t see the light.
In 2020, a line from the renowned Grammy award-winning South African movie, Tsotsi (2005) brought the duo to the spotlight.
The South African duo hitmaker, Mapara A Jazz has reportedly accumulated an estimated net worth of $50,000-$150,000.
The duo used to call themselves ‘MaBen10’.
ARIANA GRANDE
Before landing a gig on the Nickelodeon show “Victorious,” Ariana Grande was involved in musical theatre.
Even though she played Cat Valentine in “Victorious” and “Sam and Cat,” the former Nickelodeon star is allergic to her namesake, the adorable furry creatures cats.
Grande’s manager Scooter Braun also helped Justin Bieber achieve worldwide fame.
Her last name isn’t pronounced the way you might think it’s actually pronounced ‘Grand-ee’.
Ariana Grande is a fan of “Harry Potter” and apparently she’s a Slytherin.
AKA
AKA paid a moving tribute to his late fiancée Anele “Nellie” Tembe on what would have been her 23rd birthday with the song “Tears Run Dry”
AKA attended St. John’s College, where he formed a Hip-Hop group named Entity, with Vice Versa & Greyhound.
AKA lived in Mitchell’s Plain with his grandmother before he moved to Johannesburg.
AKA had a bumpy relationship with DJ Zinhle, who became the mother of his child, Kairo Owethu Forbes.
AKA’s Road Manager Is A Younger Brother To K.O, Mr Cashtime himself. K.O ‘s real name is Ntokozo Mdluli and he’s Siya’s blood older brother.
HILLZY
Hillzy’s real name is Hilary Ngaakudzwe Chipunza.
Hillzy left Zimbabwe for South Africa in 2013 to study for BSc in Computer Science at the University of Cape Town.
Hillzy released the project Overdue in 2018.
Hillzy makes beats under the name Mr Masinh. Narrating
Mr Eazi invited Hillzy over to the masterclass and offered to fund a music video for his song You are enough.
SHA SHA
Sha Sha looked for waitressing Jobs before finding fame.
Sha Sha would have been a nurse had she not become an amapiano artist.
While she was still trying to find her footing in the industry, Sha Sha used to make country music.
Sia has a major influence on Sha Sha, songs like Chandelier, Elastic Heart inspire her.
GUNNA
Gunna is an American rapper and songwriter who has a net worth of $4 million.
Gunna was born in College Park, Georgia in June 1993.
In 2013 he released the mixtape Hard Body under the name Yung Gunna.
As Gunna, he released the mixtapes Drip Season in 2016 and Drip Season 2 in 2017.
His mixtape Drip Season 3 was released in 2018 and reached #20 on the US Rap chart and #25 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop chart.
YANGA CHIEF
Yanga Chief used to enter talent shows and was part of a drama club in his schooling days.
Yanga Chief taught himself music video production so he could help artists represent themselves the way they saw themselves.
He started rapping in primary school, at the young age of 10 in grade 4.
He played the trumpet in a brass band in school.
His top 5 favourite South African artists are K.O; AKA; Khuli Chana; Kwesta and Kid X.
