Blaq Diamond
In 2017, the Blaq Diamond duo released their debut album Inqola earning them two SAMA Award nominations.
Blaq Diamonds first time performing was in 2018. The duo performed for a fashion show hosted by a local event group in Pietermaritzburg
The Afropop duo Blaq Diamond became the first group to win Artist of the Year at this year’s SAMA awards.
Siphelele Dunywa in the duo Blaq Diamond also doubles as a fashion designer.
Ndumiso Mdletshe in the duo Blaq Diamond is the only child from his mom’s side.
Manqonqo
Manqonqo was ripped off for his hit song ‘Eyadini’ released in 2018. He only received R4000 from the song.
Manqonoqo’s big summer hit Eyadini placed second in the 2018 SABC song of the year contest after Prince Kaybee’s Banomoya.
Manqonqo born, Mlungisi Buthelezi, is from Zwelitsha Adams Mission, the South of Durban in KZN.
Manqonqo started singing in 2014. He then met DJ Airic known for producing beats. Manqonqo took the opportunity and asked him to produce beats for him. DJ Airic has been producing his beats ever since.
Manqonoqo’s inspirations are local music artists DJ Tira and DJ Cleo.
Dason
Dason Mduduzi Mbele was born on the 30th of June 1999 and is 22 years old.
Dason is a rapper, songwriter and record producer.
Dason gained public recognition after being featured on Manqonqo’s hit song ‘Eyadini’ in 2018 which was nominated for song of the year.
Dason released his own album entitled ‘Ama Tv’ in 2020.
Dason has featured on Inkwari with Manqonqo in 2019
Razzi Razz
Razzi Razz was actually born in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA but grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Razzi Razz created his own musical style that he called Electro-Hop. It is a fusion of European style Electronic Dance Music (EDM) & Hip Hop.
Razzi Razz has worked with a host of musical talent from upcoming artists to superstar level artists such as Ice Prince, Mo Cheddah, SA rap legend Mr Selwyn & SA music legend Chicco Twala.
In 2017 Razzi Razz signed to Universal Music Group & in 2018 released but left in 2019 and released his currently most popular record entitled “Hot Season”.
In 2003 while Razzi Razz was in high school he started a rap group called “Clash 91”. The group managed to score a record deal with what was known as Global Records. The group performed at Miss SA Teen but split up in 2004.
Busiswa
Busiswa was introduced to Sir Bubzin through a friend while she was performing at a live poetry reading. Sir Bubzin invited her to the studio while producing the song ‘Syaphambana’ and suggested featuring her performing poems on the track.
Busiswa received two nominations at the 25th South African Music Awards in 2019 for the Best Dance Album and Best Female category for her critically acclaimed album ‘Summer Life’.
Busiswa featured on Beyoncé’s ‘The Lion King: The Gift’ album on the song ‘My Power’ back in 2019.
Busiswa released her third studio album in 2020, shying away from her usual Dance and Gqom sounds and crossing over to AmaPiano.
Busiswa received a nomination for Best Female act of 2021 at the MTV Africa Music Awards.
In January 2021, Mr Jazziq released the single ‘Amaneighbour’ which featured Killer Kau, Reece Madlisa, Zuma and ThackzinDJ. The single peaked #7 on Good Hope FM’s Top 10 House Chart.
Mr Jazziq
Mr Jazziq released his first solo debut album in March 2020, called 0303. The single ‘Askies’ featured Moonchild Sanelly and Fake love. The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry of South Africa.
In April this year, Mr Jazziq released his album “Party With The English”. He says that his inspiration behind the album is to go international and introduce his music to the rest of the world.
Mr Jazziq was nominated at this year’s Global Music Awards Africa for Producer of the Year.
In December 2020, Mr Jazziq’s impact in the music industry earned him the title “Champion of December” by SA Hip Hop star, Riky Rick.
The Weeknd
The Weeknd has Ethiopian roots. Both his parents moved from Ethiopia to Canada in the ’80s.
Since The Weekend did not finish high school, he does crossword puzzles to improve his vocabulary.
The Weeknd’s real name is Abel Makonnen Tesfaye. It’s pretty obvious his real name isn’t The Weeknd, but who would have guessed he goes by Abel.
The Weeknd toured with Justin Timberlake in 2013, for his 20/20 Experience tour and opened Justin’s stage for him.
The Weeknd named his album ‘Starboy’ after David Bowie’s ‘Starman’. The album was heavily influenced by the deaths of the iconic stars David Bowie and Prince.
Stilo Magolide
Stilo Magolide is more than a rapper, he also doubles as a stylist and has dressed some big names in SA such as AKA, Da Les and Ricky Rick.
Stilo Magolide has created a clothing brand called W.A.T.E.R, which is endorsed by one of the world’s biggest clothing brands, VANS!.
When Stilo first started on the Vuzu reality show Cream Cartel, he went by the alias Choc.
Micheal Chirwa’s stage name Stilo means style in Portuguese and Magolide means gold in Zulu, which to us just means the best rapper in Mzansi.
The main reason Stilo Magolide pursued a career in rap is he felt he could do a much better job than most of the rappers in the game today.
Coldplay
Before Coldplay became a household name, the band was called Pectoralz. The group then changed their name to Starfish before finally agreeing on the name Coldplay.
Coldplay is one of the world’s best-selling music artists, selling over 100 million albums globally throughout their career as musicians.
Coldplay has been awarded numerous awards throughout their career including 9 Brit Awards, 7 MTV Video Music Awards, 8 MTV Europe Music Awards and 7 Grammy Awards from 35 nominations.
Coldplay’s hit album ‘Mylo Xyloto’ broke the record for the most digital copies sold. In 2011. Over 3 million digital copies of the album had been sold, beating the previous year’s record of 800,000.
Coldplay lost a whopping 5.5 million Euros of profit during their ‘Mylo Xyloto’ tour due to their excessive splurging on special wristbands, catering, accommodation and better stage presentation.
Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars is no longer a solo artist!. He has teamed up with rapper Anderson Paak and formed the band Silk Sonic as of February this year. The pair met in 2017 while touring together on the European leg of Bruno’s 24K Magic World Tour in 2017.
Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak took home ‘Best Group’ at the BET Awards in June for their first song together “Leave the Door Open” as Silk Sonic.
Bruno Mars has earned an impressive number of awards throughout his career, including eleven Grammy Awards, 3 Brit Awards, 4 Guinness World Records, 9 American and 10 Soul Train Music Awards.
Bruno Mar’s very catchy “Just the way you are” hit song holds the record as the longest-reigning debut on adult contemporary, spending twenty weeks atop the Adult Contemporary chart in the U.S.
Bruno Mar’s is the first male artist to sell over 4 million digital copies of his hit songs “Grenade”, “Locked Out Of Heaven”, “Just The Way You Are” and “When I Was Your Man”.
Anderson Paak
Anderson Paak’s first performing experience was as a drummer at his family’s church. He then began producing music from his bedroom as a teenager.
Before his success as a musician, Anderson Paak lost his job in 2011. It caused him to become homeless with his wife and infant son.
In the early stages of Anderson’s career, he went by the stage name Breezy Lovejoy. Who would have known?
Anderson Paak signed a worldwide administrative deal with Warner Chappell Music in partnership with Dr Dre’s ‘Hard Workin Black Folks’ publishing company in April of this year.
The agreement includes Paak’s and Bruno Mars’ Silk Sonic single,”Leave the Door Open” and both Paak’s music catalogue and future releases.
The Silk Sonic duo Anderson Park and Bruno Mars single, “Leave the Door Open” topped the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Paak’s first song to do so.
Big Zulu
Big Zulu signed a record deal with Universal Music in 2015 and released his debut album, Ushun Wenkabi, in 2018. The album produced two platinum-selling singles: “Vuma dlozi” and “Ama Million”.
Big Zulu born Siyabonga Nene spent several years as a taxi driver and quit in 2008 to pursue his career in music. In 2009, he started writing songs and performing and earned the title “King of Rap” in the rap battle contest held by Back to the City.
This year Big Zulu won the Best Collaboration award in the 27th South African Music Awards.
The record label Inkabi Records was founded by Big Zulu in 2019 and has since signed Mduduzi Ncube.
In 2021, Big Zulu released a single entitled “Inhlupheko”, which peaked at number one on the South African iTunes charts and reach number 4 on the Shazam charts
Mduduzi Ncube
Mduduzi Ncube started a band with his friends in high school. He drew inspiration from, The Soil and Akon. The band explored the music scene together but unfortunately split in their matric year after two years together.
Mduduzi Ncube rocked the entertainment scene, after releasing his first single from the album-Isiginci. Gaining in popularity, it made it to the top at number one on the iTunes chart.
Mduduzi perseverance scored him his first big break from DJ Tira. He invited him into his Studio in Morningside Durban. He was then able to record the single Malokazi and featured Berita.
Mduduzi’s time at Afro Entertainment was short-lived but he managed to use the opportunity it gave him and was able to release his first album entitled ‘Isitimela’ under the record label Inkabi Records in 2020.
SBX
SBX is a rising R&B singer born in Pretoria East, Gauteng and raised in Empangeni, Kwa-Zulu Natal.
SBX’s real name is Sibahle Xulu
SBX debut EP ‘These Songs Are About You’ consists of 7 songs without any features, and it is executively produced by Sedi Santana, Karma Karma Sutra and Sonnythemaker.
SBX started singing at the age of 8 and dropped her debut single entitled ‘Libra’s Interlude’ in 2018.
‘These Songs Are About You’ draws inspiration from SBX’s journey with love, heartbreak, and lust.
Moneybagg Yo’s
Moneybagg Yo’s fourth album, ‘A Gangsta’s Pain’, was released in April 2021 and became his first chart-topping project.
Moneybagg Yo released his third album in January 2020 entitled, Time Served, which debuted at number three on the Billboard 200
MoneyBagg Yo’s released three more mixtapes in 2016, which won him the Memphis Hip-Hop Award for Mixtape of the Year.
MoneyBagg Yo, whose real name is Demario DeWayne White; Jr has fathered eight children mothered by two different women. Four are boys and the other four are girls.
The production of MoneyBagg Yo’s mixtape ‘2 Federal’ was handled by members of the American record production and songwriting team ‘808 Mafia’. This includes Tay Keith, K Swisha, Ben Billions, and Karltin Bankz.
Stogie T
Stogie T, born Tumi Molekane is a South African rapper and poet.
Stogie T was the lead vocalist of Tumi and the Volume, which was officially disbanded in 2012.
In 2016 Tumi relaunched himself as Stogie T. He has performed with South African recording artists Blk Sonshine, Keorapetse Kgositsile, Watkin Tudor Jones, Lesego Rampolokeng. Saul Williams, Sarah Jones and Mutabaruka.
In 2006, Stogie T published his debut album, ‘Music from My Good Eye’, through his record label, Motif Records. The album was later listed as one of the greatest South African albums of all time.
Stogie T’s second single from the album ‘By Any Means’ features a hook and verses from Emtee and Yanga.
Kwesta
Kwesta first introduced himself with the alias Quest in 2003 when he and a couple of his friends formed a group called Ghetto Fellaz.
A big part of Kwesta’s influence in his music career is a result of his love for poetry which he developed in high school.
At the tender age of 16 Kwesta dropped out of high school to pursue his music career, which luckily for him worked out in his favour.
Kwesta dropped his first debut studio album at the age of 22, titled ‘Special Rekwest’ in September of 2010.
Kwesta bagged six awards back in 2017 at the South African Music Awards.
Maggz
There were many street gangs in the neighbourhood where Maggz grew up in Soweto, he believes that growing up around that had a lot of influence on his lyrical composition today.
Maggz is one of the few artists who had the entire country anticipating their debut album after releasing his first mixtape with Omen “The Chef” titled “Sorry for the long wait”.
Maggz was featured on the hit song “Heaven” by Da L.E.S also featuring AKA.
Maggz has grown dramatically in the last few years and has been featured on hits like “Heaven” by Da Les also featuring AKA.
In the song ‘Pretty Flower’ Maggz verse is about being underappreciated in the entertainment industry.
Maggz worked with Bongani “Bongz” Fassie who has given him the fresh perspective that he needs to roam amongst the top rappers in South Africa and the world on the Breakout album.
Jorja Smith
In 2018 Jorja Smith released her debut album ‘Lost and Found’ to critical acclaim. It peaked at number three on the UK Album Chart. In the same year, she won the Brit Critics Choice Award.
Jorja was named Best British Female Artist at the Brit Awards in 2019, she was also nominated for the Grammy Award for the Best new artist but lost to Dua Lipa.
It’s official! – Jorja Smith has dropped an Amapiano inspired single ‘All of this. She beautifully blends her soulful vocals with the famous piano percussive sound while keeping to that funky UK flavour.
Jorja said that her hit song ‘Addicted’ is about “focusing on wanting the full attention of someone who’s not giving enough (or any) when they should be.” So that’s why so many of us probably relate.
Jorja Smith earned herself a music scholarship at a prestigious school in London, where she learnt to play the oboe and studied classical singing.
ANITTA
Annita got her big break back in 2013 after she released her hit single ‘Show das Poderosad’. The music video has been viewed over 150 million times on YouTube.
In 2013, Annita released her debut studio album which received a triple gold record certificate and platinum certification by the Brazilian Association of Record Producers.
Annita is a five-time winner of the Best Brazilian Act on the MTV Europe Music Awards.
Annita was the first Brazilian artist to win the Best Latin American Act award at the Gold Derby Music Awards.
Anitta has confirmed that she is in fact bisexual and identifies as “part of the LGBTQ+ community”.
