Maximm is back with another street banger and this time recruits frequent collaborators, Blxckie and Crowned Yung as well as Enjoyment rapper, Buzzi Lee for his latest scorcher, Big Bank.
Big Bank cover
Big bank take lil bank, ay.
Blxckie
The KZN DJ/ producer cooked up a trap beat laced with heavy drum kicks and piano keys. Blxckie, Buzzi Lee, and Crowned Yung spazz on the beat where Somnyama takes over the hook while Yung and Lee flex their lyrical prowess.
Big Bank is Maximm’s first release in a while but we’re hoping this will lead to more songs to come. For now, check out Big Bank, run it up!
Shane Eagle’s silence has been rather loud and fans have scratched their heads wondering what he could be up to that’s keeping him from feeding their playlists.
The Let It Flow hitmaker recently joined the cast of Love & Hip Hop SA with his long-term girlfriend, Nicole, and fellow entertainers, Dj Speedsta and Yanga Chief among others. With the show having already kicked off, Shane Eagle has gone back into the booth to do what he’s most loved for.
Love & Hip Hop SA cast
A few days ago, the rapper hinted at the prospects of something being on the horizon, sharing an art cover of a photo of himself with the acronym “JTHY” (just to hold you) written across.
JTHY cover
Today, the Eagle Entertainment founder shares a snippet of his forthcoming song titled Hold You accompanied by a short video.
The song is influenced by 90s boom bap – a style Eagle is very fond of and undoubtedly does justice to. As for the video, it’s shot in black and white and shows the rapper in two separate locations.
From wandering in the middle of a city, in between busy streets and tall buildings; to sitting at home with his lady, enjoying each other’s company while taking home videos, laughing and embracing.
Hold You is set to drop on 31 March and is already up for pre-save. You know what to do, see you next Friday!
The song is easily one of the most outstanding records of the project. What has even made it more interesting is that singer Kuami Eugene, an afrobeat singer, songwriter, and performer, was featured on the perfectly produced trap-influenced record.
On the record, Kuami Eugene flowed seamlessly on the trap instrumental, as he delivered a flawless verse that is sure to keep you vibing.
The singer’s flow, choice of words, cadence, and overall performance on this record is so impeccable.
Kuami Eugene who is signed to Lynx Entertainment has over the years cemented his place as an afro-classic singer and has continuously returned with hit songs.
This is also a great way to further push Kofi into the music scene properly and amplify his chances at the limelight. Especially because Ghanaians unlike their Nigerian brother and sister are still very much receptive to rap music.
The likes of Sarkodie, Black Sherif, and others are still very much respected and have a high community of fans in their home country, a trait that is almost non-existent in Nigeria.
We’d keep supporting from our ends, and keep hoping they never stop delivering.
After much anticipation, Motswako rapper, Notshi officially drops the Truth Bee Told EP.
Truth Bee Told cover
As the title suggests, Notshi, formally Kabelo Oageng, used this project as a way to break his silence musically as well as answer some frequently-asked questions from his supporters.
Additionally, the “Bee” in the title is a play on his moniker “Notshi” which is a bee in Setswana. He also goes by Killah Bee – originally “Notshi, the Killah Bee.”
In a nutshell, Notshi speaks of his renewed hunger and resilience to reach his goals, touching on his past mistakes and a willingness to correct them.
The Tlebebe rapper also addresses his shortcomings as well as the betrayal by those closest to him; advising listeners to watch their backs and tread carefully.
In closing, the Killah Bee takes on the speculations about his relationship with Motswako pioneer, Dj Lemonka.
He believed in me, gave me an opportunity, literally took me out the hood, that shit was huge to me.
Notshi
For a while, many people were under the impression that Notshi’s rise to stardom was sabotaged by fellow Motswako trailblazers who were “jealous of his potential.” He puts the rumors to rest, speaking on the immense contributions Mr. Motswako Tape made to his career from the very beginning.
NotshiDj Lemonka
We look forward to seeing Notshi release more music now that his hiatus has (hopefully) come to an end.
Listen to Truth Bee Told and let us know what you think.
On the 7th anniversary of a song that helped spread the message of the Fees Must Fall protests, we remember HHP, a rapper who stood for change and spoke for the voiceless.
It’s mid-2015 and the Fees Must Fall student protests are in full swing, with a large number of scholars from various institutions taking part in what would become a key part of South African history.
The protests were sparked by the high tuition fees students and their families were faced with and the unavailability of financial aid. Not only that but with the rising unemployment rate and lack of support from the South African government, many students felt abandoned.
Among the public figures who rallied along with the students were AKA, Maps Maponyane, as well as EFF president, Julius Malema who recently led a National Shutdown this past Monday.
Pasopa, Pasopa!
Late Motswako rapper, Jabulani Tsambo also known as Hip Hop Pantsula or HHP, composed Pasopa, a song that sparked controversy and synced with the student protesters. Pasopa called the South African government out for its lack of service delivery, continued negligence, and empty promises.
Directly translated to “watch out,” the song was inspired by the student protests and featured Malawian musicians, Blaqfalconbird and Blasto.
Jabbaman is no stranger to speaking up against societal ills as well as preaching unity. His song, Harambe (Kiswahili for “all pull together”) became one of his most popular throughout his career, touching on the June 16 uprising in 1976 Soweto that was engraved in history books all around the world.
Pasopa art cover
The music video was shot in his hometown of Mafikeng near the North West University where students were active in the protest, ultimately forcing the campus to temporarily close its doors.
The video looks and, to the ones who were there, felt like a real protest. Those who volunteered to be in visual held their fists high, some with placards signing “Fees Must Fall” as they chanted along to the song; “Pasopa, Pasopa!”
The song opened with a clip of the minister of higher education, Blade Nzimande, who mocked the protests and their demands for free education. “Students must fall,” joked the minister, further enraging protesters and setting off more violent demonstrations.
Politicians di a pallwa (politicians are failing), oppression ya tswella (oppression continues), dula le re mamelle (sit and listen to us), tlang ka plan (come up with a plan).
– HHP
HHP and the students shared one voice, and he used his influence and platform to help spread the message.
We remember him for his years of contributions to the South African music industry, for his selflessness and wisdom, and for always speaking his mind. R.I.P, Jabbaman.
South Africa is easily the second go-to country for Nigerian artists when they are looking to collaborate with other African talents, only second to Ghana.
001 as he is fondly called by fans, has been away from social media for over 6 months. It’s been a period of total radio silence from him. A move he needed to properly moan the loss of his son, Ifeanyi Adeleke, who sadly drowned sometime in October 2022, at the singer’s Banana Island mansion.
Davido, is an afrobeat genre leader who is known to always be around rappers, especially on the international scene. He recently announced that his fourth studio album “Timeless” will be released on the 31st of March. Fans have taken to all social media platforms to celebrate the good news.
HiphopAfrica is also excited to see what he dishes out, especially because we expect him to have a rapper or more on the project, as it is his usual style.
To celebrate the return of Davido to social media, we have put together a list of all the times the Nigerian superstar collaborated with South African rappers or rap talents. While this list can easily extend to more than 10 songs, we have decided to focus on pieces highlighting the singer’s prowess to flow on hip-hop instrumentals. Which not so surprisingly seems easy, after all, he has always maintained the fact that his music is greatly influenced by hip-hop.
Nasty C – Juice Back (Remix) ft Davido and Casper Nyovest
In 2015, South African Rapper, Nasty C after releasing his first major project decided to make a remix of one of the most critically acclaimed records of the project, a move that resulted in what is now known as the “Juice Back remix”. The rapper who decided to handpick two of the biggest music acts on the continent at the time called on Davido and Casper Nyovest.
What was Davido going to add to a trap-inspired song? was the question on most people’s lips. But boy did he smoke his verse? Davido in his most usual charisma never misses a guest appearance on anything. He gave his A game and was able to critically execute a smooth and seamless trap verse.
Davido X Nasty C – Coolest Kid In Africa
This is probably one of the hardest trap/rap collaborations from a singer on the continent of Africa. For many reasons these two coming together seem like a move that can never be wrong. Just a year after giving us Juice Back, the two talents came together to deliver to fans what is now known as “Coolest Kids in Africa”, But this time on a Davido EP from 2016.
The song created a whole new wave and even went ahead to open more doors for the then not-so-popular Nasty C, especially in the Nigerian music market. the song also earned Nasty C, the coolest kid in Africa title. The video that was released officially for the song even made the song more amazing, especially for its crispy and beautiful sceneries.
Casper Nyovest X Davido – Check On You
Although, not as critically acclaimed as their previous link-up on “Juice Back remix” where they both guested. Check on you is a practical example of music creation. A song that endeavored to create a template for future South African and Nigerian collaboration. Davido dropped a fire chorus, that sings the praises of both stars while the task of laying all two of the verses was left to Casper.
Although the song was supposed to lead to a collaborative string of projects from both stars, it never happened. Check on you, which is a special rendition for a love interest, was produced by Davido’s in-house producer, Fresh VDM. The song also pays homage to both music stars’ home countries, Nigeria and South Africa.
Riky Rick – Murdah Ft Davido, Gemini Major
Murdah is another stellar Davido South African hip-hop collaboration. Although this was not the first time Davido and the now late, SA rapper, Riky Rick would be on a song together. Both stars were previously featured on Energy a record by a relatively unknown upcoming rapper, LHF.
However, on Murdah the two stars who were joined by another multi-talented South African star, Gemini major, really did murder this song. The collaboration was so heartwarming and equally bouncy, with Davido doing a verse and the chorus, while Gemini and the late rapper, Riky rick bounced non-stop with their catchy rap styles.
LaSauce – Shine Ft Davido & Emtee
In 2015, when Nasty C did a song with Davido and Casper Nyovest. Emtee had also done a song with Wizkid and AKA. Now, if you are very conversant with the music scene at the time, you’ll understand the diversity of their choices for who to put on the remix of their breakout songs seem to have been due to the genuineness of their beef with each other. Davido and Wiz are known rivals, same goes for AKA and Casper, and of course the new acts, Nasty C and Emtee.
However, in 2017 Davido and Emtee were both featured by South African house music star LaSauce on Shine. Boy did they both deliver? Well, they brought in their very best. So, there is definitely no better song I will have closed this list of the best of Davido’s South African Rap collaborations.
Let’s keep our hands crossed while we await what he has for us on TIMELESS. Hope you loved my list. If not let me know yours in the comment session.
Nigerian based gospel rapper Phrv talks about self evaluation from a Christian perspective in new song – Rare View.
“Rare View is an introspective song that deals with our heart posture as believers – Phrv”
Rare View which features Warsheep, is produced by King Davo and was written from a point of being self righteous (hence the Job reference – the Bible classified Job as a righteous man but also Job got to a point where he had lack of faith in God’s righteousness. He felt God was unjust to afflict him. And in this evaluation, he maintained his own righteousness apart from God. He also focused on his own righteousness rather than God’s, seeking to justify himself in his evaluation rather than justifying God).
And recognizing that our self righteousness could be our idol (Golden Calf) in most cases – the Golden Calf reference refers to idols and idols can be anything that one has put up in their hearts above God, and in this case self righteousness can turn out to be a golden calf.
“Rare View means looking at your life and mirroring it with God’s standard and seeing how short we’ve fallen from that standard – Phrv”
While shuffling through some Nigerian rap songs from the 2010 era. I came across a song by one of the foremost Nigerian female rappers Mo’Cheddah.
The sensational female rapper/singer dropped her debut album, “Celebrity Franchise” in 2010. An album that kept the music scene in a chokehold, reminded me of one of my personal favorites off the project, a song titled “United”.
United stood out for me then because of the message it held, the song preached love and oneness.
On United, Mo’Cheddah details why it is the responsibility of each and every Nigerian to carry on not just any precedent, but the right precedents.
With the various issues that the recently concluded general elections in Nigeria have caused. It is necessary to remember that staying united will ensure that more grounds are covered. While divisions such as tribalism, religious fanaticism, and their like will never be of any benefit to the country.
Celebrity Franchise housed a lot of songs that were not only Hiphop centric but were very particular about each lyric, and what meaning it would hold with listeners.
The album was released under the radar of Knighthouse Entertainment, a label she was signed to then.
Although not so much is currently being heard from her she has been able to cement her place in the hearts of many.
Hip-hop as a Tool
Despite being primarily focused on entertainment, hip-hop has grown into a tool that can be used to push narratives and create cultural changes.
Falz, another sensational Nigerian rapper has taken up social growth as a responsibility. A move that comes with a lot of backlashes, but is aimed toward achieving positive goals.
Just like in the United States where the likes of Common, Meek Mill, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Mos Def are known for always inciting controversy with their thought-provoking lyrics aimed at tackling social injustice and complex issues.
Well, here’s something we didn’t see coming. It appears Cassper Nyovest has penned a deal with South African talent management agency, Vth Season to manage his bookings.
This came just yesterday evening when Vth Season shared a video of the rapper announcing a show in Kampala, Uganda. The caption reads “For Africa-wide bookings… bookings@vthseason.com… tours, shows, and concerts. #Africa.”
A quick catch up
For those who may not be aware, this is the same agency that the late AKA had worked with for many years before his death. You may remember between 2015 and 2017 when Forbes’ relationship with his then Vth Season manager, Raphael Benza was deteriorating.
Both men, including AKA’s business partner, Prince Nyembe revealed details of their ongoing war, said to be centered around greed and supposed bad management.
Fast forward to some days following AKA’s passing, Benza had expressed his grief on many occasions, even celebrating the now gold-certifiedMass Country. This of course left many of us to believe that they had long since ironed out their issues.
@raphaelbenza on Instagram
1+1=?
This begs the question of principle and whether or not either business partner saw anything remotely wrong with the timing of this signing. Where do your morals lie when it comes to business?
The news came as a shock to many people, with some believing that it was more than just a business move.
South African rapper, Nasty C was spotted yesterday with Chris Brown. Nasty C who is well-known for his Zulu-inspired Hip-hop music shared a picture of both of them on his Instagram page.
The two stars have been sharing posts and videos of each other on their various Instagram stories for weeks, which left fans wondering what might be up with the two multi-talented stars.
Although, Nasty shared a photoshopped picture of both of them to stir up controversy. Fans noticed Nasty was taller and called him out. A move that must have been intentional from Nasty, because he soon replaced the picture with the original where the two posed happily.
The picture of them finally meeting up in London has gone ahead to put their fans in happy moods as they hope the link-up develops into a collaboration.
It is also important to note that the bromance between both stars started after Chris Brown shared a video of the SA rapper freestyling on his Instagram page. A move that was followed by Nasty sending out his love to Chris Brown happily.
While we wait for what the two stars have for us, enjoy “They don’t” By Nasty C and T.I.
