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Article written by Lethabo Motseleng
Independence is a double-edged sword. On one side, it provides artists with the ability to release whatever they feel at any time; on the other side it it may deliver a fatal blow to their careers, as they have to navigate the treacherous waters of the entertainment industry. Without an experienced team to guide them through the various storms along the journey to reaching their dreams. A group that has managed to steer itself towards the dizzying heights of the mainstream is The Qwellers. Proof of this was seen at their recent Qwelfontein event, held at the legendary Carfax in Newtown, Johannesburg. This year’s show was headlined by Nadia Nakai, DJ Speedsta, 031Choppa, Toss, and themselves. For those still unfamiliar with The Qwellers, they are a 10-man Afro Hip-Hop group, which is comprised of 2 producers [GVNT and Skatle] and 8 rappers [Blue Papi, Dahoodhope, Jepedoh, Fanaticalb3ing, LaCabra, Lowfeye, Sasti, and Youngboyvegeta].
They have been on a tear, as individuals and a group, over the last two years. After capturing mainstream attention through their breakout single Dangerous, which had social media in a chokehold. They capitalized on this attention by collaborating with almost everyone, from household names such as Sjava, A-Reece, and K.O, while also remaining deeply entrenched within the Braamfontein creative scene. They continued to perform at various events and collaborated with different musicians, producers, videographers, and content creators who have found a home within the space. To cap off their momentous 2024, they hosted the third edition of Qwelfontein at Carfax, which would be the first at the historic venue. It featured performances from themselves, Blxckie, 25K, Uncle Vinny, and a plethora of mainstream and underground musicians. 2025 would begin with them releasing their debut album, EGALINI, where they showcased their versatility. The album was intentionally split into two sides, Disc 1 and Disc 2, where Disc 1 features 808-heavy productions on songs like 4/5 Rings, Minciza, and Qwelfontein Freestyle. Disc 2 of the album is highlighted by the group’s affinity for creating timeless African love songs, which can be heard on Potential, and a spiritual ballad that closes off the album, Thokoza leaves the listener feeling grateful for life regardless of the challenges it may bring.
With the pressure of their debut behind them, they focused on rolling out the album as well as continuing to release solo music from members and featuring on some of the country’s premier Hip-Hop tracks. This kept their names within the collective consciousness of the Hip-Hop-centered audience, while also further exploring other genres. All of this hard work came to life this past weekend as they celebrated with all those who have been supporting them throughout the past two years at Qwelfontein. People came out in masses, even though the Johannesburg weather was chilly for a Spring evening in late September. The lineup was stacked with 45 acts who were slated to perform, and the event was sponsored by Play and Jagermister, who have been supporting the boys for the past year.
Highlights from the show include K.Keed performing with a broken hand, Issi performing Bhantshi with Blue, Kane Keid, and Lowfeye. During Nadia’s set, she brought out Moozlie to perform with her while Pearl Thusi interacted with the young people in the crowd. Just as the hosts were about two songs into their set, they stopped the music to make way for the surprise act of the night, MfanaTouchLine. The genre-bending MC played a medley of his songs, which the crowd sang back word-for-word without skipping a single beat, excitement rising with every beat drop. This got the people just right for the main course, and the boys didn’t disappoint, playing their usual festival set, which included songs from their album and other cult hits they have in their catalogue.
With another successful Qwelfontein, their eighth in total, this should solidify their position within South African Hip-Hop. Not only as a group which is pushing the envelope via what is possible for groups in the genre can achieve, but also ensuring that they lower the ladder for those who are climbing up behind them, refusing to become the same gatekeepers they fought to let them in before Dangerous put a rocket on their back. If you have been anywhere online for the last three months, you would have noticed that people were tweeting that The Qwellers have fallen off. Yet speaking to people at Qwelfontein, they say that they haven’t fallen off, and those who were spewing these sentiments were not coming out into the real world, as if they did, they would see that they are far from falling off. What’s next for the group has to be a 10-man show, which will only feature them performing the music they have released as solo acts. Due to limited time slots provided at the club and festival gigs, they are unable to perform this music. Jepedoh and Blue shared that they are working on this 10-man show, yet it isn’t something that will happen soon, as the role they are currently playing is of the bridge between the mainstream and the underground. They realize that they bear the responsibility of ensuring that not only their names receive national attention, but those around them who are still waiting for their turn.
It takes a lot for one to be selfless, especially in an industry that seems to reward those who pull up the ladder behind them or those who exchange places with the previous gatekeeper who ignored their cries. Takeaways that we hope everyone has taken from Qwelfontein are to never forget your community, to cultivate said community not only online but in the real world. Through events, meet and greets, and activations. Always remember that these are the people who will defend your honour when it is torn down by others.
