South African Hip-Hop Celebrated In Apple Music's ‘Hip-Hop DNA’ Series

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop, Apple Music has been showcasing the breadth and diversity of Hip-Hop sounds, histories, and communities from different regions across the globe through their ‘Hip-Hop DNA’ campaign series which includes radio episodes, playlists and album selections. 

The series has explored Hip-Hop in regions including the US, the UK, Australia, Japan, Mexico, France, Germany, and, in the latest episode, South Africa’s Hip-Hop scene gets its chance to shine with ‘Hip-Hop DNA: South Africa’. 

The exclusive 1-hour episode, voiced by Ebro Darden, explores the legacy of South Africa’s biggest Hip-Hop stars, from K.O to Grandmaster Ready D. 

The episode delves deep into the roots of Hip-Hop in South Africa and is accompanied by essential albums from South Africa's notable Hip-Hop artists from different eras. 

Written and researched by SlikourOnLife 

The episode was created with contributions from the SlikourOnLife team from a research and writing perspective and it traverses the early days of Hip-Hop in SA, from 80s and 90s Capetonian groups like Prophets of Da City (POC) and Black Noise, to the genre’s ultimate glow-up in the early 2000s with Skwatta Kamp, PRO and Teargas achieving radio success, while pioneers like HHP blended kwaito, Hip-Hop and other genres to form Motswako.

The episode also covers the mid-2010s, an era in which South African Hip-Hop exploded, looking again to Kwaito for inspiration and producing classic track like K.O's ‘Caracara’, Kwesta's ‘Ngud’’ and Cassper Nyovest's ‘Doc Shebeleza’, while English rappers entered the mainstream as AKA’s ‘Levels’ became the first album by an English-speaking rapper to go platinum.

Also covered is the new generation which has also seen a whole new crop of kasi-trap rappers emerge, mostly from Cape Town (Dee Koala, Bravo Le Roux, Holy Alpha) and Pretoria (25K, Loatinover Pounds, Buzzi Lee, Wordz), who use street slang to tell relatable township stories, while North West rapper Maglera Doe Boy flies the Motswako flag high. 

Stream the ‘Hip-Hop DNA: South Africa’ episode  HERE.   

Also, check out a written breakdown of SA Hip-Hop history HERE.