Kwaito legend Doc Shebeleza, who was reportedly hospitalised in 2024, has sadly passed away aged 51.
Doc Shebeleza was the lover boy of Kwaito in the 90s and 2000s, as a large number of his songs revolved around fine ladies who also appeared a lot in his videos. He had to say it in two languages on the intro for his hit ‘Ingagara’: “Aphi amantombazana? Banyana bakae?”
Doc Shebeleza made light-hearted music that was littered with humour and sexual innuendos. The Kwaito pioneer dropped a long list of hits, including, among others, ‘Ingagara’, ‘Ebumnandini’, ’S’kumfete’ and ‘Ghets Ghetsa’.
“Doc Doc Shebeleza!”
The latter was sampled by Cassper Nyovest in his hit ‘Gets Getsa 2.0’ from the rapper’s Kwaito album ’Sweet And Short’ released in 2018.
Cassper Nyovest’s relationship with Doc Shebeleza led to the new generation knowing about and respecting the late Kwaito legend. Nyovest immortalised him in his 2014 breakout hit ‘Doc Shebeleza’ and invited him for a cameo in the song’s music video. ‘Doc Shebeleza’ was further treated to a West African remix that featured Nigerian stars Burna Boy and M.I.
Doc Shebeleza would make an appearance on Nyovest’s sophomore album ‘Refiloe’ in 2015 on the humorous ‘Monate So’ that was accompanied by a hilarious music video.
In the same year, Da L.E.S sampled Doc Shebeleza’s ‘Jiva Yoyo’ (2001) in the song ‘Freak Nasty’ from the album ‘North God’. ‘Freak Nasty’ maintained the ratchetness of ‘Jiva Yoyo’ even though the context was a little different in the mid-2010s.
Doc Shebeleza, a pioneer of Kwaito, leaves a rich legacy consisting of hits and effecting culture throughout his life. He will always be part of Cassper Nyovest’s come-up story and will forever be responsible for your unhealthy relationship with pie if you grew up in the 90s and 2000s.
Doc Shebeleza was a founding member of the Kwaito group Amaskumfete who dropped hits such as ‘Like This, Like That’ (1996) and ‘Tsipa Tsipa’ (2001). (Fun fact: a then-unknown Brown Dash contributed backing vocals on ‘Tsp Tsipa’.) Amaskumfete used to rock that cowboy swag which is now popular among US Hip-Hop artists.
Rest in peace to a man who shifted culture without taking himself too seriously.
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