Get To Know: Brotherkupa

2025 is poised to be BrotherKupa’s year after the positive fan reception of 'Teen Revolution' and the social media frenzy created by the two singles, ‘GQOM FREESTYLE’, and ‘Limpopo Freestyle’ with Jaykatana.

With everyone's eyes on him, he has garnered the attention of event promoters who have brought him out as the headliner of their events.

Kupa recently headlined Prime Johannesburg, a two-city event curated by Alex Michelsen. The mixed-genre event began in Cape Town and has carved out a place as part of the Johannesburg nightlife by curating themed events.

Brotherkupa's Prime performance was electric with him and his fans breaking the stage with those in attendance clamoring to get as close as possible to him and continuously pulling him back into the mosh-pit with them. It was reminiscent of a Bad Brains show or a Playboi Carti performance you watch on YouTube with mosh-pits breaking out at the beginning of every song. 

After the performance, KindlyNxsh shared some sentimental words directed at Kupa telling the crowd, “Kupa is one of the best artists in the world...now he stepping on niggas necks.” he also shared how similar to him Kupa was producing for other people and not receiving the appreciation he deserved, now everyone is seeing how great he is.

Still not sure of Brotherkupa's greatness? Look no further than 'Teen Revolution', released on 11 October 2024, under WFE and distributed by Santa Anna. Kupa produced the entire project himself, with the only feature being KindlyNxsh. 

With a run time of 30 minutes, 'Teen Revolution' is Kupa’s first step into the mainstream South African Hip-Hop discussions and his last step out of the underground, which he, Nxsh, 808Salie, and Newtankmerc have cultivated with their production.

Kupa occupies the space of a middleman through his features and production or feature placements on various underground songs. This brings attention to their work which has gotten lost in the algorithm. He then produces for mainstream musicians on songs including Blxckie’s 'Sunroof' and Lowfeye and LaCabra’s 'Khukhumele'. His iconic producer tag, “Worst Feeling Ever” has been heard by many. 

'Gqom Freestyle' illustrates how Kupa uses South African popular culture to speak directly to his core audience while welcoming a new audience by tugging on the nostalgia they feel for the Skhotane culture, which exploded across the country in the 2010s.

The promotional material for the song, shot by Crtv Shots, saw Kupa wear DMD & Carvela’s, the staple pieces every Skhotane had to have within their wardrobe while spilling Altramel on the ground which is synonymous with iKhotane.

The song has Gqom production, a genre of music that had South Africa in a choke hold post-2015 and is in somewhat of a renaissance era with the genre being embraced again by the people and the world at large.