DJ Maphorisa & Xduppy Feat. Phila Dlozi, Mawhoo & Thatohatsi

Biography

DJ Maphorisa, born Themba Sonnyboy Sekowe on November 15, 1987, in Soshanguve, South Africa, to a Nigerian father and South African mother, began his music journey in his teens. In grade 11, he used a family computer to produce his first song and started DJing at local events like weddings with a sound system bought by his family. At 17, he secured his first record deal and produced the album Funny Face, though it underperformed; he honed his skills, producing early hits like Professor's 'Jezebel' and DJ Zinhle's 'My Name Is' before signing with Kalawa Jazmee Records in 2010 at age 19.

His career exploded with major productions such as 'Khona' for Mafikizolo in 2013, which won Song of the Year at the 2014 MTV Africa Music Awards, and Drake's global hit 'One Dance' in 2016, topping charts in 15 countries. A pioneer in amapiano—a blend of house, gqom, afropop, and deep house—he founded BlaqBoy Music (later idlozi Records) and collaborated on tracks like 'Midnight Starring' (2018) and 'Mnike' (2023). He earned awards including African DJ of the Year at the 2023 Soundcity MVP Awards and nominations at SA Amapiano Music Awards.

DJ Maphorisa's legacy as the 'King of Amapiano' stems from his prolific output, mentorship of new talents, and fusions like the 2023 mixtape The Konka Mixtape: Sweet And Dust with Kabza De Small, solidifying his influence in South African and global electronic music scenes.

Fun Facts

• DJ Maphorisa's father is Nigerian, blending cultural influences into his music that fuses South African house with afrobeats elements.
• He started producing music in grade 11 using a family computer gifted 15 years prior to a 2010s interview, DJing local weddings at 17.
• 'One Dance' with Drake held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 non-consecutive weeks and topped charts in 15 countries.
• He founded New Money Gang Records early on to promote local talent before evolving into BlaqBoy Music.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Tiro - Introduced him to Kalawa Jazmee Records (Facilitated entry leading to hits like 'Putu Putu' by Vetkoek vs Mahoota) [Around 2009-2010]
• Oskido - Key collaborator and influence at Kalawa Jazmee ('Zamatebele' production) [Early 2010s]

Key Collaborators

• Kabza De Small - Frequent production partner in amapiano (The Konka Mixtape: Sweet And Dust (25 tracks)) [2023 onward]
• Drake - International production credit ('One Dance')
• Wizkid - Production on afropop hits ('Soweto Baby') [2010s]
• Kwesta - Hip-hop production ('Ngud') [Mid-2010s]
• Xduppy - Recent amapiano collaborator (as per query artist name) (Tracks featuring Phila Dlozi, Mawhoo, Thatohatsi) [2020s]

Artists Influenced

• Focalistic - Produced and promoted his amapiano-rap fusion (Various singles) [2020s]
• Young Stunna - Signed and developed through BlaqBoy Music (Amapiano hits) [2020s]
• Killer Kau - Production credits and label support (Singles before his passing) [Late 2010s-2020]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia