He failed his exams and dropped out of school at the age of 16 to chase his dream. Now, Refiloe Maele Phoolo aka Cassper Nyovest, the biggest hip-hop artiste in South Africa lives large and has no regrets. And now, thousands of his East African fans await him as he comes to Nairobi for tomorrow’s concert:
A few days ago, Cassper Nyovest, South Africa’s biggest hip-hop star flaunted his new expensive rides and sent the world talking about his net worth.
Whether it is showcasing his luxury houses or cars, the rapper who grew up in Montshiwa in Mafikeng, the capital city of the North West province is in a class of his own.
Having come from a humble background, he dropped out of school to pursue his music career and now he is one of the most successful rappers on the continent.
As he settles down in Nairobi for the much-hyped Great Republik Festival slated for Ngong Racecourse tomorrow, he needs no introduction as thousands of his local fans wait to welcome him.
Having begun his music career as a member of the Childhood Gangsta Group in 2004, Cassper Nyovest moved on to an eight-member group, Slow Motion, after the previous group disbanded. He had just dropped out of school before moving to Johannesburg to follow his passion, music.
A year later, he got signed to Motswako label Impact Sounds and after two years without a release, he left to start a label of his own, a move that flopped. Disappointed, he moved back home. That was only for a short while.
In 2013, the singer released Gusheshe as the first official single from his debut album, Tsholofelo. The single was well received and played on various radio stations in South Africa.
This was followed by his second release, titled Doc Shebeleza, a successful jam that gave him his breakthrough, making him a household name in South Africa. The following year, he released his debut album, Tsholofelo, which registered massive success. That year, he was ranked number one on The Hottest MC in Africa list by MTV Base.
It was then that supremacy wars between him and fellow South African rapper AKA started, leading to the two artistes releasing diss-tracks. His diss-track, titled Beef, was not only directed at AKA but also two other rappers; DJ Vigilante and K.O. The beef sparked a major controversy. Later Cassper Nyovest was forced to apologise to K.O for a line in the song.
By 2015, his beef with AKA was still one of the most discussed topics on South Africa’s showbiz scene and riding on this, he released Tsholofelo Platinum Edition, after which he did continental projects with Casey Veggies, DJ Drama, Wizkid, and Anatii.
He then pulled a fast one, announcing that he would host the Fill Up the Dome concert and release his sophomore album at the venue with an estimated 20,000 people targeted.
That October, Nyovest announced on his official Twitter account that tickets to the Fill Up The Dome concert were sold out. That made history and earned him respect among his peers; both rivals and friends. He went on to bag four awards out of his eight nominations of the South Africa Hip Hop Awards 2016.
Last year, Nyovest got a SAMA award for best collaboration for Ngud, a song by Kwesta, in which he featured. He was also awarded best Male Southern African by African Musiq Magazine Awards.
Catch Cassper Nyovest at the Ngong Racecourse tomorrow during #TGRFEST grab your ticket here by now!
