DJ Maphorisa took to X and shared his views on the state of South African hip hop.
Image: Instagram
Amapiano DJ and music producer, DJ Maphorisa (real name Themba Sonnyboy Sekowe), has recently called for greater unity within the South African music industry, particularly among hip hop artists.
Taking to the social media platform X, he expressed his concerns about the current state of the music scene.
“SA hip hop guys need to work together; this camp camp thing is not working,” he tweeted.
His comments ignited a lively discussion about collaboration, division, and the future of South African hip hop.
Netizens responded with divided opinions.
User @PriestH1mothy remarked, “Unfortunately, that'll never be the case with hip hop; a lot of these okes have ego and pride.”
Another user, @konkriet, added, “South Africa doesn’t have real supporters. Everybody goes with the wind/crowd. The people that make up the numbers for hip hop are those who want to make music themselves.”
@Sibuzakes commented, “They are killing the hip hop culture with these unnecessary egos,” while @johny_theblessd suggested, “They need to collaborate to revive it.”
DJ Maphorisa is no stranger to voicing his opinions on the challenges faced by artists in South Africa’s music industry.
In a previous interview with Metro FM’s Tbo Touch, he shared, “It’s tough now; it’s not easy – it’s not like before.”
He elaborated on the competitive nature of the industry, stating, “There’s too much competition. People have short attention spans. They may love one song from you and stick with that for about six months. But if you release 10 hot songs, not all of them will get the reception you expect.”
This shift in audience engagement significantly impacts how artists release and market their music, creating an emotional and creative toll when listeners only latch onto one hit from an entire album.
Earlier this year, Maphorisa also announced that he would be shifting his focus from Amapiano to return to his roots in Afro house.
He recently shared an unreleased Afro house track on his social media, confirming this transition with a message to his fans: “Amapiano is in good hands; I am going back to my roots where it all started: AFRO!”
This announcement sparked strong reactions within the music community, with fellow artists showing their support in the comments.