Have South African Amapiano exponents Major League DJz collaborated with Hip Hop megastar Drake?
By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor
South African amapiano exponents Major League DJz have everything going well for them, including a possible collaboration with mega Hip Hp star Drake. In an exclusive interview with international broadcaster the BBC, to be sent out tonight, Friday, May 13, and which CITTYLIFE/ARTS had an opportunity to get hold of ahead of its broadcast, they also reveal more about the features in their new album.
This latest development on the local music scene happens against the background of this home grown genre of dance music Amapiano hitting the world dance scene by storm as the world is warming up to this locally invented sound, which is a derined from kwaito, its predecessor sound which emerged just before South Africa attained its democracy in 1994.
Notably Amapiano has managed to spread its tentacles throughout the world, especially in the past two years despite the global pandemic Covid-19 spreading and destroying both human and economic life globally in the same period Amapiano grew..
In this interview with the international broadcaster BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Jeremiah Asiamah, the Amapiano stars, Major League DJz, exclusively reveal the star-studded feature list for their next album, which includes Jorja Smith, Tinie Tempah, Ty Dolla $ign, Mahalia and Stefflon Don. They also hint at a possible Drake collaboration.
During the pre-recorded interview for BBC 1Xtra, Major League DJz discuss what fans can expect from their next album: “We’re going international vibes. We’re trying to make it African melodies but English vocals”.
Asked by 1Xtra’s Jeremiah Asiamah whether they can exclusively confirm any names on the album, the South African twin brothers reveal: “OK OK Jorja Smith, Mahalia, Ty Dolla Sign and….Tinie Tempah”.
During the interview, Major League DJz also hint that they are waiting on a potential collaboration with Hip-Hop superstar, Drake: “But we need the big OVO [Drake] to confirm, that’s what we need”.
Jeremiah Asiamah says: “So let’s get this right, we’re expecting a Major League DJz project featuring Tinie Tempah, Mahalia, Jorja Smith, Stefflon Don…and maybe even a Drake”. The brothers confirm: “Yeah, and Ty [Dolla Sign]”.
Major League DJz are the South African DJ duo made up of Bandile Mbere and Banele Mbere. Over the past couple of years they have taken the world by storm, most recently performing at the world’s most iconic music festival, Coachella, bringing the sounds of Amapiano to a global stage.
They have been two of the biggest and most vocal advocates for the South African born genre of Amapiano, which just this week was officially added to the list of standalone genre categories on Beatport.
.Listen to the full interview with Jeremiah Asiamah tonight (Friday 13th) on BBC Radio 1Xtra 19:00-21:00 or listen back afterwards on BBC Sounds.