2023 has been a weird year for SA hip-hop.
We lost arguably the greatest local rapper of all-time, AKA, to a tragic shooting, Blxckie unexpectedly slowed down after a furious 2023 and 43-year-old K.O somehow seemed to be the most visible act.
In the midst of all of this, Maglera Doe Boy has been the surprise star of the show in his relentless pursuit of the top spot.
Following a scorching 2022 in which he was lauded for having arguably the best verse of the year with his guest appearance on MashBeatz’s ‘Never Ride’, Maglera continued right where he left off.
Some of the highlights include his memorable feature on Cassper Nyovest’s hit single ‘018’, Flvme’s ‘Keep Going’, and his recent collaboration with Priddy Ugly on the impressively catchy ‘Ntjaka’.
He has also had brand deals on lock this year, having bagged deals and campaigns featuring brands like Puma, Tunecore, Sportscene, Coke Studio and Nando’s.
The only real competition in terms of hype and impact are the likes of Nasty C and A-Reece.
Nasty’s recent album, ‘I Love It Here’, is arguably album of the year, while the jury is still out on A-Reece’s long-awaited album ‘P2: The Big Hearted Bad Guy’.
This seemed to have been in full view for the world to see at the recent South African Music Awards, where he was positioned as the star rap performer in a celebratory medley alongside the likes of Blxckie and 25K.
After bubbling under for a couple of years, it now feels like Maglera has truly arrived.
IOL Entertainment