DJ Maphorisa Details How He Met Kabza De Small. Amapiano artists DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De aka ‘Scorpion Kings’ have sure kept Mzansi on their feet with amapiano having taken over the South African airway. The duo previously released three consecutive hugely successful projects in 2019, the self-titled Scorpion Kings, Piano Hub, and The Return of The Scorpion Kings. They have both carved their names in the amapiano genre.
In an interview with OkayAfrica, DJ Maphorisa detailed how he met Kabza De Small for the first time and they clicked. This comes after the duo collaborated on many projects calling themselves ‘Scorpion Kings’. Maphorisa said live gigs helped him evolve and stay on top of trends on the streets. “Before organising a gig, I would always ask: “Who’s popping? What’s going on? What’s new on the scene?” Once in 2018, before doing a show in Soweto, I asked, “Who’s upcoming?” And the streets responded with a conclusive, ‘Stokie and Kabza’. So I booked them. Kabza had a hot single at the time, ‘Umshove’ and I immediately suggested that we work together,” Maphorisa explained.
“His friend also told me how he’d been a huge fan of my music from the Uhuru era. But with amapiano, I didn’t want to interfere much by introducing too many new elements. I was already a fan of the sound. Back at the studio with Kabza, I would study him while he did his thing and then step in where I’m mostly good at — songwriting and recording vocals. We had two different chemistries that benefitted from each other. We really vibed in studio, and as a result, composed a lot of music and experimented with new sounds,” he added.
Speaking on ‘Scorpion Kings’ and what makes the partnership work, Maphorisa mentioned that he was able to share knowledge with Kabza. “I’ve seen a lot of loopholes in how people run record labels and treat artists, so it was important that I pass on that information! Travelling also opened my eyes to how best to navigate the music industry. In LA, for example, I realised that you can be a big artist and not write your own songs. In South Africa, most musicians think they have to write, produce and engineer their own tracks. First up, don’t sign with a major label — you can own your masters and get a distribution deal. Plus, social media and streaming platforms are good tools for growing music. Technology is moving us forward. I helped Kabza apply a lot of the lessons I was teaching him — they worked and I’m really proud of him. Going forward, the music business will be easier for the next generation of artists,” DJ Maphorisa explained.
Maphorisa also said he encouraged Kabza De Small to start his own record label. “I encouraged Kabza to start his own record label because it’s important for those young musicians who look up to him to understand that they, too, can make it on their own,” he said.
