Focalistic Explains Why He Retired From Making Hip Hop. As most of you know, Focalistic used to make Hip Hop music before he moved to amapiano. Musician Focalistic’s career has blown up and is now internationally recognised but following his Hip Hop “retirement” were criticisms, especially after he was named MTV Base Hottest MC in 2020.
After his MTV Base crowning last year, the mixed reactions that came out of the SA hip-hop fraternity was what led Focalistic to “retire” from making hip-hop music. Speaking to TshisaLIVE, Focalistic explained his reasons: “For me, it’s bigger than a genre, it’s about inspiring kids … It’s about me being Focalistic in my space and that’s bigger than a genre or that’s bigger than ‘I’m a hip-hop artist’ or ‘I’m a lyricist’ … I’ve never claimed to be that. In fact, what I am is relatable to everyone in the hood, that’s why I say ‘a se trap ke pina tsa ko Kasi’.”
“Last year I was named the hottest MC in SA and after that I retired from hip-hop because there’s too much politics,” Focalistic explained.
Focalistic says his vision and mission as an artist was bigger than a genre or being boxed. “I’m glad that I’ve been able to make people who enjoy hip-hop enjoy amapiano and dance to it. For me it has been always been about finding a sound that is unique to us and amapiano is a unique sound to SA, from the sgubhu to the bassline and the log drum.”
His hit single ‘Ke Star’ was being “So being able to transport different people from different markets and put them into amapiano — like Alicia Keys and Diddy — that is a feat that no-one can take away from what the genre can do and what we have to explore as a nation taking it globally,” Focalistic said.
