Sizwe ‘Reason’ Alakine Explains How He “Stole” His New Name From Mpura. Rapper Reason recently made headlines after deciding to take a swing at amapiano as Sizwe Alakine. The rapper then collaborated on a song with DJ Maphorisa titled Khanda Shisa in July, as a come back into the music industry. He unpacked his decision to release the song under the name Sizwe Alakine, which in a recent interview explained how it came about.
Reason explained that while he was at his lowest, amapiano star DJ Maphorisa is the one who helped him through it. However, detailing how they met, he said he had been in the studio with Musa Keys working on songs to send to Maphorisa’s manager so he could score a session with the Amapiano mainstay himself. He said he also told Maphorisa’s manager that he had rebranded and started calling himself with his real name, Sizwe, which he will be using from then, while further explaining that Maphorisa told him that the name Sizwe doesn’t work and needs a surname just like most amapiano stars.
“Maphorisa’s manager told me that Maphorisa said the songs work but my name doesn’t. It can’t be Sizwe alone, it needs something in front, like a surname. You know that song where the late Mpura raps like Alakine, Alakine, yeah, u heard it from Mpura and I decided on it. I basically stole it from Mpura(he laughs). That’s how Sizwe Alakine came about and Maphorisa liked it,” he explained.
The two also dove into Reason’s decision to release music as Sizwe Alakine. Reason clarified that Sizwe Alakine is not a name change but more of an alter ego for him. He explained that his brand as “Reason the rapper” holds weight, has a legacy behind it and is “entrenched in hip-hop.” I just didn’t feel like it made sense to use the same name when it comes to releasing amapiano and various other genres,” he added.
