Sho Madjozi joins Travis Scott, Future, Normani with international record deal

Sho Madjozi has signed a deal with American record label Epic Records, which is owned by Sony Music Entertainment.

The label’s esteemed roster includes big names such as Travis Scott, Future, Normani and Mariah Carey. And now Madjozi joins them, as the only South African artist.

The news was first reported in the US on Tuesday, 30 June by Variety.

Epic Records chairman and CEO Sylvia Rhone praised the rapper, calling her a bold star with remarkable talent.

“African artists are enjoying an unprecedented level of visibility in music and Sho Madjozi is beautifully waving the flag for South Africa. She’s bold, brilliant and remarkably talented, and her music embodies all that is special about her homeland. We’re honoured to have her as the newest member of the Epic family,” said Rhone.

In an interview with The Citizen, Madjozi explained how the deal happened and expressed her excitement at working with the American label.

“I was found and brought in by the CEO of Epic. She was just really excited about getting me on board. At the time I had quite a lot of offers in the US, but this one made more sense to me because of how much they’ve done for the artists in that roster and because it was the CEO herself that wanted to sign me.”

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Despite being in the industry for a few years, Madjozi has always worked independently because “I wanted to only sign when felt that I was getting what I deserved.”

The performer says she is extremely happy to have landed the deal of her dreams and looks forward to entering into the global stage with the backing of legendary company Epic.

“It’s really exciting at this point because suddenly like a whole world of opportunities have opened up to me.”

She also revealed that she will be making her US debut very soon with a new single.

Regarding both local and international collaborations, Madjozi disclosed that she would like to work with a range of artists.

“I love a lot of different artists and musicians from Limpopo. I want to work with the legends from there. I would love to do something with Doctor Thomas Chauke and maybe Sunglen Tshabalala.

“On the global platform, I want to figure out the sound we export as a country. I’m keen to collaborate with producers from the UK, Jamaica and the US.”

The star is also eager to do a music tour in the future.

“I want to do a big African tour first. I’m keen to explore the Francophile market and go deeper into the Swahili market,” she said.