Xhosa rapper on freestyling his way into international stage
He further added that the recognition would open doors for other Xhosa rappers to continue telling the story of South Africans in his home language.
Fast-rising South African rapper, Flash Ikumkani from the Eastern Cape has bagged himself the bragging rights for becoming the first Xhosa rapper to appear on the BET Hip Hop awards International cypher.
ALSO READ: Eldos rapperto drop his first EP
The historical moment which premiered as part of the live award ceremony held in the United States aired on October 4 across the world.
The 24 year-old rapper popular for his lyrical content, flow and use of his mother tongue was invited by BET Africa to perform alongside rising Hip Hop talents in the country.
“As a young boy who grew up in the rural area far from opportunities, this has to be my proudest moment, an acclamation of dreams and the reason I left home to chase what I was passionate about and it is finally taking off,” he said.
Over the years, the cyphers has hosted a plethora of talented names from across the globe representing their countries.
The recording of the showcase took place in Johannesburg and features a traditional freestyle battle.
ALSO READ: Kliptown rapper hopes to inspire upcoming artists
“When you come from places where I come from and you don’t rap in English, believing that one day you will make it onto an international platform seems almost unattainable. It’s easy to conform because you want to fit in.”
The songwriter said it was a great pleasure to finally see his work paying off, citing that it had been a long journey after he parted ways with his recording label, Ambitious Records last year.
He further added that the recognition would open doors for other Xhosa rappers to continue telling the story of South Africans in his home language.
ALSO READ: Getting to know Re’gee Scorpio, a local rapper
“For us, it means that Xhosa rap is recognised internationally and that means being able to compete on international stages without succumbing to the use of English to get recognition and that for means I continue to make sure that my music embodies our culture, the African sound and be authentic to that,” he stated.
In addition to this milestone, the young rapper told Urban News that he recently opened his own record label, The Chosen One and said he plans on signing new artists once it is fully up and running.
Kumkani is also expected to release his new album titled uTtshintsho featuring artists who influenced his come up and journey to making music.
The 12 track album dropping in the new month will be the third body of work released by him in 2022 after he released an E.P and a mix tape earlier in the year.
ALSO READ: Kasi rapper goes mainstream
“I am excited at what the future holds for me.
“Dropping new music, my third body of work in one year which is something that seldom happens in the country.
“I have no doubt that my supporters are going to love it and enjoy it,” he concluded.
Follow Us Here:Â
Catch the latest news by visiting our other platforms:
