Cassper

Cassper Nyovest Image via Twitter @casspernyovest

‘Building culture’: Cassper stresses need to credit SA artists for amapiano

Cassper Nyovest says it is important for international artists to ‘build culture’ by working with South African producers and artists on amapiano.

Cassper

Cassper Nyovest Image via Twitter @casspernyovest

Cassper Nyovest is undoubtedly one of those South African artists who has played a massive role in the growth of the amapiano. The rapper who released a solo amapiano album in June, shared that international musicians making amapiano without including South African artists is “wack.”

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CASSPER NYOVEST’S CONTRIBUTION TO AMAPIANO

The 30-year-old rapper hopped onto the amapiano genre in 2018. Cassper collaborated with DJ Sumbody on Remote Control which quickly became one of the most popular amapiano songs during that time. 

Cassper has also collaborated with Major League DJz, Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa and producer Abidoza. 

Abidoza was instrumental in crafting Cassper Nyovest’s latest amapiano album Sweet and Short 2.0. The rapper collaborated with some of the biggest names in the genre including Lady Du, Samthing Soweto and Kammu Dee. 

One of the biggest songs from Sweet & Short 2.0 was Siyathandana featuring Boohle that took South Africa by storm. 

INTERNATIONAL MUSICIANS MAKING AMAPIANO WITHOUT LOCAL PRODUCERS 

Earlier this year, British songstress Jorja Smith was at the centre of controversy when she released her single All of This. South African producers were not happy when she did not include them in the making of the track although she said her track was amapiano. The single was produced by Grammy-nominated producer Guilty Beatz. 

Speaking to OkayAfrica, Cassper shared that if a big artist takes the amapiano sound, “the least” they could do is empower the producers. 

“It doesn’t even have to be an artist, it could be a producer who firstly understands the sound. That’s how you build any culture, you know.”

“Ïf Drake is gonna do anything outside of hip-hop, just like when he did the afrobeats thing he involved Wizkid, and that’s why it was right. And when he did the dancehall thing he involved Popcaan, so that’s why it worked. So if they’re gonna touch piano they have to pull someone from South Africa.”

Speaking on Jorja Smith’s All of this, the Tito Mboweni rapper did make it clear that he has nothing against Guilty Beatz. 

“The production was not what it was supposed to be. They’re working on remixes now apparently, and I hope that makes a big difference so it could be evident as so why it needs to be done like that.”

ALSO READ: ‘TikTok Sisonke’: TikTok & Def Jam Africa release an amapiano track

CASSPER ON NEW MUSIC

Since the release of Sweet & Short 2.0 in June, Cassper has kept his cards to his chest about when he would be releasing new music. The rapper has been focusing on the growth of his business deal with Drip Footwear and his new television gig, The Baai Show with Cassper Nyovest. He revealed that he has two more amapiano albums, a hip-hop album and an R&B type of project on the way.

“I don’t know what it is, but it’s just full of melodies. I just sing on the whole project. There’s no raps really. I’m just trying to see how versatile I can get, you know.