K.O (rapper)
K.O | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ntokozo Mdluli |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | 13 October 1980 Hendrina , Mpumalanga, South Africa |
| Origin | Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Labels |
|
| Formerly of | Teargas |
Ntokozo Mdluli (born 13 October 1980), known professionally as K.O, is a South African rapper.[1] He began his career as a member of Teargas, a hip hop group which released its debut album titled K'shubile K'bovu (2006), followed by Wafa Wafa (2008), Dark or Blue (2009) and last album Num8er Num8er (2012).
Following Teargas departure, K.O pursued his solo career and released his solo debut album Skhanda Republic (2014), debuted at #1 in South Africa and was certified platinum Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA).[2]
K.O's second studio album Skhanda Republic 2 (2017), released in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment Africa.
His fourth studio album SR3 (2022), reached Platinum by Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA).
Early life[edit]
K.O was born Ntokozo Mdluli in Piet Retief, Mpumalanga in 1980.[3][4] He is the son of Thembisile Mdluli and Jabulani Mdluli.[5] He completed his matric and went to Vaal University of Technology where he studied a National Diploma in Public Relations Management.[6]
While at Vaal University of Technology, Mdluli met his would be bandmates, brothers; Ezee "Ma-E" Hanabe and Bantu "Ntukza" Hanabe. He completed his studies and graduated with a Public Relations (PR) Management National Diploma from Vaal University of Technology. Initially he struggled to find employment, according to a Sowetan article he spent two years unemployed before his mother sent his CV to the South African Police Service but he never followed up. "I was trying to make demos with funding from my parents and they believed in my dream but I eventually started giving up. My mother sent my CV to the SAPS but I didn't go for the interview. The day of the interview I knew I was struggling but I couldn't go through with it," K.O was quoted in the Sowetan.[citation needed] He went on to work in the field of his studies with a dream of becoming a musician.[citation needed]
Music career[edit]
2005–2009: Teargas[edit]
In 2005, while employed in the Public Relations, K.O and brothers from Soweto; Ma-E and Ntukza, they decided to form a Hip Hop group called Teargas. "We realised it would be better to join since we were already good friends who knew each other's rhyming style", K.O was quoted by the City Press. In 2006 Teargas released their debut album, K'shubile K'bovu, the album was a smash hit and a runaway success. The fifteen (15) track album featured a timeless smash hit titled "chance". "Chance", a Hip Hop song chronicling a life of a township gangster seeking redemption, was reminiscent of the early days of Kwaito. In 2008 Teargas released their second studio album titled Wafa Wafa; in the sixteen (16) track album the group worked with Bongo Riot on two songs, "Champions" and "Sunshine".
In 2009, they released their third studio album titled Dark or Blue, in the thirteen (13) track album Teargas collaborated with Tamarsha on the song titled "Life", with DJ Tira and Liesl Penniken on the song called "Party 101", with Hip Hop Pantsula and Pro (formerly Pro Kid) on the song "Goodfellaz" and with Danny K on the song "T.L.C. (Tender, Love and Care)". In 2012 Teargas released their fourth and final studio album called Number Number (stylized Num8er Num8er); in the fifteen (15) track album they worked with 2Face "Turning Tables", Lilly Million on "Forgive Me", Toya Delazy on "Paradise" and Ziyon on "Put U On".
2013–15: Skhanda Republic[edit]
Cashtime Life[edit]
 | This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (February 2022) |
In 2013, K.O joined forces with Teargas bandmate, Ma-E, and music and marketing executive Thabiso Khati to form an entertainment company, Cashtime Life, which he (K.O) became its first artist. This was followed by the release of the first official single of K.O's first solo album, Mission Statement, which became a critical success and enjoyed massive airplay across South Africa.
In 2014, K.O was featured on AKA's hit single, "Run Jozi (Godly)". The verse by K.O would go down as one of the greatest verses in SA Hip Hop.
In March 2014, he released a second official single from his first album, "Caracara", and it went on to an even bigger success, reaching one million views on YouTube and break the record for most views of a South African hip-hop video. "Caracara" would then become the first SA hip hop song to win record of the year at the annual South African Music Awards(SAMA). "Caracara" was also nominated for Best Hit Single, Best Collaboration and Best Music Video at the 14th Annual Metro FM Awards.
K.O later released, "Son of a Gun", a third official single for his first album titled Skhanda Republic.
In November 2014, K.O's first solo album, Skhanda Republic, was released. In the 11 track album, K.O collaborated with Kid X on "Caracara", Nandi Mngoma on "Skhanda Love" and Ma-E, Maggz and Masandi on "One Time". Skhanda Republic would go on to win 3 SAMA awards including the Rap Album of the year. Skhanda Republic was also nominated for Best Hip Hop album and Best Male Album at the 14th Annual Metro FM Awards.
K.O also won the MTV Base MC of the year panel decided crown for the year in 2014.
2016–19: SR2, PTY UnLTD[edit]
In July 2017, Ntokozo signed a partnership & distribution with Sony Entertainment.[7] He announced a single and his new album coming up later same year. He released his a single "No Feelings" on 21 July, song production was handled by Hylton Brooker & Gemini Major.[8] The song was certified platinum (RiSA) with sales of 25 000 copies.[9] His single "Don Dada" featuring Okmalumkoolkat on 14 October.[10]
Ntokozo went to drop his second sophomore album Skhanda Republic 2 stylized as SR2, in October 2017.[11] In March 2019, his single "Supa Dupa" was released as album's lead single.[12] The song was certified 2× gold (RiSA) with sales of 20 000 copies.[13] "Say U Will" was released as the second single. He went on to follow-up with his third solo album titled PTY UnLTD, in the year 2019.[14]
"Supa Dupa", is the only South African hip hop song to receive a gold plaque in the year 2019.
2021–present: Skhanda Republic 3[edit]
In September 2021, he announced his upcoming fourth album Skhanda Republic 3, and released "Playback" on October 15, 2021.[15][16]
The second single "Emoyeni" was released on March 25, 2022.[17] The latter is followed up by a freestyle titled, "SKHANDAVILLE FREESTYLE" on July 25, 2022, as a first single to the upcoming album and as a follow-up to the "No Fear (Freestyle)".
In August 2022 K.O released his biggest hit yet after Cara Cara which features Young Stunna and Blxckie named "SETE", was released and is on the third installment of Skhanda Republic. The single has already been certified double platinum by RISA and is marked as the fastest gold single in SA streaming history. The music video was released on the first of September. The latter was certified platinum status in 16 days by RISA.
On 20 August 2022 rapper Big Zulu released a diss track aimed at K.O and other renowned South African rappers. A diss track response was dropped on 22 August by K.O, titled "Omega" after releasing Sete on the 19th.
The tracklist and art cover to the album was unveiled on Instagram including the names of the features. Sjava, Msaki, Zuma, Pabi Cooper and Sarkodie will be featured on this album. It will have 14 songs and the tracks "Playback" and "Emoyeni", have not been listed in the tracklist.
The album debuted at number one on Spotify Weekly Top Albums SA Chart and certified Platinum by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA). [18] It became the first album by a South African hip hop artist to debut at number one on the list.
On the 2 February 2023, K.O announced the release of a song which was released later on that day. The track takes shots at amapiano artist, Lady Du who predicted that Sete would not get certified gold, which evidently platinum and almost diamond. Drama with former bandmate Ntukza was also mentioned. The Sete hitmaker addressed the fact that there would not be any reunion of Teargas. Despite SETE being song of the year on many music platforms Ukhozi FM never awarded it and that matter was unveiled in the song.
Teargas[edit]
In an interview with the Sunday World K.O dismissed claims that Teargas has split. "We have decided to individually try new things just like Mafikizolo did. We are taking a break but it does not mean we are a dead group," K.O was quoted in that interview.[19]
Personal life[edit]
In May 2014, K.O lost a significant amount of weight. Social media rumours appeared that K.O was HIV positive.[20] His manager Thabiso Khati denied those rumours, stating that K.O had undergone a strict diet plan and was exercising regularly.[21][22] K.O later released a statement regarding his health and posted a picture of his blood test results on his Twitter and Instagram page, showing he was not HIV positive and that he was HIV negative.[23]
Awards and nominations[edit]
Channel O Africa Music Video Awards[edit]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | "Caracara" | Most Gifted Male | Nominated | [24] |
| Most Gifted Duo/Group or Featuring Artist | Nominated | [24] | ||
| Most Gifted Hip Hop | Nominated | [25] | ||
| Most Gifted Southern Artist | Nominated | [25] | ||
| Most Gifted Video of the Year | Nominated | [25] |
South African Music Awards[edit]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | "Skhanda Republic" | Record of The Year ("Caracara") | Won |
| Rap Album of The Year | Won | ||
| Best Collaboration ("Caracara" ft Kid X) | Won | ||
| 2020 | "PtyUnltd" | Record of The Year ("Supa Dupa") | Nominated |
| Rap Album of The Year | Nominated | ||
| Best Collaboration ("Say You Will ft Nandi Madida") | Won | ||
| 2021 | "Lucky Star" | Best Produced Music Video | Nominated[26] |
| 2023[27] | SR3 | Male Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| Album of the Year | Nominated | ||
| "SETE" featuring Young Stunna, Blxckie | Best Collaboration | Nominated | |
| Best Produced Music Video | Nominated | ||
| SAMRO Highest AirPlay Composer | Won | ||
| CAPASSO Most Streamed Song | Won | ||
| "SETE" featuring Young Stunna, Oxlade and Diamond Platnumz | Remix of the Year | Nominated |
South African Hip Hop Awards[edit]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | "SETE"
|
Best Video | Won | [28] |
| Best Collaboration | Won | |||
| Song of the Year | Won |
Metro FM Music Awards[edit]
| Year | Category | Recipient/Nominated work | Results | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Song of the Year | "SETE"
|
Nominated | [29] |
| Artist of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Best Hip Hop Artist | Nominated | |||
| Best Male Artist | Nominated | |||
| Best Music Video | Nominated | |||
| Best Collaboration Song | Nominated | |||
| Best Viral Challenge | Nominated [30] |
Discography[edit]
Studio albums[edit]
- Skhanda Republic (2014)
- Skhanda Republic 2 (2017)
- PTY UnLTD (2019)
- Skhanda Republic 3 (2022)
Extended plays[edit]
- 2Piece (2018)
As member of Teargas[edit]
- K'shubile K'bovu (2006)
- Wafa Wafa (2008)
- Dark or Blue (2009)
- Num8er Num8er (2012)
As lead artist[edit]
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZA | ||||
| "Caracara" (featuring KiD X) | 2014 | 6 | Skhanda Republic | |
| "Say You Will" (featuring Nandi Madida) | 2019 | PTY Unltd | ||
| "Supa Dupa" | 1 | |||
| "Lucky Star" | 2021 | Non-album singles | ||
| "K:HOVA" | Non-album single | |||
| "Playback" | Non-album single | |||
| "Emoyeni" | 2022 | Non-album single | ||
| "SKHANDAVILLE (Freestyle)" | SR3 | |||
| "Omega (Freestyle)" | Non-album single | |||
| "SETE" (featuring Young Stunna and Blxckie) | 1[31] | RiSA: 3× Platinum[32][33] | SR3 | |
| "Rockabye" (featuring Toss) | 2023 | Non-album single | ||
| "Y.O.U." | 2024 | — | Non-album single |
References[edit]
- ^ "K.O shines after coming out from dark cloud". iol.co.za. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ Ogala, Idia (8 December 2015). "The Source | Meet K.O, the platinum-selling emcee putting South Africa on the map". The Source.
- ^ Julie Kwach (3 June 2020). "K.O bio age, full name, wife, family, songs, album, cars, house, net worth, profile". briefly.co.za.
- ^ "K.O". Mtvbase.com. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ "Ntokozo Mdluli". ghafla.com. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ "K.O doing more than Ok". sowetanlive.co.za. 29 November 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ Tshabalala, Comfort (26 July 2017). "WATCH: K.O SIGNED WITH SONY FOR ONLY 1 ALBUM – Daily Sun". Daily SUN.
- ^ Zeeman, Kyle (27 July 2017). "K.O to bare his soul on new comeback album". Times LIVE.
- ^ Jabulani, John (14 October 2021). "K.O Receive Plaques For 3 Songs On His Birthday". Ubetoo.
- ^ Kekana, Chrizelda. "K.O speaks of what makes a 'Don Dada, 'Pholas' with Pro". Independent Online. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- ^ "K.O reveals Release Date + Album Cover for new album 'Skhanda Republic 2' | YoMzansi". YoMzansi. 2 October 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ^ "Listen to K.O's new single, Supa Dupa | JustNje". JustNje. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
- ^ Darangwa, Shingai (14 October 2021). "K.O presented with three platinum plaques on his birthday". Independent Online.
- ^ Mkhabela, Sabelo. "K.O's New Album 'PTY UnLTD' is Here – OkayAfrica". OkayAfrica. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
- ^ Ntsinde, Mandisa (15 October 2021). "K.O Gets Certified Platinum & Drops A New Single, "PLAYBACK"". Zkhiphani. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "K.O Drops New #PLAYBACK Song [Listen] | Hype Magazine". Hype Magazine. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ Maliba, Amanda (25 March 2022). "K.O in high spirits with Emoyeni and upcoming album". SowetanLIVE. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/sa-kos-sr3-album-certified-platinum
- ^ "Teargas Go Away". swazidata.com. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ "K.O officially speaks about his HIV rumour". Zkhiphani. 27 May 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
- ^ "'Not HIV positive': K.O from Teargas". Sowetan LIVE. 27 May 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
- ^ Venge, Tinashe (22 May 2014). "KO's manager slams AIDS rumours". Zalebs. Archived from the original on 8 September 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
- ^ Radebe, Palesa (28 May 2014). "SA rapper tests HIV rumour mill". IOL. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
- ^ a b "Cassper Nyovest rules the Channel O Music Video Awards nominees". Sunday World. 5 September 2014. Archived from the original on 6 September 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
- ^ a b c "Cassper Nyovest leads the Channel O awards race!". DRUM Magazine. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
- ^ "Samas 27: Nominations are out and men are leading the nods". The Citizen. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- ^ Gaanakgomo, Constance (3 October 2023). "K.O and Supermega lead #Sama29 nominations with six and seven nods". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ^ "K.O wins big at SA Hip Hop Awards". SundayWorld. 12 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
- ^ "K.O tops nominees list for Metro FM Music Awards with the late AKA and Sjava not too far behind". www.iol.co.za. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ "All the winners from The Metro FM Music Awards 2023". All the winners from The Metro FM Music Awards 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
- ^ "Entertainment Monitoring Africa :: Local Chart: Juice back". Entertainment Monitoring Africa. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ^ Phukubye, Ofentse (27 September 2022). "MrCashtime's 'Sete' Single With Blxckie And Young Stunna Reaches Double Platinum". Slikour On Life. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
- ^ Pongwana, Nonhlanhla (15 October 2021). "K.O receives 3 platinum plaques, making it the ultimate birthday gift". Briefly. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
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