Tune in to Africa Now Radio With Cuppy This Sunday, May 23rd at 2p Lagos/London / 3p Johannesburg/Paris / 6a LA / 9a NYC on Apple Music 1
Cover Star Interview
South African trap star Blxckie joins Cuppy via FaceTime on Apple Music 1 to talk about his latest track, “Sika,” fresh off his debut album, B4Now. He also reveals how growing up in Durban shaped his musical journey, why he’s committed to rapping in Zulu, and the secret behind his name.
The Big 5
Cuppy shares the 5 hottest new African tracks of the moment. This week’s selection includes new tracks from MFR Souls feat. Mzulu Kakhulu, Khobzn Kiavalla & DJ T-Man SA; KekeLingo; Buju; King Promise; and Angélique Kidjo feat. Mr Eazi and Salif Keita.
Africa Rising
Nigerian R&B singer chuXchu is latest Africa Rising cover star, a campaign which shines a light on the next generation of African superstars. Listen HERE.
Proverb of the Week
Congolese-South African artist Manu WorldStar shares his favourite African proverb—“Only a fool tests the depth of a river with both feet”—reminding us to be mindful before we jump into any situation.
Mini Mix
In celebration of Africa Month, Cuppy finishes this week’s show with a mini-mix of Apple Music’s exclusive Manu WorldStar: Africa Month playlist, curated by the star and featuring his favourite tracks from across the continent. This week’s mix includes music from JAE5 feat. Skepta & Rema; Gemini Major feat. ANATII; Tekno, T-Low; and Tems. https://apple.co/3ovC7kJ
Tune in and listen to the full episode this Sunday, May 23rd at 2p Lagos/London / 3p Johannesburg/Paris / 6a LA / 9a NYC on Apple Music 1 at apple.co/_AfricaNow.
Blxckie on why he chooses to rap in Zulu
I feel like when people listen to the music, they really want to hear something different. And I’ve always been one to put my home language in places where people don’t really hear my home language and when people hear it, they’re like, “Oh, that’s, that’s very surprising. And I feel like I know this person more than when they were just telling their story in English.”
Blxckie on what growing up in Durban was like for him
Growing up in Durban, that’s very important. A lot of stuff happened, especially where I grew up. It’s very hectic. So yeah, I try to put that, like the whole Zulu thing and the culture, into the music so people will get to link Blxckie to just that little kid that was growing up in Durban. And yeah, it’s working. People relate to that type of thing.
Blxckie on the context behind his name
Blxckie is basically about like my complexion. Growing up people used to try tease me about it. But I listened to a lot of hip-hop and watched a lot of hip-hop movies, and the one thing I learned was that when people tell you that something about you is awful, like they tease you about it, the best thing to do is like take it in your own hands and own it. You know what I mean? And that’s what I’ve been doing. And that’s where Blxckie comes from.
Manu Worldstar’s proverb
My proverb of the week is basically “Only a fool tests the depth of a river with both feet”. And the meaning behind that is that we tend to delve into or dive into situations without thinking about the long-term effect of things.