Ghanaian Rapper Sarkodie has received what is arguably the biggest endorsement of his career from Award-winning South African rapper Khuli Chana.
Chana refers to the ‘Choices’ rapper as ” The greatest in the game.” He tells StarBuzzGH, Sarkodie mentioning him on ‘Kanta’ as one of the top rappers in the game was “humbling.”
The two acts previously featured on the remix of Ice Prince’s street anthem ‘Aboki’, alongside Wizkid and M.I.
“It’s humbling especially coming from Sark cos first time I heard him I was shook. I was shook, I could not believe there is a guy on this continent who could rap the way Sarkodie spits. And he bigged me up on his last … his most recent joint. And that’s like the most humbling thing, and it also let me know that all the work I’ve been putting in…been a perfectionist, how I deliver my flow, what I say is finally paying off. The greatest in the game thinks I’m great. That’s humbling.”
Chana is currently working on a new album and disclosed that he wants to feature Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, VVIP and Okyeame Kwame.About South African Rapper Khuli Chana
Background
The name Khuli Chana is synonymous with the word Motswako. Motswako encompasses elements from various musical backgrounds. It involves street-talk and highly influential messages in Setswana, English and other South African languages which Khuli Chana has dubbed “Tswenglish”.Khuli Chana brings a different flavour and sound, not only to this genre of music but also to the Hip-Hop scene. Khuli Chana is not new to the music industry; in the early 90′s he formed a duo with Kay-G called “Jazzzadaz”. They then joined forces with Towdee Mac to form the group, Morafe.
Khuli Chana’s debut solo album, The MotswakOriginator, was released in November 2009. It included hit singles such as “Tswakstikem”, “Sthandwa Sam”, “Freshe” and “No More Hunger” which all dominated the airwaves and saw Khuli Chana win numerous awards and nominations over the next 2 years. A remix of the song “No More Hunger” was requested by Action Aid South Africa to be featured on their Hunger Free Campaign music compilation which featured artists from around the continent.
December 2011 came Khuli Chana’s release of the MotswakOriginator Deluxe. It consisted of his album, The MotswakOriginator, along with two additional songs featuring HHP and Tuks, and a documentary that unfolds the history of the Motswako Hip Hop industry as well as Khuli Chana’s trials and tribulations in the industry.
Khuli Chana released his second album entitled Lost in Time on 16 November 2012. The Lost in Time album, in true Khuli Chana signature style, consists mostly of tracks in “Tswenglish” as well as collaborations with some of the industry’s rap giants such as Reason, AKA, and Zeus. Lost in Time has gone on to make history as the very first Hip Hop album to win in the category Album of The Year at the MTN SAMAs. Alongside the coveted Album of The Year, Khuli Chana also took home Best Rap Album and Best Male Artist at the 19th annual award ceremony.
Discography
2009 – The MotswakOrginator
- 2011 – MotswakOriginator Deluxe
- 2012 – Lost in Time
- 2013 – Lost in Time Hape Le Hape Remix Edition
Awards
- Best Newcomer at the Channel O Music Video Awards in 2009
- Best Song of The Year at the Hype Music Awards in 2009 (Tswakstikem off MotswakOriginator)
- Best Vernacular Hip Hop Album at the SATMA in 2009 (MotswakOriginator)
- Best Collaboration at the SA Hip Hop Awards in 2012 (Tswa Daar off Lost in Time)
- Best Collaboration at the Metro FM Music Awards in 2013 (Tswa Daar off Lost in Time)
- Album of the Year at the MTN SAMA in 2013 (Lost in Time)
- Best Rap Album at the MTN SAMA in 2013 (Lost in Time)
- Best Male Artist at the MTN SAMA in 2013 (Lost in Time)
- Best Male Artist at the SA Hip Hop Awards 2013 (Lost in Time)
- Album of the Year at the SA Hip Hop Awards 2013 (Lost in Time)
- Best Hit Single (Mnatebawen) and Best Music Video (Mnatebawen) at the 2014 Metro FM Music Awards
- Best Music Video (Sleepwalker) at the SAMA 2014
- Best Male Southern Africa at the AFRIMMA 2014
Career Highlights
- Song included in the Action Aid South Africa Hunger Free Campaign in 2009 (No More Hunger off MotswakOriginator)
- Opened the stage for Drake SA Tour in 2009
- Maftown Heights Co-Founder in 2010
- Nominated for the Channel O Music Video Awards for “No More Hunger” in the categories Most Gifted Video of The Year and Most Gifted African Southern Video in 2011
- Most nominated local artist at the Channel O Music Video Awards for his track “Tswa Daar”in the categories Most Gifted Video of the Year, Most Gifted Hip Hop Video, and Most Gifted Male Video in 2012
- Performing at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in 2013
- Opened the stage for 2 Chainz in 2013
- Appeared solo on the covers of Hype Magazine, iMagazine and Club X Magazine in 2013
- Named the 8th Best Dressed Man in SA by GQ in 2013
- Nominated for the SA Hip Hop Awards 2013 in the categories: “Album of The Year”, “Most
“Lyricist of The Year”, and “Song of The Year – Mnatebawen”
- Most played Hip Hop song in the country for Mnatebawen in 2013
- Opening act for Big Sean and Kendrik Lemar in 2014
- Nominated for Best International Act at the Black Canadian Awards 2014
- Nominated for Remix Song of The Year and Record of The Year at SAMA 2014 (only Hip Hop song this year to be nominated for Record of The Year and made it to the Top 5)
- Nominated for an MTVBase Africa Music Award for Best Hip Hop 2014
- Absolut SA endorsement in 2015
- The Hustle’s judge (Vuzu TV’s Vuzu Amp’s new reality Hip Hop show) in 2015
