Youngsta: Mail&Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans
South African hip-hop royalty Tumi Molekane recently tweeted: “Follow the next biggest artist to come from this continent @YoungstaCpt”
He had just been blown away by the emotional lyrics and surging rap of 20-year-old Riyadh Roberts, aka “Youngsta”.
Capetonian Roberts shot to fame outside his hometown late in 2011, when he took the nationwide King of Street Rap title in Jo’burg and, just weeks later, opened for US act Lil Wayne at the Bellville Velodrome.
Roberts also cut his first album, GuyFox, last year, and launched his own line of hoodies and caps that match what he calls his “wild and funny style”.
Despite the sudden arrival of fame, his work keeps him close to his roots. “The best thing to rap about is your own life,” explains Roberts. “I sing about the hardship of growing up in South Africa.” Or, like his lyrics say, “I rap with an accent but my life is localised”.
- September 14, 2012 - Young In The City Promo
- May 30, 2012 - Interview: Casual Society meets Youngsta
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[...] Youngsta has been one of the most prolific rappers in the local Hip-Hop scene over the past two years. The Cape Town Emcee has released an astonishing 24 mixtapes between 2010 and 2011, which has resulted in collaborations with Tumi, opening for Lil Wayne, and being named as one of the Mail&Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans. [...]