Newly signed to Def Jam Recordings Africa, Zimbabwean-based artist Asaph has taken to the studio to birth a beast of a single. The award-winning star is determined to break the music borders as he features South African fellow hip hop star Loki on “Thebelele”.

Highly influenced by the nostalgic Kwaito sounds, this track is set to blend well with both artists’ fan bases. This single is quite special as it revives that sound amid the Amapiano era. 

To me, Thebelele is the name of the era I’m moving into. Pure vibes! I feel like I’ve put in a lot of work to get to this point and now it’s all about the vibes and having a good time celebrating where we are and what’s to come.

Thebelele loosely translates “Good Life” and is well embodied on this track, with his rich flow Asaph gels with Loki on the track. Loki also brings in the rough South African street flavor to the song. Seeing that this is the first time both artists have worked with artists from beyond their borders, the magic was unmatched.

I’m really excited to be a part of a song like this, even when we were making the song it felt like two worlds coming together seamlessly, creating something that will hopefully last for the ages.

Kwaito played a huge part in shaping the South African music sound since the 1990s. In the early 2000’s we saw the rise of hip-hop-infused Kwaito from the likes of Khuli Chana and HHP just to name a few. Asaph described Loki as talented and humble which allowed both of them to properly execute the track “Thebelele”.

Asaph is determined to diversify his talent and collaborate with more artists beyond home borders. His fans can expect more hits and possibly a full body of work from this artist.