South African rapper Maglera Doe Boy (real name Tokelo Moyakhe) is the latest recipient of Apple Music’s Up Next program, a local version of the global emerging artist platform that launched early in 2021.
Having recently signed a distribution deal with Universal Music South Africa, Maglera relishes the opportunity to be featured in South Africa’s local Up Next program, Apple Music's artist initiative geared towards identifying and showcasing rising talent.
“It is such a blessing to be selected for Up Next South Africa,” Maglera Doe Boy tells Apple Music. “I feel like this is a pivotal moment in the renaissance of the artscape in South Africa and I am so excited for the world to hear my project Diaspora, which is my contribution to that. With love from the Township.”
Born in Reitz, Freestate and raised in a Klerksdorp township called Kanana in the North West province, Maglera’s debut EP Progression (2015) ensured that he made a strong impression straight off the bat, being named as one of Hype Magazine’s Top 5 underrated Mixtapes and EPs the year it was released.
Pioneering a genre called “Strata” meaning “the streets”, Maglera speaks candidly about his experiences growing up in an area heavily affected and influenced by gang violence and culture, showing his penchant for rich storytelling from the get go, and racking up a plethora of prominent features like his debut on Khuli Chana’s “All Hail feat. Cassper Nyovest”, 25K’s “Quarter To Six” and Yanga Chief’s “Fort Hare”.
Maglera’s highly anticipated 12-track debut album Diaspora (2022), available to stream on Apple Music in Spatial Audio, sees the rapper retrospectively revisit his formative years while looking toward the future with a sunnier disposition. Influenced by the rich history of black cultures and ancient Egypt, the album is aided by carefully curated features from Focalistic, 25K, and Kaygizm that amplify the “NewTswako” sound that’s gaining traction and attention.
As the newest Up Next artist to be spotlighted in South Africa, Maglera will be featured across Apple Music’s South African Up Next playlist. The curated Up Next playlist features a dynamic class of new and emerging artists, thoughtfully hand-picked by Apple Music editors from around the world.The playlist is genre agnostic and represents a line-up of artists our global editors are passionate about and eager to expose to a larger audience.
The vast global Up Next roster of past talent includes Grammy-nominated and critically lauded talent like 6lack, Daniel Caesar, H.E.R., Greta Van Fleet, Khalid, Amy Shark, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Claudio, Sigrid, Mr Eazi, Stefflon Don, Bad Bunny, Juice WLRD, Bazzi, Jax Jones, NCT 127, Summer Walker, Tierra Whack, Dean Lewis, Pink Sweat$, Koffee, Megan Thee Stallion, Burna Boy, Clairo, Lunay, Jessie Reyez, Orville Peck, Victoria Monét, Ingrid Andress, Conan Gray, Don Toliver, Rema, BENEE, Holly Humberstone, Natanael Cano, Givēon, beabadoobee, Arlo Parks, Tate McRae, Fousheé and Tems.
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