Growing up in Piet Retief in Mpumalanga, K.O (real name Ntokozo Mdluli) dreamt about becoming a world-renowned MC, looking up to West Coast greats like Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg from an early age, in the hopes of forging a similar path that spearheaded his culture.
It was only when K.O met future Teargas members Ntukza and Ma-E at Vaal University of Technology, that the Soweto-born rapper made the decision to pursue music as a full-time career. Without a blueprint for success, Teargas blazed their own trail and laid the foundation for the next generation of SA hip hop to thrive.
Their four critically acclaimed, award-winning and commercially successful albums K'shubile K'bovu (2006), Wafa Wafa (2008), Dark Or Blue (2009), and Num8er Num8er (2012), ensured their status as SA hip hop royalty and established K.O as a charismatic, breakout star.
Alongside Teargas member Ma-E, K.O formed entertainment and lifestyle company Cashtime Life in 2013, releasing his scene-changing SAMA-winning debut album Skhanda Republic (2014) soon after. But it was the album’s second single “Caracara” that completely changed the game, capturing a mood and signalling the birth of The Skhanda sound. Mixing kwaito and hip hop, The Skhanda sound defined an era that many consider to be the peak of SA hip hop.
