It seems that lately you can’t make it into the South African music scene without being featured on a bigger artists song. Even after you feature your solo career just doesn’t seem to build the right momentum, you find South African musicians performing better on features than they ever will on their own single releases. That’s not good at all if I have to say so myself. How do you expect to make money from your solo career if you only flourish when being featured and not when making your own music?
We’ve compiled a list of South African Musicians That Suck on Their Own Songs but Flourish on Other People’s Songs it just doesn’t make sense!
Most of these musicians are musicians that were a part of a group or band before deciding to venture off into their solo careers, it makes you wonder is it really all worth it in the end?
Check out our list below Musicians That Suck on Their Own Songs but Flourish on Other People’s Songs
Speedy
Bongo Maffin case #1 honestly I don’t know why they split on each other man. Spedy honestly since your Bongo Maffin days the only hits we’ve seen from your solo career are those where you were a featured artist. The biggest hit being Lento followed by Ungowami by Uhuru ..his solo work hasn’t been that great.
DA LES aka “Mr Let The Champagne Out The Cage”
Uhm, the “North Kid” does know how to throw awesome All White Parties in his mamma’s backyard. No offense LES but you really do sound better when featured then when you’re out there doing your own thing. All Eyez On Me was great, Kontrol freaken awesome too but both are songs you were featured in. No beef though but some nice Da Les hits will be pretty cool!
Ma-E
Ma-E, Ma-E apparently uGogo is a hit for some but lyrically poor for most of us. Great job on Sgelekeqe, great job on Steve Kekana Remix on many other joints. See if you had verse’s like that on your own songs Cash Time would be probably be bigger and making more money than what just K.O brings in, he he #justsaying.
Stoan
Ever since Bongo Maffin it seems Stoan’s solo career didn’t fully launch but he’s collaborating one did. He’s probably made more money off collaborating than he has on his own. Everyone for a Bongo Maffin reunion say “I!” Speedy and Stoan even tried something together and it didn’t work.
JR
The last time JR flourished was when he was making the circle bigger actually but, JR it’s been almost what 5 years or more? but goodness me JR did some pretty cool work on All eyez on me (we all love that verse) even his chorus on Trust It got me thinking .. boy could be the chorus go to guy in SA.. In summary .. It’s time to faasa in your own songs and make them bigger than the songs you’re invited to be featured in.
Maggz
HEAVEN, great job. Amantombazane Remix , Steve Kekana Remix , Heaven. Truth or dare, great job. Are you starting to see where the problem is? All of the above mentioned are features and not your own song Maggz, we honestly have faith in you but when you deliver more on features than your own singles we not so sure what we should look out for from your album mate.
Smashis
Another member of the Cash Time fam all hit features no hit singles. No one is calling you a bad artist here but for K.O to not be called the King of Cash Time every single person on Cash Time needs to be performing accordingly. We really think 2015 is your year to flourish, now go out there and be great!
Ziyon
When the news of LiquiDeep splitting up came out we all knew that it was a recipe for a young disaster or more, since the split of LiquiDeep Ziyon’s “solo career” has not been so great.. People actually remember his features than his own singles..You know the controversial Tumi ft Ziyon & Reason- In Defense of My Art and Your Love by Kent …Any of the above mentioned belong to Ziyon? No! and to be honest Liquideep sounds amazing as a group. This solo nton nton ehh ! I think it’s time to have a reunion gents.
Naak Musiq
The numbers don’t lie, wasn’t Call Out almost song of the year last year? That tells you what kind of potential Naak has stored in his little voice box but he just needs to let it out in his own music. Heavy K-Yini ft Naak music was also a big deal at some point the only problem is that he’s a feature and not all the royalties go to him. Anyway keep doing what you’re doing Naak maybe soon an album will come from it and we can hear what you’ve really got for us.
Samthing Soweto
Samkelo was just amazing as a member of The Soil and honestly he should get back with the group. Sam is extremely talented but outside The Soil ..his solo career has not been looking too great. I mean remember “I’m lonely” and that Sunday live version they did on that Cafe nton nton show on SABC something .. That was boss my people . Get with the crew Sam.
P.s we really miss Teargas!
