Nota Baloyi criticises recent SA hip-hop albums

Music executive Nota Baloyi has sparked discussion in the South African hip-hop community with a thoughtful post on social media.

After several highly anticipated albums were released this week, Nota expressed his disappointment over what he sees as a drop in the quality of local hip-hop.

He pointed out the lack of hit tracks from these albums, stating, “3 SA Hip-hop albums dropped too much social media fanfare, but not even 1 potential hit song can be picked from either of them. That’s sadder than it is disappointing.”

Many fans and industry observers share this view, noting a change in the music scene.

Despite the buzz around albums from Tony Dayimane, 25K, and Frank Casino, they seem to lack the catchy hits that once defined South African hip-hop.

Nota’s claim that “the best of SA rappers is behind us” raises important questions about the future of hip-hop in the country. As the industry evolves, it faces more competition from other genres and changing audience tastes.

In his post, Nota urged artists and producers to recognise these changes, suggesting there are now fewer talented rappers compared to earlier times. “At some point, you need to admit that the best of SA rappers is behind us. Time to call it a day. The run is done!” His comments have reignited the debate about whether SA hip-hop is fading. While many artists are trying to bring back the culture, Nota’s words seem to signal a troubling trend, especially after the recent album releases.

Over the past decade, Nota has seen the rise of South African hip-hop, where he played a key role in managing and producing hits for artists like Kwesta. During this time, the genre produced many successful tracks, particularly Kwesta’s Dakar I and Dakar II, which did very well on the charts. However, the rap scene is currently struggling to reach the same level of success.

With new rappers like Tony Dayimane, Usimamane, K Keed, Maglera Doe Boy, and Dee Kolala emerging, South African hip-hop still has a chance to regain its former glory.

However, this will require a lot of effort and some luck, especially as hip-hop globally is facing a decline, and South African hip-hop is not alone this trend.

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