Motocross
Sjava: Five of his biggest tracks
Check some of the Ambitiouz Entertainment-signed artist's most popular releases to get you revved up for Red Bull SoundClash.
Sjava started his acting career in 2005, appearing in shows like uGugu no Andile and later gained prominence on series like Zone 14, Isibaya, and Ehostela's second season. He entered the music scene by signing with Ambitiouz Entertainment and releasing his first single “Ekseni” in 2015, helping him gain local prominence, but it was after being featured on Miss Pru's hit "Ameni" later that year that he really rose to fame.
01
Ngempela with DJ Maphorisa (feat. Howard) (2015)
While Sjava first gained popularity thanks to his feature on Miss Pru's hit “Ameni”, his collaboration with DJ Maphorisa and Howard on “Ngempela” proved to be one of his biggest early hits. A bonus track from the Gold Deluxe edition of his debut album “Isina Muva”, it was produced by his collaborators, as well as Tshego AMG. The track sees Sjava rapping about a girl he’s fallen for, wondering why her exes had let her go, and suggesting that they might’ve been drunk or just had bad luck while pledging his love for her.
02
Abangani feat. Emtee and Saudi (2018)
The lead single from his debut EP “Umphako”, 2018’s “Abangani saw Sjava collaborating with local trap stars Emtee and Saudi. Produced by Ruff, the track’s title translates to friends and recounts how Sjava and the two other featured artists struggled when they first got into the music industry, with each reflecting on the hardships they encountered while on the come-up, with a reminder to choose your friends wisely and stay true to yourself while trying to reach the top.
03
Umama (2019)
Produced by MACE, “Umama” is dedicated to Sjava’s mother, with the rapper appreciating her unconditional love. Taken from his sophomore album “Umqhele”, the single sees Sjava balancing a more soulful sound alongside his trademark fusion of influences. Sjava recounted the feeling of his mother’s love in an interview with TimesLive, in which he said that “experiencing my mom’s celebration of me while I’m still alive to appreciate it, is an amazing feeling.” Sjava performed a version of “Umama” on the global music platform COLORS, which helped him gain international recognition, while also increasing his popularity locally.
04
Umcebo (2020)
Produced by Webmoms and Delayde, “Umcebo” is a single from Sjava’s 2020 EP “Umsebenzi”. On the track, whose title translates to wealth, Sjava reminds listeners that while money and power might seem like everything, this can lead to things going badly and instead asks for wisdom and love. He goes on to explain that material possessions and wealth are vanity and that there is a life after death that needs to be considered, as this requires wisdom and love.
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05
Umbayimbayi (2023)
Joining forces with Big Zulu to form Inkabi Zezwe, Sjava knocked it out the park with “Umbayimbayi”. The lead single from their debut album “Ukhamba”, the title literally translates to cannon and refers to a powerful field gun that can take down a building. Inspired by their shared home of Kwazulu Natal’s Bergville, where a saying is mountain can hide things, especially someone you love, from you. In response, the pair say they will buy their lovers a cannon that can take down the mountains so that they can always be together, giving their own spin to Maskandi-infused Afropop love ballad.
Catch Sjava go head to head with Focalistic at Red Bull SoundClash on the 28th of October at the SunBet Arena in Time Square, Pretoria. For more information and to secure your tickets, click here.