20/05/2014
2nd
Jabulani Tsambo (better known by
his stage name Hip Hop Pantsula)
is a South African Motswako[1] hip-
hop MC who frequently performs in
ethnic languages, though mostly in
Setswana.
Career
Pantsula completed his high
schooling at St. Alban's College in
Pretoria. He was initially part of a
group called Verbal Assassins,
working closely with producer
Tebogo Rameetse. In 1997, he and
his school friends met with
producer Chicco Twala who
produced their debut album, Party.
However, the band split soon after
the release of Party . Pantsula had
his next album, Introduction ,
produced by singer and producer
Isaac Mthethwa and recorded in
different South African ethnic
tongues such as Setswana, isiZulu
and Sesotho.
Pantsula frequently uses the phrase
"Maf-town" in his music, which
refers to his hometown, Mafikeng ,
of South Africa's North West
province.
In 2004 HHP released O Mang, an
album that saw him reuniting with
his old school friend, Tebogo
Rameetse as the producer of a track
entitled On My Own. The remix of
this track, produced by "Beatmaker"
earned him critical acclaim.
He was honoured in September
2007 in the inaugural Mafikeng
Golden Stars Awards held at the
Mmabana Convention Centre.
Pantsula released Acceptance
Speech in December 2007 with its
first single, Music & Lights, whose
music video features Danny K and
US R&B Star Amerie . In December
2009 Pantsula released his seventh
studio album Dumela ("Belief").
That same year, he collaborated
with another well-known South
African rapper, Proverb, on a song
entitled Breadwinners, once again
featuring Tebogo Rameetse on
production. He co-chairs a record
label, Lekoko Entertainment.