Tuks is a South African Hip Hop artist, who debut album was released in 2005 called Mofoko A mme (My Words). His style is known as Motswako, which is a mixture of English and Setswan. Similar artists are HipHop Pantsula and Morafe.
Tuks, born Tumelo Kapadisa has been writing in his indigenous language since 1993/94, back when rap was still considered taboo in most townships around South Africa. Tuks began as a “conscious” writer touching base with everyday issues and drawing from his environment which back then was strong in cultural influence and pride that was prevalent in Bophuthatswana, a year later the homeland was re-established as the north west and became part of the nine provinces in South Africa.
Prior to his solo career he was in two other groups that he co-founded with friends from school, but as he puts it, “i felt choked and honestly i was more in love with my music while the other members hallucinated about the fame and fortune, i had to be out, besides i had always been a loner!”.
Tuks shared the stage with already established artists in this country like Zola, Pith Black Afro, Bravo, k.b, Thebe, hhp and Amu. He draws his inspiration from acts like Common, KRS, Mos Def and most underground (rather undiscovered) hip hop. He writes like none other in S.A. He is considered one of South Africa’s best lyricist with both vanac and english appeal. |
