Based: South Africa & America
Leslie Jonathan Mampe, Jr., (born July 26, 1985), better known by his stage name Da L.E.S, is a South African and American hip hop recording artist and record producer. He achieved early success with his band, Jozi, and is most known for his solo single Heaven which was released in 2013 and features fellow South African hip hop recording artists, AKA, and Maggz
Mampe was born in Washington D.C., United States, to South African parents, Leslie Jonathan Mampe, an IT specialist who worked at IBM, and his wife, Priscilla. Mampe, Sr. was a collector of music LPs and was known for hosting parties. It is through this that Mampe discovered his musical talents at a young age, while living in the United States with his parents.
In 2014, Mampe starred in a South African television series, The Real Jozi A-Listers, as a lead character alongside South African television and media personality Maps Maponyane, both playing a fictionalized versions of themselves.
Mampe and Aurea Alexander welcomed the birth of their daughter, whose godfather is South African hip hop recording artist and good friend AKA. Da L.E.S is also the godfather to AKA’s daughter.
