Based: Johannesburg

KiD X as he is popularly known has had an unorthodox rise to fame. Having created a massive buzz on the streets, the internet as well as scoring three consecutive number ones’ on YFM’s Hot 9 Nine Hip-hop chart show, Kid X entered the game in 2010 and rapidly became one of the hottest unsigned Hip Hop acts in the country.
In 2012 K.O convinced Kid-X to join forces with Teargas, AB Crazy and Smashis to form Cashtime Fam, a new group that would cater to both traditional Teargas fans and younger fans that were part of the emerging Hip Hop lifestyle in the country.
Cashtime Fam took a while to cement it’s identity as a group and went through a metamophosis of sorts as the group morphed from a 6 member group to a trio then finally to a duo made up of KiD X and Smashis.
In 2011 the group scored a hit with ‘Goodbye’ and everything fell into place silencing all skeptics. ‘Goodbye’ topped charts and before long the group had a legion of fans and became the group of choice for many-a-young-girls around the country.
It seemed like the end of Cashtime Fam when a year later rapper, vocalist and producer AB Crazy left the group to pursue a solo career but Smashis and KiD X continued to hold the fort, going on to win a Channel O Music Video award for Best Southern African Act.
In the same year KiD X started making a name for himself outside of the group when he was featured on one of 2012’s biggest hits, Kwesta’s ‘BoomShakaLaka’. The collaboration lead to the ‘Hangover Tour’, a joint Cashtime Fam/Kwesta 13 city tour that ran through the summer of 2012. Largely regarded as the first South African Hip Hop Tour.
In 2013 Cashtime Fam now a duo, released a 16-track mix-tape titled “Rap Ain’t Dead It’s Outchea” or R.A.D.I.O. This was followed by the release of two singles that topped YFM’s Hot 99 Hip-hop chart namely ‘Nobody’ and ‘Time Goes By’ but when they failed to live up to the success previously enjoyed by ‘Goodbye’ it was back to the drawing board for the group. The duo got together with Hip-Hop DJ Speedsta for the release of his single ‘Don’t Worry’, which went on to be a huge club hit and was the group’s last kick of a dying horse.
KiD X kept himself sharp by racking up an unprecedented amount of features which saw him emerge somewhat of hit maker with South Africa’s top DJ’s endorsing him as the go-to-guy to feature on their records.
In 2014 Cashtime Fam was disbanded and KiD X became the first round pick for the newly rebranded Cashtime Life. KiD X was K.O’s first call for collaboration when it was time to record his new single ‘Caracara’.
With the release and success of Caracara KiD X was now the hottest commodity in South African Hip Hop as he was now the common factor on three of the biggest South African Hip Hop records for 2014. ‘Caracara’ went on to break records and this helped set up KiD X first solo single release ‘Pass ’n Special’ as the most anticipated 1st single in the history of South African Hip Hop. With ‘Pass n’ Special’ KiD X did not disappoint, giving his fans all that they had been asking for and more.
In 2015, and now as one of SA’s most celebrated rappers, the 88King as he is also known – made history when his mixtape titled 3 Quarter Pace broke the internet when it became the first mixtape in SA to do 500,000 downloads in a week. The mixtape which was originally released, as a free download was later made available for retail on iTunes and it debuted at #2 on the iTunes Hip Hop charts.
In More 2016 History was made with the mixtape when it became the first ever mixtape to be nominated for a SAMA for best hip hop Albums
2016 saw the 88King part ways with his former label Cashtime life Witch saw him release 2 songs Thanks and Laundry Day Freshto start his own movement and lable witch saw him partner with his long time industry friend Kwesta to form a new label RapLyf Records. Under witch he has released his new song #Mfaziwephepha along with breaking two new acts. TLT Makwa6eats.

The 88King/King of the Switch Up – one of the best, past, present and into the future – is currently working on his debut album (Thank Da King) slated for a 2017 release.

Known for giving us back to back hits as the face and the voice that led Skhanda Rap to its approval in the local Hip Hop scene, Kid X is back with a new wave. His latest banger, Mfazi Wephepha, featuring Nota, Yanga and Mashayabhuqe is now available on all digital platforms worldwide and this release coincides with the premier of the music video on MTV.

The video lets us in on the challenges of a Kasi love story as he gears up to drop his highly anticipated debut album, Thank Da King, TDK for short, which is not only a direct translation of his birth name, Bonginkosi, but also a reminder to give him his due props as the king of quotable Kasi lines and slick wordplay.

Mfazi Wephepha is currently enjoying rotation on radio stations across the country on stations such as Gagasi FM, Ukhozi FM and YFM; where it is charting on their Y Urban Top 40 Chart, just to name a few.

The video depicts the journey of finding love and the struggles of keeping a woman who is after money. The narrative of the video sees KiD X starting off in the homelands and paying lobola for his “Mfazi Wephepha” and bringing her to the city whilst he searched for better opportunities. Unfortunately she is impatient and has a wandering eye and leaves him for a wealthier man, only for things not to work out for her. The financial situation for KiD X on the other hand improves and he finds himself a new “Mfazi Wephepha”.

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