Based: Cape Town
YOUNGSTA, or otherwise known as YoungstaCpt, wasn’t born into a family with a musical background. His love for Hip Hop came to sight when he was just a ‘youngster’. By mimicking other artists’ voices it gave him the advantage to create his own flow, delivery and voice.
In Grade 5 he started writing songs, initiating the need to perfect his passion. Once he matriculated in 2009, he spent 2010 becoming Cape Town’s most surprising new artist. His distinctive style generated positive and negative feelings from local artists and Hip Hop heads, but overwhelming support from music lovers.
The name, YOUNGSTA represents a lot more than his age. He represents a new generation of Hip Hop artists in Cape Town. His verbalised experiences emphasises what growing up as a youngster in ‘the new era’ is like. The ironic part is that when YOUNGSTA fell in love with Hip Hop it was the conscious side of the genre which activated his enthusiasm
Everything YoungstaCpt writes is nothing short of inspirational. His variation of Hip Hop appeals to every aspect of the genre starting from ‘The Golden Era’. Hip Hop is about rapping with an open mind, allowing every emotion to come into play. Through his rhymes, YOUNGSTA intends to document the world he lives in whether good or bad.
This growing emcee took a step back to look at the Cape Town Hip Hop industry as an outsider. Cape Town is filled with so much room to grow, but it seems as though no one was willing to step up and put the city on the map among the others in Africa – until now. He has taken the plunge, and is flooding the streets with material that represents his Proudly Capetonian status.
In Grade 5 he started writing songs, initiating the need to perfect his passion. Once he matriculated in 2009, he spent 2010 becoming Cape Town’s most surprising new artist. His distinctive style generated positive and negative feelings from local artists and Hip Hop heads, but overwhelming support from music lovers.
The name, YOUNGSTA represents a lot more than his age. He represents a new generation of Hip Hop artists in Cape Town. His verbalised experiences emphasises what growing up as a youngster in ‘the new era’ is like. The ironic part is that when YOUNGSTA fell in love with Hip Hop it was the conscious side of the genre which activated his enthusiasm
Everything YoungstaCpt writes is nothing short of inspirational. His variation of Hip Hop appeals to every aspect of the genre starting from ‘The Golden Era’. Hip Hop is about rapping with an open mind, allowing every emotion to come into play. Through his rhymes, YOUNGSTA intends to document the world he lives in whether good or bad.
This growing emcee took a step back to look at the Cape Town Hip Hop industry as an outsider. Cape Town is filled with so much room to grow, but it seems as though no one was willing to step up and put the city on the map among the others in Africa – until now. He has taken the plunge, and is flooding the streets with material that represents his Proudly Capetonian status.
Having the skills to grab the attention of a live audience is undoubtedly a rare talent, but it’s even better when an artist has quality freestyle’s for days. The ability to paint vivid pictures with his lyrics is a skill YOUNGSTA managed to master. His drive and self-discipline to become recognised by the world as a respected artist has not gone unnoticed.
At the age of 20, YoungstaCpt has added 24 mixtapes to his list over the duration of 24 months. Till today, YOUNGSTA has done countless live performances in his professional career across Cape Town. His collaboration with Cape Town singing sensation, Keeno Lee is constantly rotating on the airwaves, along with his own mixtape single, Clap your hands. This song was noticed by South Africa’s Hip Hop magazine, HYPE, and later added to their bi-monthly mixtape compiled by DJ C-Live.
Currently playlisted on GoodHope FM’s Hip Hop show with DJ Ready D is a single favourite, Salute Ya which remained at the number one spot for five weeks. After being crowned ‘The King of Street Rap’ in 2011, hosted in Johannesburg by Slaghuis, YoungstaCpt had the opportunity of opening the stage for international Hip Hop artists, Kev Brown and J-Live, who also shared an event with Masta Ace and Bahamadia.
It seemed as though worldwide recognition was a 2011 pattern, because he shared the same stage with one of the globe’s biggest artists, Lil Wayne on his I Am Still Music tour in Cape Town later that year. In May of 2012 YOUNGSTA performed at Zula Bar ahead of Jay Z’s DJ and sound engineer, Young Guru. His achievements hasn’t gone unnoticed as he was the only Hip Hop artist to appear in the 2012 ”200 Mail & Guardian Young South Africans”.
At the age of 20, YoungstaCpt has added 24 mixtapes to his list over the duration of 24 months. Till today, YOUNGSTA has done countless live performances in his professional career across Cape Town. His collaboration with Cape Town singing sensation, Keeno Lee is constantly rotating on the airwaves, along with his own mixtape single, Clap your hands. This song was noticed by South Africa’s Hip Hop magazine, HYPE, and later added to their bi-monthly mixtape compiled by DJ C-Live.
Currently playlisted on GoodHope FM’s Hip Hop show with DJ Ready D is a single favourite, Salute Ya which remained at the number one spot for five weeks. After being crowned ‘The King of Street Rap’ in 2011, hosted in Johannesburg by Slaghuis, YoungstaCpt had the opportunity of opening the stage for international Hip Hop artists, Kev Brown and J-Live, who also shared an event with Masta Ace and Bahamadia.
It seemed as though worldwide recognition was a 2011 pattern, because he shared the same stage with one of the globe’s biggest artists, Lil Wayne on his I Am Still Music tour in Cape Town later that year. In May of 2012 YOUNGSTA performed at Zula Bar ahead of Jay Z’s DJ and sound engineer, Young Guru. His achievements hasn’t gone unnoticed as he was the only Hip Hop artist to appear in the 2012 ”200 Mail & Guardian Young South Africans”.
