The Hip Hop African

Jabulani Tsambo also known as Hip Hop Pantsula (HHP), is an award winning South African rapper who tends to perform in different ethnic languages, but mainly Setswana. Initially he was in a group called Verbal Assassins who had their debut album,“Party”, in 1997 when working with producer Chicco Twala. However, the group later split after their release and Pantsula began working with singer/ producer Isaac Methethwo on his single debut album, called Introduction. The album established a new and innovative genre that incorporated several South African tongues like Setswana, isizulu, and Sesotho. He frequently employs the phrase “Maf-town” that relates to his hometown, Mafikeng, of South Africa’s North West province.

In 2007, he participated in a dancing competitions third season known as Strictly Come Dancing, that he ended up winning alongside his dancing partner Haley Bennett. That same year he was honored at the inaugural Mafikeng Golden Stars Awards for having been one of the people from his hometown to have transcended in his field.

He has been nominated 20 different times and has won 11 awards so far, Hip Hop Pantsula has worked with artists such as Nas and Amerie, released seven albums, earned a BET award nomination for best international act in 2010, and MTV Africa Music Award in his eleven years of being in the music industry.