Cassper Nyovest

Refiloe Maele Phoolo came into the world in 1990 and later built a career as the South African producer and songwriter Cassper Nyovest. Athletics and academics occupied much of his early years, yet a fascination with rapping had already taken hold by the time he turned twelve. He left school at sixteen to focus on music, passing through a stretch of uncertainty until Motswako rapper HHP took notice and initiated a working partnership.

That connection produced a guest appearance on one of HHP’s albums and led Nyovest to join the rapper on the road. In the years that followed he performed across continents, supporting leading hip-hop acts while assembling the songs that would form his first solo project. The album reached listeners in 2014 under the title Tsholofelo and registered such strong demand throughout South Africa that a Platinum Edition containing additional tracks appeared the next year to meet the expectations of his growing audience.

Once Tsholofelo succeeded, Nyovest moved into the spotlight, filling larger venues to capacity and collecting an array of industry honors. He issued his second studio album, Thuto, in May 2017.