Latest news with #Speedsta
IOL News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
K. Keed claps back at DJ Speedsta's freestyle challenge: hip hop drama unfolds
Rapper shares her thoughts with DJ Speedsta in her latest Instagram post. Image: Instagram DJ Speedsta has been no stranger to controversy this year as he has been finding himself in heated debates over his takes on music and the industry. Recently, his comments about South Africans being 'tired of Amapiano' drew backlash from fans, sparking a public back-and-forth with 'Piano Pulse' co-host Thakgi Ledwaba. Now, the '5 Hip Hop Nights' host is in the spotlight again, this time after an awkward on-air moment with rapper During a recent interview on 5FM, DJ Speedsta challenged to deliver a freestyle on the spot. The Cape Town-born rapper declined, telling him they should rather not go that route. She said: 'Nah, let's not do that, Speedsta …what do we think this is?' DJ Speedsta pushed the issue, questioning why rappers in 2025 seem reluctant to freestyle. 'It's the young stars, man,' said the co-host. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ In true hip hop fashion, recently took to Instagram in response to the radio DJ, posting a strongly worded caption alongside a snippet of her track 'Harsh Truths', which may be part of her upcoming deluxe. The post made it clear she was standing firm on her stance. Without dismissing freestyling as an art form, she appeared to stress that her focus is on creating polished, intentional music rather than spur-of-the-moment verses aimed at creating viral moments. 'I make real music for real music lovers, take that however pleases you,' she wrote. In her caption, she directly referenced the 5FM exchange, writing, 'I hope the clickbait was worth it and happy Women's Month to you too.' The comment section on her post has been lively, with industry peers such as DJ Slique and several fans rallying behind her stance. However, others questioned why a rapper would find it difficult to freestyle, pointing out that for many, it remains a core expectation of the craft. reaction comes ahead of the release of the deluxe version of her latest project, 'Bite the Bullet', which is set to drop next month. The 'Feel a Lil' hitmaker released 'Bite the Bullet' back in February, and it has since reached success and crossed over 1 million streams across music platforms. She explained that the album's title is an informal expression that means 'doing something unpleasant or painful because it is necessary, even though you would like to avoid it'. The rapper further elaborated that the album explores themes of overcoming fears, confronting challenging situations, and ultimately forcing oneself to face difficulties.
IOL News
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Amapiano fatigue? DJ Speedsta's controversial take sparks heated debate with 'Piano Pulse' co-host
DJ Speedsta stirs up online debate with his "I think people are tired of piano" comment. Image: Instagram DJ Speedsta recently sparked controversy by claiming that people are getting tired of Amapiano music, stating, 'I think people are tired of piano'. This statement has ignited a debate among fans of Amapiano and local hip hop, with many questioning whether Amapiano's popularity is indeed waning. Amapiano has dominated South Africa's music scene for years. The genre has managed to take over the music charts, which put genres like Hip Hop in the shadows for a while. Local hip hop was once a dominant genre in Mzansi, and it reigned for a good run until Amapiano slowly crept in, taking the music industry to new heights, reaching the international mainstream and garnering fans from across the globe. In a podcast interview with Basick Boyz, the 'Mayo' hitmaker revealed his thoughts on the genre and believes that a shift is happening, citing that people are fatigued by the genre. 'I think people are tired of Piano,' he said. 'And I say this with the utmost respect to what they're doing and their move. But I think people are just tired of piano,' he said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ @basickboyz Who else is tired of Amapiano? 👀 The Full BTS for Shindindi is OUT NOW!!! on YouTube 😁📺🚀 Go Check it out @DJ Speedsta ♬ original sound - BasickBoyz He hints that other genres, especially hip hop, are gaining renewed interest, despite a strained relationship between the genres in the past. He acknowledged Amapiano's significant cultural impact but suggested that its repetition might be pushing listeners to explore other options. He pointed to events like 'Kunye', 'Strictly Soul', and his own event, 'Hip Hop Floor' as examples of alternative spaces gaining popularity because they offer different genres other than Amapiano. 'Let's go to 'Kunye', let's go to 'Strictly Soul', let's go to the 'Hip Hop Floor',' he said. 'People have, like, you know what, let's actually go to places where we have something different. Because everywhere you go, you hear Piano.' The conversation around Amapiano's staying power has been ongoing. Recently, rapper Nadia Nakai expressed concerns about the rapid turnover of Amapiano artists, stating that 'a lot of the Amapiano artists are churned out too quickly.' She highlighted the struggle for fans to attach themselves to artists who may vanish after a single hit. Thakgi Ledwaba, co-host of the controversial 'Piano Pulse' podcast, came in guns blazing to defend the honour of Amapiano and responded to the criticism, taking aim at both Nakai and Speedsta. In a recent Instagram post, Thakgi said: '@nadianakai had to mention PIANO for her name to be in conversation. Now @speedstabro is doing the same thing. You guys had the country on a chokehold with hip hop. 'Why is it so difficult for you guys to let others have their shine? I believe hip hop would be in a better position if you guys actually dropped music and were innovative, since we're a diverse country. "Nadia, I'd like to think you learnt too many things from both Cassper and AKA, if not for you, do it for them. We don't wanna start thinking you missed class.' A screenshot of Thakgi Ledwaba's Instagram story post. Image: @PIANODIGEST/X Ledwaba did not stop there, addressing DJ Speedsta directly and saying: '@speedstabro I heard your set at Cosmopolitan, super dope, but you barely played new hip hop. 'Do you have new hits in your USB that can shake the crowd like PIANO does? People are tired of the same hip hop sets and definitely not PIANO.' Over the years, there has been an online debate about the two genres, fans have complained of hearing the same Hip Hop songs every time they went out to clubs. Now they have come out to defend Amapiano's integrity claiming the genre is not going anywhere. X user @StarBoiKhazi commented: 'Hate to break it to him, but piano isn't going anywhere. It's here to stay.' Hate to break it to him, but piano isn't going anywhere. It's here to stay. — Fives. (@StarBoiKhazi) May 24, 2025 In April, Amapiano heavyweight Kelvin Momo was revealed as the headliner for the Red Bull Symphonic with Adam Howard and the Egoli Symphonic Orchestra. The tickets for the two shows, which are set to take place on June 6 and June 7, sold out in minutes. Another show was added for Sunday, June 8, and when the tickets went live, the website crashed due to the number of people who were in line to secure the tickets. One X user referred to this situation to emphasise how much fans love the genre. 'Are we going to sit here and pretend that Kelvin Momo tickets didn't crash a ticketing company's entire website just a few weeks ago? Or that SA streaming charts are packed with piano songs because that's just what people listen to? Bro, just make bangers or sit this one out,' said @OluwaMake_. are we going to sit here and pretend that kelvin momo tickets didn't crash a ticketing company's entire website just a few weeks ago ? or that SA streaming charts are packed with piano songs because that's just what people listen to ? bro just make bangers or sit this one out 🙏🏾 — OluwaMake.👳🏾♂️ (@OluwaMake_) May 24, 2025 'I hear him, but that same Piano he claims folks are tired of is gonna sell out an entire 50K capacity stadium in August… So who's really tired of Amapiano here,' asked @carryonmrkash. I hear him, but that same Piano he claims folks are tired of is gonna sell out an entire 50K capacity stadium in August… so who's really tired of Amapiano here? Mandem need fi make hit song and stop cry — *WestrandEnganche* (@carryonmrkash) May 24, 2025
