Kabza De Small (born November 27, 1992, age: 31-years old), is a seasoned Disc Jockey, record producer, and recording artist from South Africa.
In just a couple of years after releasing his debut album, Amapiano DJ Kabza De Small has been labeled the ‘King of Amapiano.’ The 31-year-old disk jockey and producer who has been active in the music industry since 2009, is also known for his regular collaboration with his fellow DJ and record producer DJ Maphorisa. He has also featured both national and international artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid, and ShaSha. He has also collaborated with other South African artists such as Samthing Soweto and Mlindo.
DJ Kabza De Small likes to keep his private life away from the media. Although very little is known about his private life, we all can’t deny the obvious passion and love he has for music. His love and passion for music and determination to become popular while doing what he loves best have made him the DJ and producer he is today. He is one of the pioneers of Amapiano.
Biography and Profile Summary
| Stage Name: | Kabza De Small |
| Real Name | Kabelo Motha |
| Occupation | DJ, Record Producer, Recording Artiste |
| Date of Birth | 27 November, 1992 (31-years old) |
| Place of Birth | Mpumalanga, South Africa |
| Gender | Male |
| Nationality | South African |
| Relationship status | In a relationship |
| Education | High School |
Kabza De Small Started His Career at the Age of 17
Kabelo Petrus Motha, who is now popularly known as Kabza De Small, was born on the 27th of November 1992. Although he was born in Mpumalanga, he was raised in Pretoria, South Africa. De Small started his career as a DJ in 2009, as early as the age of 17. He launched his career when he had little or no resources but was determined and kept pushing and improving his skill.
Although he is now known as the king of Amapiano, he ventured into different music genres like Afro-fused house and EDMs at the start of his music career. He kept striving and pushing until he was able to build a brand for himself. Not much is known about the King of Amapiano’s early life and beginnings in the South African music industry.
He Released His Debut Album At 24
After seven years of DJing, Kabelo Petrus Motha finally released his debut album on the 4th of November 2016 at 24, under the House Afrika Records label. His first album did not come with fame or popularity, but that didn’t discourage him nor caused him to give up on his music career.
He had his breakthrough in 2018 at 26 when he released ‘Amabele Shaya’ and ‘Umshove’ featuring Leehleza. These songs brought so much attention to the DJ that he didn’t have to wait for another two years before releasing another song. On the 3rd of January 2019, before turning 27, he released another song, ‘Bamba La,’ still featuring Leehleza. In July 2019, he collaborated with DJ Maphorisa and released another album titled ‘Scorpion King.’
The album ‘Scorpion King’ did so well in the market and was certified diamond, with over 100,000 copies sold. In October of the same year, Amapiano DJ Kabza De Small and Dj Maphorisa released another album, ‘Piano Hub,’ and on the 18th of October 2019, Pretty Girl Love Amapiano Vol. 1 was released. The album has gotten over 148k views on YouTube.
Two days after his 27th birthday in 2019, Kabza De Small released another album with DJ Maphorisa titled ‘The Return of the Scorpion King,’ and almost all the songs in this album became a hit, with more than a million views on YouTube. Even in the midst of a global pandemic and lockdown, Kabza De Small was still working really hard as he dropped another album titled Pretty Girl Love Amapiano Vol. 2. The album also did well on YouTube as almost all the songs in it got over 10k views.
His latest album ‘I Am the King of Amapiano’ was released in June 2020, and it was a big hit. The song ‘Sponono’ featuring internationally acclaimed artists, WizKid and Burna Boy, was a big hit with over 2.5 million views on YouTube. Other songs in this album have over 200k YouTube views. The album also featured other artists – both national and international – including Dali Wonga, Madumane, DJ Maphorisa, Bontle Smith, Samthing Soweto, Cassper Nyovest, ShaSha, and Mlindo. This album increased his fame and gave him some level of international credibility.
DJ Kabza De Small is the King of Amapiano
From 2019 to 2020, Kabza De Small put in a lot of work into making music, and this hard work paid off, earning him the deserved title of the ‘King of Amapiano.’ His songs are some of the most-streamed Amapiano mixes. In December 2019, Spotify announced DJ Kabza De Small as the most-streamed South African artist. This certainly didn’t come as a surprise considering the number of albums he released that year and the number of international artists he featured in them.
Many of his fans think DJ Kabza is the founder of Amapiano, but he is not. The original creator of the dance beat is unknown, and different people have different opinions of who the original founder of this beat is. Although Kabza is not the original owner of Amapiano, since 2018, he has played a major role in popularizing the sound in the whole of South Africa, with all the Amapiano mixes he released. Amapiano has been in existence since 2012 but only started gaining popularity in 2020, and Kabza De Small’s mixes played a vital role in making that the case.
The Amapiano DJ is one of the most popular Amapiano DJs in South Africa. Every party or event he performs in is always a hit. Here are some of DJ Kabza’s popular Amapiano mixes.
- Yebo Pa
- Bamba La
- Sponono
- Think About You
- Buylie
- Nia lo
- Indoni Yamzi
- Hate
- Danger
- Dlala
- Never Give Up
- Let it Burn
- Kopzz Lezinto
- Uthando
Amapiano DJ Kabza De Small’s Has Won All The Awards He’s Been Nominated For So Far
Within five years after releasing his debut album, Kabza has been nominated for two awards, both of which he won. At the DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards in 2020, DJ Kabza De Small was nominated in the categories of Favorite DJ and Favorite Rising Star, both of which he won. He has also won the South Africa Dance Music Awards (SADMA) for the album ‘I Am the King of Amapiano.’
Over the years, beyond his passion and love for music, we can’t deny that Amapiano DJ Kabza De Small has put a lot into polishing his skills and developing a good brand. Before turning 30, he has already featured international stars and won awards; no doubt we can expect more from him in the years to come.
