DJ Maphorisa is a South African disc jockey and record producer who first came to prominence as a member of the South African musical group, Uhuru. He has continued to grow his craft ever since he launched his solo career after his exit from Uhuru.
Also known by the nicknames Lawd Porry and Lord of the Hits, DJ Maphorisa has graced notable stages and also worked with prominent people in the African music community. He has equally made a name for himself through his works and fantastic performances across the country. His songs are popular among the mainstream, and all the credit goes to his artistic aptitude.
DJ Maphorisa’s Personal Profile
- Real Name: Themba Sonnyboy Sekowe
- Nickname: Lawdm Porry, DJ Maphorisa
- Date of Birth: November 15, 1987
- Place of Birth: Pretoria, South Africa
- Famous For: His collaboration with Drake on the song, One Dance
DJ Maphorisa Calls Pretoria Home
DJ Maphorisa hails from Pretoria, South Africa. His parents had him in the city on November 15, 1987. The music producer’s birth name is Themba Sonnyboy Sokowe. He is believed to have spent many years of his life in his hometown before leaving his locality to look for greener pastures.
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DJ Maphorisa hasn’t really opened up about his family members, background, and other aspects of his personal life. Being a very reserved person, he has never revealed the identities of his parents and if he is an only child or not.
Furthermore, information about his early life and educational background is also under the radar, and it appears he is not in a hurry to share details about these sensitive aspects of his personal life with the public.
His Hometown Has Produced Several Other Personalities As Well
Pretoria is one of South Africa’s cities with the highest concentration of prominent personalities. A lot of the country’s bigshots who have excelled in various fields of endeavors are Pretoria natives.
Here are the names of Pretoria’s sons and daughters who earned national and international recognition for achieving notable feats and making South Africa proud.
- Oscar Pistorius – convicted murderer and athlete
- Herman Mashaba – the former Mayor of Johannesburg
- Joost van der Westhuizen – rugby union player
- Elon Musk – renowned tech entrepreneur, industrial designer, and engineer
- Faf du Plessis – cricketer
- Paul Kruger – president of the South African Republic
- Steve Hofmeyr – actor, songwriter, and singer
- Casper de Vries – humourist
- Anton van Wouw – artist and sculptor
- Bobby van Jaarsveld – South African singer-songwriter
The DJ Has Always Been Passionate About Music From His Young Age
Themba developed a keen interest in music as a young boy. He was exposed to music by his mother, who was also part of the music industry. Two of his uncles are also musicians and one of them is a member of the Soweto Gospel Choir. So, he grew up listening to gospel songs, compiling a lot of songs for his people in his neighborhood, and also playing at events.
DJ Maphorisa released his first album while in grade 11, titled Funny Face. He reportedly launched his professional career in 2008 and later joined DJ Oskido’s Kalawa Jazmee Records as a producer in 2010. He would later form Uhuru and also moved to other African countries for performances with the band, including Zambia, Botswana, and Angola. Uhuru is easily remembered for their hit single, Y-Tjukutja.
Drake’s One Dance Earned Him International Fame
DJ Maphorisa launched his solo career after his exit from Uhuru. His popularity skyrocketed in 2016 after he co-produced Canadian rapper Drake‘s song One Dance, featuring Wizkid and British singer Kayla. Other notable artists who contributed to the song are Nineteen85, and Noah “40” Shebib.
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Since the beginning of his career, he has worked with African celebrity singers, including Nigerian sensational singer Wizkid, Era Istrefi, Black Coffee, Kwesta, C4 Pedro, Drake, DJ Buckz, Runtown, Kabza De Small, and Major Lazer.
The Pretoria-born artist was formerly signed to the record, Kalawa Jazmee Records. But currently, he is signed to BlaqBoy Music, a record label he launched in 2017 with Sony Music.
DJ Maphorisa Has A Handful Of Awards To His Name
DJ Maphorisa has won a couple of awards since the beginning of his career, and he stands a chance of winning more in the nearest future only if he keeps growing his craft and staying relevant. The Pretoria native is one of those who are bound to overtake many artists and replace old hands in the South African music industry in no distant time.
The artist walked home with his first award – MTV Africa Music Award for Best Collaboration in partnership with Absolut – in the year 2016. It was his hit single, Soweto Baby, that earned him the award after it was nominated alongside Baddest, No Kissing Baby, and Unconditional Bae.
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Themba, Sdala The Vocalist, and Kabza De Small added another feather to their cap in 2020 when they jointly won the South African Music Award for Best Produced Album for the collaborative album, Scorpion Kings.
DJ Maphorisa awards at glance:
- 2016: MTV Africa Music Award for Best Collaboration for his hit single, Soweto Baby.
- 2020: South African Music Award for Best Produced Album for Scorpion Kings.
He Is One Of Africa’s Richest DJs
Sonnyboy is one of the richest music moguls in South Africa. He has made a lot of money through DJing and music production. The artist, who has traveled to different cities for gigs, reportedly charges about R120,000 for his shows.
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According to sources, the Soweto Baby crooner’s assets are valued at R255 million. Though DJ Maphorisa has never publicized his net worth, his lifestyle clearly shows that he is one of the big shots in the music industry.
Thank you Tanzania we humbled 🇹🇿🙏🏾❤️@ElementsTZ ❌ @kidimbwibeach #HENNESSY #MOETCHANDON pic.twitter.com/YGyhyJnRgh
— Madumane (@DjMaphorisa) October 20, 2020
A Look At DJ Maphorisa’s Car Collection
DJ Maphorisa works hard and deserves every penny he lavishes on himself. He is famed for his love for exotic rides and designer wares. He owns a two-story mansion in Midrand, as well as some luxury cars. Obviously, the Pretoria-born record producer has a great taste in cars, having made purchases of fancy wheels from the millions he has accumulated from his flourishing career. DJ Maphorisa probably has more cars than the public has seen, but he is mostly seen cruising in his BMW M4 Coupe and Gusheshe BMW 325is.
BMW M4 Coupe – R1.5 million
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This particular car is Themba’s latest addition to his fleet of cars. He first showed it off in January 2020 after he reportedly forked out a whopping R1.5 Million to buy the car.
Gusheshe BMW 325iS
The 325iS, nicknamed Gusheshe, is one of South Africa’s beloved cars. It was mainly built for the South African market. The sports model car merged M3 running gear with a 2.7-liter engine from Alpina. It is not known exactly when DJ Maphorisa bought his 325iS and how much he purchased it.
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The Titles of Maphorisa’s collaborative albums are:
- Once Upon a Time in Lockdown
- Scorpion Kings EP
- The Return Of The Scorpion Kings
- Scorpion King Live At Sun Arena (with Kabza De Small) (2020)
- Piano Hub
- Sounds & Rhythm, Vol. 1
- Blaqboy EP
- Amasiko
Sdumane sa di Gucci pic.twitter.com/9RzcT0Ilnj
— Madumane (@DjMaphorisa) October 16, 2020
The titles of DJ Maphorisa’s popular songs are:
- Ngud – Kwesta ft. Cassper Nyovest
- Suited – Shekhinah
- Midnight Starring – DJ Maphorisa ft. DJ Tira, Busiswa, Moonchild Sanelly
- Ngempela – Sjava & Dj Maphorisa ft. Howard
- In My bed – Wizkid
- Particula – Major Lazer & DJ Maphorisa ft. Nasty C, Ice Prince, Patoranking & Jidenna
- Soweto Baby – ft. wizkid & DJ Buckz
The Soweto Baby crooner has banded together with the following artists:
- Wizkid
- Era Istrefi
- Black Coffee
- Kwesta
- C4 Pedro
- Drake
- DJ Buckz
- Runtown
- Kabza De Small
- Major Lazer
