Francois Henning is one of the world’s popular singers that have proved that music has no language. An influential singer, Henning has dominated the music scene for many years now and it doesn’t look like he is ready to slow down or quit any time soon for any other thing or career. Having started his career at a young age, it is no surprise that he has grown to become a force to reckon with in the industry.
Snotkop, who is currently 49 years old, has an impressive number of solo projects under his belt, as well as a slew of collaborative works he did with prominent names in the industry. The star is indeed the king of Afrikaans rap and music generally.
- Current Stage Name: Snotkop
- Former Stage Name: Lekgoa
- Real Name: Francois Henning
- Occupation: Rapper, Singer, Television Personality
- Date Of Birth: December 22, 1974
- Place of Birth: Zimbabwe
- Nationality: South African
- Marital Status: Unknown
Francois Henning Was Born In The Early 70s In Zimbabwe
Francois Henning is a popular singer, rapper, and TV personality famed for his magical voice and tremendous career in the South African music industry. He is among the best rappers who rap in the Afrikaans and Sotho languages. He has been in the limelight for years and has been to places both across and outside the country, where he thrilled his overwhelming audiences with his songs.
Henning was born to South African parents in Zimbabwe on the 22nd of December 1974. The talented singer is said to have been brought up in Randburg, Gauteng Province of South Africa, however, information about his childhood and early life is not available for public consumption.
Also, the singer has not shared information about his family members and background with the public. This explains why the identities of his parents and their occupations are not known. It’s not also clear if he is an only child and whether he inherited his amazing musical talent from his family.
Francois is quite different from most celebrities in the entertainment industry – he naturally loves his privacy and does not unnecessarily crave media and public attention. Despite his celebrity status, he keeps the information about his background and personal life under wraps and away from the ever-curious public.
The Rapper Is Reportedly A University Graduate
Another aspect of Snotkop’s life that is shrouded in mystery is his educational background. He has not opened up about his educational attainments and the institutions he attended for his elementary and high school education, as well as the period he passed out from them.
However, some unverified sources claim that he graduated from the Tshwane University of Technology but his course of study was not published. The singer is yet to personally talk about his educational background and how it has helped to shape his musical career.
For the records, the singer belongs to the crop of South African superstars who began their journey to greatness in the industry before reaching adulthood. So, the singer hasn’t revealed if he did a music-related course or not.
Francois Henning Began His Musical Career In His Early Teens
Francois, better known by his stage name, Snotkop, is a singer, rapper, and TV personality. He developed a keen interest in music as a kid and upon clocking 15, he started preparing demo CDs.
He professionally launched his career in 1988 and later grew to become one of the most inspiring Kwaito singers of his time within a couple of years. During that period, he was signed to the Johannesburg-based record firm Gallo Record Label, which is currently the oldest and largest independent record label in the country.
With Gallo, Snottkop successfully released two albums titled Basetsana and Ngamla Yoba in 1999 (at the age of 25) and 2002 (at the age of 28) respectively. Three years later, Fenning went ahead to join a boy band but left shortly afterward, signing with Next Music-record label as a solo artist.
Still in the same 2005, Francois’ career got the needed boost when he released his self-titled debut album as a solo act captioned Snotkop, winning the hearts of an overwhelming number of people through his hit jams, lyrics, and beats.
He released two more albums titled So Damn Sexy and Francois Henning Was Hier between 2008 (at the age of 34) and 2009 (at age 35). Henning’s popularity and fortune grew tremendously in 2012 following the release of the project – Ek Laaik Van Jol.
The success of the work saw him climb to an enviable spot in the industry and also emerge as one of the top-selling South African artists in the Afrikaans language.
The Singer Boasts An Impressive Discography And Flourishing Career
It is one thing to set out on a journey and another to have a productive adventure. For Francois, it’s been both an interesting and fruitful journey with so much to show for his hard work and consistency.
He has so far released over 10 studio albums and has shot more than 20 music videos for his songs. He has done two collaborative works with notable South Africa musical artists – precisely in 2010 and 2012 and also featured in several hit covers.
The titles of of Henning’s studio albums are:
- 1999: Basetsana (as Lekgoa)
- 2002: Ngamla Yoba (as Lekgoa)
- 2005: Snotkop
- 2008: So Damn Sexy
- 2009: Francois Henning Was Hier
- 2011: Ek Laaik van jol!
- 2012: Oppas
- 2014: Soos ‘n boss
- 2016: HKGK
- 2018: Sous
Others include
- 2007: Spring Lewendig (Live album and DVD)
- 2011: Die Beste Van Snotkop (Compilation album)
- 2013: Wille Videos” (DVD)
Here’s a list of Snotkop’s music videos
- 2009: “Parapapa” (Cover from Junior e Leonardo’s “Rap das Arm)
- 2010: “Vrydagaand”
- 2011: “Song Vir My Dad”
- 2011: “Ek Laaik Van Jol”
- 2012: “Dis ‘n Land”
- 2012: “Oppas”
- 2013: “Ek’s Dalk ‘n Ses”
- 2013: “Shut Up en Soen My”
- 2013: “Hou Stywer Vas”
- 2013: “Katrien”
- 2013: “Bakgat Boogie”
- 2014: “Dikkelicious”
- 2014: “Agter Op My Fiets”
- 2015: “Kry Jouself By Die Werk” (Cover of The Offspring’s hit “Why Don’t You Get A Job?”)
- 2015: “Ek Wens”
- 2015: “Hiekies in Hartenbos”
- 2015: “Loslap”
- 2016: “Cool Soos Koos Kombuis”
- 2016: “Rock My Amadeus”
- 2017: “Raak Vir My Rustig”
- 2017: “Woestersous”
- 2019: “Pens En Pootjies”
Collaborative VideosÂ
- 2010: “Ek val vir jou” (MoniQue & Snotkop)
- 2012: “Stoomtrein” (Kurt Darren feat. Snotkop)
MoniQue’s hit “Ek Val Vir Jou” is one of several international hits Henning has covered in the Afrikaans. The song is basically a cover of Finnish Eurodance band Waldo’s People’s song, Lose Control. Snotkop has also featured in Shine4’s hit Ramaja – a cover of singer Glennys Lynne’s hit song Ramaja.
Both “Ek val vir jou” and “Stoomtrein” are the collaborations that brought the singer to fame while his sensational Kwaito hits established him as one of South Africa’s best singers and rappers of Afrikaans.
Besides Singing, He Has Also Done A TV Job In The Past
Snotkop is not only behind the mic, he is a top-notch presenter who won the admiration of thousands of viewers as a TV presenter. The most prominent job he has done so far as a TV presenter is hosting the program etrolkop (Afrikaans word for petrolhead) on the mostly Afrikaans music channel, MK.
The rapper featured several celebrities as they drive racing cars in time trials against each other. It’s not clear presently if he has upcoming TV jobs or if he has entirely left the TV industry since the end of the show.
Snotkop Was Not Francois’ Original Stage Name
Changing names is a common practice among celebrities. People mostly change either their real names or stage names for various reasons, including pressure. We’ve seen some of our favorite celebs change their monikers on several occasions but in the case of Henning, he has transformed his stage name once since he launched his career.
Until 2005, he was professionally known as Lekgoa, a Sotho word that means White Guy. No one knows exactly why he oped o change his sage name. The rapper later picked up the moniker Snotkop when he joined a 4-piece boy band in the country.
Snotkop has apparently brought Francois so much luck as a musical artist unlike in the case of some performers. His career began booming and blossoming after the transformation and it’s been so amazing.
Francois Henning Has Found Mainstream Success And Made Impressive Achievements Through Music
Henning’s musical chops have been the talk of the town since he launched his career professionally. His multiple hits and recognition within and beyond the industry clearly show he’s been on top of the music game from the beginning.
It is fair enough to say that he has had a productive career, judging by his age and how long he has been around on the music scene. At the age of 35, precisely in 2009, Snotkop was nominated for South African Music Awards in the category “Best Afrikaans DVD” during the 15th annual awards.
The South African rapper was also nominated in the category of “Best Afrikaans Pop album” for 9 MK, Tempo, and Vonk awards.
In 2012, at the age of 38, Francois bagged the “Best Sokkie Dans Album” award for his album Ek Laaik Van Jol during the 18th South African Music Awards. He released the album at the age of 37.
