Musa Keys Biography, Real Name, and Age Accomplishments

Musa Keys (Real Name: Musa Makamu, born on July 30th, 2000) is a 23 year-old singer, songwriter, music producer, and DJ whose claim to fame is his hit songs such as “Selema,” “Samarian Boy,” and “Vula Mlomo.” His songs have amassed millions of audio streams and YouTube views.

Despite coming to the limelight a few years ago, the young star has become a force to reckon with in the music scene as he made Forbes 30 Under 30 in June 2022. In addition to winning some accolades in the local music scene, the Limpopo native made headway on the global stage in November 2022 when he got a nomination for MTV Europe Music Award for The Best African Act.

Musa Keys’ Biography Summary

Full name: Musa Makamu
Nickname: Musa Keys / Tsonga Michael Jackson
Gender: Male
Date of birth: July 30th, 2000
Musa Keys’ Age: 23 years old
Ethnicity: Black
Nationality: South African
Sexual Orientation: Straight
Religion: Christian
Marital Status: Single
Siblings: 1
Musa Keys’ Net worth: $300,000
Famous for: Hit songs such as “Samarian Boy,” “Vula Mlomo,” and “Selema”
Musa Keys’ Instagram: @musakeys
Twitter: @MusaKeyss
Facebook: @MusaKeys

How Old is Musa Keys?

Amapiano hitmaker Musa Keys is 23 years old. He was born on July 30th, 2000. For several years, Musa’s age was kept secret from Mzansi until June 2022, when he made Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and his age was stated as 21 years.

Following the revelation, many of his fans were shocked to learn that the ‘Selema’ crooner was still in his early 20s, as many reports had him born in the 1990s.

The Amapiano Star Had a Tough Childhood Experience

Musa was raised by a single mother and reportedly has one sibling. He regards his mum as his hero as she sacrificed a lot to make sure he had everything he needed while growing up, even though she didn’t have much.

With his father being absent in his life and his mother not having much to give, Musa Keys started working hard as a kid to provide himself with things his mum couldn’t grant him.

What is Musa Keys’ Real Name?

Fondly referred to by his fans as the Tsonga Michael Jackson, Musa Keys’ real name is Musa Makamu. He got his stage name from his first name, Musa, and an alter ego, Keys. The term, Keys is associated with his uncanny skills for playing the keyboard and the piano.

He has made it clear that there is a difference between the persona his fans see on stage and his real-life character.

He also said that he feels that his alter ego, Musa Keys, has too much pressure on him. As a result, he knows when to be that person and when to switch to his real-life character. The Limpopo-born star strongly believes that Musa Keys is a character that is always ready to take over the world. He is also nicknamed Tsonga Michael Jackson for his entertaining dance moves and flamboyant dressing style.

What Nationality is Musa Keys?

Musa Keys is a South African national. He was born Musa Makamu in Giyani in Limpopo Province. He grew up in the streets of the city of progress – Polokwane in Limpopo, and completed his basic education in the country before proceeding to the Afrikaans technical school, Damelin College, to further his education.

Having begun recording his own music from a young age, the singer ranks as one of the top 10 leading amapiano artists in South Africa. He ranks alongside the likes of Major League DJz, Mr. JazziQ, Focalistic, and DBN Gogo.

The Limpopo Native Studied Sound Technology at College

Despite developing a strong passion for music in his childhood, Musa Keys never thought of acquiring in-depth knowledge about music in a conventional institution of learning. Instead, he desired to study Architecture or Engineering. After completing his high school education, he suddenly opted to study Sound Technology at Damelin College (an Afrikaans technical school).

Having been active in the music scene already, the 23 years old felt that his studies at the college were slowing down his career growth as he already knew most of the things he was being taught. Consequently, Musa Keys dropped out of college in his second year to focus on his music-producing career.

At What Age did Musa Keys Start Producing Music?

Musa Keys knew he was drawn to music at the age of 13. He was then convinced of his musical talent after laying hands on the church’s keyboard. He began producing music when he was 14 years old. Keys groomed his skills as a producer and composer during his time as a keyboardist at Light of the Nation Church.

It happened that he was invited to the church by his friend, who eventually guided him on how to play the keyboard. Coincidentally, the same week he was taught how to play the keyboard, he was requested to play for the church as the people in charge of music had important family commitments. Unfortunately, Musa Makamu didn’t perform at his best.

Nevertheless, he learned a very important lesson that day; that he had the full potential to succeed at anything he sets his mind to doing. Later at the age of 16, the youngster completed the production of his first official project with a friend named Fuego. He produced a trap, Extended Play, with five tracks. Musa subsequently perfected his craft in music production by watching other producers’ work. He was mentored by Lazarus Thobejane.

Musa Makamu Released His First Studio Album at the Age of 20

Musa Keys dropped his debut studio album, ‘Widlysm’ in the year 2020 when he was twenty years old. The album became a banger as its sound is something people instantaneously became enthralled by. The award-winning singer is much surprised that his fans understand his sound, which he describes as weird and unique.

Nevertheless, he still classifies his music as smooth, very relatable, and heartfelt. Actually, Musa Keys began his career making trap beats before deviating to the amapiano genre, which has helped him cement his footsteps in the music industry. He was mentored to make amapiano music by his friend, KalTonic.

In 2019, he released an Extended Play titled ‘The Streets Are Calling’ before moving on to drop his first studio album, ‘Wildlysm’ on his birthday, July 30th, 2020. The album produced hit singles such as “Loving the Boy,” “Mali Yephepha,” and “Samarian Boy.” The latter shot him to stardom as it recorded millions of digital streams.

Also, the song was featured on MTV Base and equally dominated the South African charts for more than three months. Despite emerging as one of the leading amapiano artists in the country, the ‘Tayo’ hitmaker has also made a name for himself, producing trap beats for gospel tunes.

His Second Album, Tayo, was a Commercial Success

A year after dropping his first album, Musa Keys moved on to release another studio album which registered more success than the former. The title of his second album is ‘Tayo,’ meaning a source of joy. The singer-songwriter cited that he found his sound with the album, which he intended to be a source of joy to listeners. The album was released on November 19th, 2021, and featured smooth music, which also bangs at the same time.

Even though ‘Tayo’ had many hit songs such as ‘Selema (Po Po)’ and ‘Abekho’, the most successful single from the album is titled ‘Vula Mlomo’ featuring Sir Trill and Nobantu Vilakazi. The club banger has thus far accumulated more than 6.2 million views on YouTube. It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry of South Africa.

Following the huge success recorded by the single, Musa Keys felt that his fans should know that he never planned on making the song and that it just happened with the perfect timing. He narrated that after months of scheduling a meeting with Sir Trill, the two eventually met coincidentally at Major League DJz’s studio as he was invited to come and produce a beat without knowing that Sir Trill and Nobantu Vilakazi were invited too.

After waiting for several hours and the meeting didn’t materialize, he then decided to work on a song with Sir Trill. He produced the beats, and Sir Trill got on the mic and started recording instantly. Afterward, he added the bass and ‘Vula Mlomo’ came about featuring Nobantu Vilakazi, who was there with them at the studio. More so, another Musa Keys song from Tayo, Selema, gathered over 9 million streams nine months after its release.

In general, the 23 years old reached a career milestone with ‘Tayo’ as the album has amassed more than 25 million audio streams and over 13 million YouTube views.

Musa Keys is Signed to T-Effect

The amapiano star kickstarted his career by launching his own record label named Keys Records. He, however, encountered some challenges along the way with securing some specific gigs, which are easily handed to those signed to notable record labels. He eventually decided to sign with T-Effect in July 2021. The deal included brand management of the artist, which is expected to accentuate his impact on the global stage.

Musa Keys partnered with T-Effect alongside Top Tier Entertainment, founded by Dimpho Rapudi, where he works as a director. He hopes the partnership will further his career to new heights in both the local and international music domains.

The Music Producer Embarked on His First Musical Tour When He Was 21 Years Old

Following the release of the ‘Vula Mlomo’ music video in February 2021, Musa Keys kicked off Vula Mlomo Tour across South Africa at the age of 21. The tour was only held for a weekend and took off on Friday, March 26th, 2021, in Tembisa and The Vaal. The next two days, he performed in a number of bars and clubs situated in Roodepoort, Soweto, Bryanston, Attridgeville, and Melville.

He also performed at events and TV shows such as SABC1 Mzansi Insider, Cufedboyzclub Party, and Pre Pool Party. Furthermore, the hitmaker embarked on a two-month international tour on March 31st, 2022, which saw him perform in several African and European countries. They include Namibia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Botswana, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

In October 2022, Keys, along with Daliwonga and Visca, performed at a Day Party held at the Piano People Club in Birmingham, UK.

Musa Keys’ Songs

Albums

The Streets Are Calling EP (2019)
Widlysm (2020)
Tayo (2021)
House of Tayo EP (2022)

Songs

Samarian Boy
Kancane
Selema
Vula Mlomo
Abekho
Zola
Mzansi Phansi
Loving the Boy
Summer Daze
Sthandwa Sam
Thando Lwami
Wena
Gwinya Lam
i’Plane
Mali Yephepha
Streets Are Calling
You
Ntwana Yase Kasi
Ku Shushu
Uy’Bambe
Come Duze
Trip to Zimbali
Possible
Sebenza Girl
Your Body
Tobesta
Tichomi
Let’s Go
Bhut Madlisa
Stocko

Musa Keys Has Grabbed a Couple of Endorsement Deals

In the last few years, Musa Keys has been making powerful strides in showbiz not only for his top-notch musical skills but for his breathtaking fashion lifestyle. As a result, he has built massive followership on social media platforms. And this has gained him many endorsement deals with companies such as:

Stimorol South Africa
Castle Lite SA
Hennessy
Happyville

The acclaimed record producer is in partnership with the South African clothing brand, Happyville. He co-owns Happyville x Musa Keys Jackets, which he markets on his social media handles, working as the brand ambassador.

The Young Star Has Gained Several Recognitions

Having made eye-catching achievements at the age of 21, DJ Coffee was moved to co-sign the Limpopo-born artist in May 2022. The Grammy award-winning DJ referred to Musa Keys as a “Top-tier Superstar” while commenting on one of his social media posts. This meant the world to the ‘Wena’ crooner, who was quite thankful to the DJ for his kind words.

Thus far in his career, Musa Keys has made the list of Forbes 30 Under 30. The self-acclaimed Tsonga Michael Jackson has also won the GQ Best Dressed Celebrity Award as well as the South African Music Award for Record of The Year (2022). He has further been nominated for the 2022 AFRIMA award and, equally, the 2022 MTV Europe Music Award for Best African Act.

Musa Keys’ Awards and Nominations:

GQ Best Dressed Celebrity Award, 2022
Forbes 30 Under 30, 2022
2022 SAMA Record of The Year Award
AFRIMA Award nomination, 2022
MTV Europe Music Award for The Best African Act, 2022

Who is Musa Keys’ Girlfriend?

In July 2022, Musa Keys was rumored to be dating Gontse Sebati. In the past years, he has been linked to many ladies, including one named Mahlasedi. In October 2021, the multi-award-winning artist set mouths wagging when he shared loved-up pictures with a fair skin lady.

He instantly made the headlines and was said to have been in a romantic relationship with the beautiful lady. However, Musa was quick to debunk the rumor with another post he shared hinting that the pictures were taken on the set of the music video production of his single titled, ‘Wena’ featuring Lebza The Villain.