Many people haven’t heard of Refiloe Maele Phoolo, but if you’ve ever been interested in the South African music scene, you’ve probably encountered the name Cassper Nyovest. He is known as one of the biggest rappers in South Africa with his own record label Family Tree Records. But, what a lot of people don’t know is how Refiloe Maele Phoolo became the renowned rapper Cassper Nyovest. In this article, we will explore his career from a different perspective and cover facts only true fans are familiar with.
Background
He started out as a young student, and although his family was initially supportive of his decision to rap in his free time, he eventually failed most of his exams and grade 10. This was the main reason why he needed to relocate to Potchefstroom and live with his grandmother. But he didn’t change much there and decided to drop out of high school altogether and move to Johannesburg. He explained that his decision was to focus entirely on his passion which was rapping and producing because he didn’t want to waste any time and make a safe decision that he would end up regretting most of his life.
Early Success
Even when he was 13 years old, he thought about his future career and formed his first hip-hop group. Even though he didn’t make it big with any of his hip-hop group, he continued to pursue his rap music and was eventually signed by the Record Label Impact Sounds in 2006. However, he didn’t get the support he hoped for, and due to creative differences, he dropped out and started working as an independent artist.
This is why he created his own record label l and moved back to his hometown. Fortunately, his work paid off, and he was spotted by Hip Hop Pantsula who decided to let him perform his song Wamo Tseba Mtho.
From then, his career took off, and in 2013 he collaborated with well-established musicians and released his debut single. One of his notable collaborations that elevated his brand was Yvonne Chaka Chaka. His next album Tsholofelo was a major factor why he became a star in Africa and got attention from MTV.
His success and notable concert made him a household name, and he started to collaborate with different brands, including the famous Bitcasino, which accepts crypto payments and offers an array of casino games. Hence, now Cassper Nyovest is associated with a VIP gambling experience.
Another memorable moment of his career was when he managed to promote a new album and held a sold-out concert at Orlando Stadium, Soweto in Johannesburg. The concert attracted 40,000 fans which is the maximum capacity of the venue and boosted his popularity in South Africa.
Recent Achievements
Cassper continued to make music and collaborate with multiple musicians, but one of his songs from the last album, Thuto, generated more hype as it was targeted toward the minister of Finance, Tito Mbowen. The album quickly got certified platinum and as well as his 2018 album Sweet and Short. It inspired him to promote another ‘fill up’ concert, this time in Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Moreover, his 2020 Any Minute album snatched many awards and is considered one of his greatest successes to this date, including Song of the Year and Best Male Artist. Lastly, in 2021 he stared in his first TV gig as a host on The Braai show with Cass.
In conclusion, he was a high school dropout that only believed in his ability and dream to become the best rapper and producer in South Africa, and needless to say, he achieved their dream, while we expect Cassper Nyovest to reach global fame.
