Mthembeni Ndevu, better known by his stage name Emtee (stylized as eMTee) is a South African rapper. He was born in
Matatiele
Matatiele is a town located in the northern part of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. According to the South African National Census of 2011, its 12,466 residents (1,113.44 per km²) and 4,107 households (366.83 per km²) make Matatiel ...
and grew up in Rockville, Soweto, where he was involved in talent shows. His career began at the age of 17 and his debut hit single, "
Roll Up" was released in 2015 to critical acclaim. Emtee was signed to
Ambitiouz Entertainment
Ambitiouz Entertainment is a South African independent record label owned and founded by Kgosi Mahumapelo. The label was founded in April 2015 and houses notable acts including, G-Star Da Hustler, Lucky Man, MeekTrapBorn, Kid Tini and Kiddest Gol ...
, and released his debut album ''
Avery'' (2015), which was commercially successful and was eventually certified platinum by
Recording Industry of South Africa
Recording Industry of South Africa (RISA) is a trade association representing the interests of major and independent record labels of South Africa. Located in Randburg, RISA is responsible for running the annual South African Music Awards (SAMA ...
(RiSA).
The album was preceded by two singles: ''"Roll Up"'' and ''"Pearl Thusi"''. His second studio album
''Manando'' (2017), the title referring to his late brother. His third album ''DIY 2'' was released in 2018. He established his own record label eMtee Records in partnership with African Trap Movement and released third studio album ''
Logan
Logan may refer to:
Places
* Mount Logan (disambiguation)
Australia
* Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly
* Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud
* Logan City, local gover ...
'' (2021), debuted number 1 in South Africa.
Early life
Mthembeni Ndevu was born to Elias and Anna in the mid-sized town
, situated in the
Limpopo
Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The capital and largest city in the province is Polokwane, while the provincial legislature is ...
, a northern province in South Africa. He grew up in Turfloop,
, a major township in the
Limpopo
Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The capital and largest city in the province is Polokwane, while the provincial legislature is ...
.
Career
Early career
Emtee kept working on his music throughout his late teen years, opting to not repeat his final year in school, although his pass was not good enough to enter him into the major universities in South Africa.
In 2010, Emtee collaborated with South African rapper Maraza on a song titled "In It To Win It". They appeared on
Channel O
Channel O is a South African-based music channel which first started transmission in 1997. Its main concept is African music in Africa and the diaspora.
Channel O can be accessed via DStv, a satellite pay TV service for pan-African households. ...
's show ''HeadRush''. Before his solo career, Emtee was part of the rap trio, African Trap Movement, alongside fellow South African rappers Sjava, Saudi and their producer Ruff before they were all signed by Ambitiouz Entertainment.
2015-2019: ''Avery''
In early 2015, a friend of Emtee, his producer Ruff produced the beat for the song that would eventually become his debut single, "
Roll Up". Emtee claimed that the entire track was recorded and finalized in two hours. "Roll Up" received major radio play in Southern Africa and peaked at the top of DJ Speedsta's hip hop chart on
YFM
YFM (99.2 FM) is a "Youth" radio station in Johannesburg, South Africa. Established in 1997, the station is formatted to mostly play urban music genres such as Kwaito, Hip Hop, and R&B along with a minority of its airtime being dedicated to ...
.
Wizkid
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born 16 July 1990), known professionally as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. A prominent figure in the modern-day Afrobeats music scene, Wizkid is regarded as one of the biggest and most influential Afri ...
and South African rapper
AKA
Aka, AKA or a.k.a. may refer to:
* "Also known as", used to introduce an alternative name
Languages
* Aka language (Sudan)
* Aka language, in the Central African Republic
* Hruso language, in India, also referred to as Aka
* a prefix in the n ...
featured on the official re-release of his single, which eMTee called "Roll Up Re-Up". He said that "Roll Up" was recorded within a tight schedule, because he and his team were finalizing his debut album.
At the
22nd South African Music Awards
The 22nd Annual South African Music Awards was held on 4 June 2016 at Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, Durban, South Africa and was hosted by Somizi Mhlongo and Thando Thabethe. The nominees were announced on 21 April 2016 w ...
, Emtee received five nominations, winning the awards for Rap Album of The Year for ''Avery'' and Song of the Year for "Roll Up". Emtee won his second award for Song of the Year at the
2015 South African Hip Hop Awards, again for "Roll Up". "Roll Up" competed in a category where two South African gold selling artists, as well as
Khuli Chana
Khulane Morule (born August 27, 1982), better known by his stage name Khuli Chana, is a South African Motswako rapper.
Early life and career
Morule was born in the Mmabatho, North West Province and started rapping motswako at a young age. He wa ...
each made at least two appearances.
On December 4, 2015, Emtee's debut album ''
Avery'' was released on
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
and to domestic music retailers. eMtee was the third most played South African hip hop artist in the latter part of 2015 (10th most played artist overall).
2018-2020: New label and upcoming music
In August 2019, Emtee announced that he was leaving his label Ambitiouz Entertainment,
amid controversy. In September 2019, Emtee established his own record label, Emtee Records under his company African Trap Movement.
In November, the rapper said he would be releasing a new EP in 2020.
On 21 January 2020, Emtee announced via Twitter the working on his fourth studio album, ''DIY 3'', in 2020. The album will serve as a follow-up to his third album ''DIY 2''.
On 8 May 2020, Emtee released a new single, titled "Johustleburg". "Johustleburg" was first teased during Emtee's "hit battle" with fellow rapper
Nasty C
Nsikayesizwe David Junior Ngcobo (born 11 February 1997), known professionally as Nasty C, is a South African rapper, songwriter, and record producer.
After releasing three mixtapes, one being "Undisputed" and two EPs, Ngcobo released his debu ...
in April 2020. It marks the third single from Emtee in 2020, following "Wave" and "Brand New Day," which he released earlier in 2020.
2021-present: ''Logan''
In early February 2021, his single "iThemba" was released. The song debuted number one in South Africa.
On April 9, 2021, his fourth studio album ''
Logan
Logan may refer to:
Places
* Mount Logan (disambiguation)
Australia
* Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly
* Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud
* Logan City, local gover ...
'' was released in South Africa. At the 2021 South African Hip Hop Awards, ''Logan'' received a nomination for Album of the Year and emtee was nominated for artist of the decade.
Personal life
Emtee has two sons. His first son, Avery was born in 2015, and Logan in 2018. His debut album was named after Avery.
Controversies
In October 2017, Emtee accidentally exposed his genitals on
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
Live.
Discography
Studio albums
Extended plays
Singles
*"
Roll Up" (2015)
*"Pearl Thusi" (2015)
*"Roll Up (Re-Up) feat.
Wizkid
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born 16 July 1990), known professionally as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. A prominent figure in the modern-day Afrobeats music scene, Wizkid is regarded as one of the biggest and most influential Afri ...
&
AKA
Aka, AKA or a.k.a. may refer to:
* "Also known as", used to introduce an alternative name
Languages
* Aka language (Sudan)
* Aka language, in the Central African Republic
* Hruso language, in India, also referred to as Aka
* a prefix in the n ...
" (2015)
*"Couldn't" (
A-Reece
Lehlogonolo Ronald Mataboge (born March 27, 1997), known professionally as A-Reece, is a South African rapper, songwriter and record producer. He was raised in Pretoria, Gauteng.
A-Reece was under Ambitiouz Entertainment in 2015, but with no p ...
featuring Emtee) (2016)
*"Amamenemene" (2016)
*"My People" (2016)
*"Ngeke feat.
Fifi Cooper
Refilwe Boingotlo Moeketsi (born 24 October 1991), known professionally as Fifi Cooper is a South African recording artist. Fifi Cooper started her music career as an R&B singer before her musical versatility saw her release her breakthrough r ...
" (2016)
*"We Up" (2016)
*"Winning feat.
Nasty C
Nsikayesizwe David Junior Ngcobo (born 11 February 1997), known professionally as Nasty C, is a South African rapper, songwriter, and record producer.
After releasing three mixtapes, one being "Undisputed" and two EPs, Ngcobo released his debu ...
" (2017)
*"Ghetto Hero" (2017)
*"Corner Store" (2017)
*"My Way feat. Sims" (2017)
*"
Me and You feat.
Tiwa Savage
Tiwa Savage (born 5 February 1980) is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and performing artist. Born in Isale Eko, she relocated to London at the age of 11 for her secondary education. Five years later, she began her music career doing backup voc ...
" (2017)
*"My Enemies" (2017)
*"Manando" (2017)
*"Plug" (2018)
*"Thank You" (2018)
*"Lesson" (2018)
*"Smogolo" ft Snaayman (2019)
*"Wave" (2020)
*"Brand New Day" ft Lolli (2020)
*"Real In The State" ft
Rich The Kid
Dimitri Leslie Roger (born July 13, 1992), professionally known as Rich the Kid, is an American rapper. He released his debut studio album, '' The World Is Yours'', on March 30, 2018. His second studio album, '' The World Is Yours 2'', was relea ...
(TBA)
*"Johustleburg" (2020)
Awards and nominations
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Emtee
South African rappers
1992 births
Living people
People from Soweto
People from Johannesburg
Alumni of Barnato Park High School
South African record producers
People from the Eastern Cape