Summer in Africa is here and to celebrate, Scorpion Kings (DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small) have teamed up with pioneering Afro-pop singer, TRESOR to announce the release of Rumble in the Jungle, a 14-track anthemic amapiano experience that’s available for pre-order on Apple Music today and due for release via Platoon in February 2021.
With the uplifting, dance-rooted first single “Funu”, that’s available to stream on Apple Music today, DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small cement their status as South Africa’s premiere DJs by fully integrating amapiano into the mainstream and by doing so, further spearheading the culture.
DJ Maphorisa has been the man behind South Africa’s favourite club bangers for just under a decade, with his main aim to change the game positively, producing hits like Uhuru’s “Y-Tjukutja” and Mafikizolo’s “Khona” both in 2013, and going on to release the lauded gqom anthems “Oncamnce” and “Midnight Starring”. He also collaborated with American super group, Major Lazer, on the 2017 African anthem, “Particular” which topped the charts across 17 countries on the continent.
Kabza De Small is frequently referred to as the King of amapiano and with good reason. His tracks “Sponono” and “iLog Drum” were instrumental in popularizing the genre, and his debut album I Am The King of Amapiano: Sweet & Dust (2019), became the first album on Apple Music to have all 26 tracks in the Top 30 of the Top 100 Music Chart.
Together, Maphorisa and De Small are the mighty Scorpion Kings and, like their chart-topping albums Scorpion Kings (2019), Return of the Scorpion Kings (2019) and Scorpion Kings Live (2020), their upcoming album Rumble in the Jungle is made even more unique by the addition of Afro-pop maverick and entrepreneur, TRESOR. Renowned for his distinct sound, TRESOR is a multi-platinum selling artist and three-time award winner for Best Pop Album at the SAMAs, and his distinct vocal timbre had earned him a legion of fans worldwide.
TRESOR has comfortably cemented his position in the African Pop genre since the release of his award-winning breakout album, VII in 2015. He has gone on to add to his string of accolades, including two SAMAs for Best Male Artist and Album of the Year for The Beautiful Madness (2017) and a Southern African Afrimma Award for Best Male Artist in 2018.
On Rumble in the Jungle, TRESOR’s uplifting vocals elevate Maphorisa and De Small’s compositions that blend amapiano and Afro-house to create a sound that is groove-inducing and is sure to set the tone for the rest of summer.