Touchline

Thabo Mahlwele, better known as Touchline, is a South African rapper, poet, and storyteller from Tembisa, Johannesburg.

Mahlwele weaves words into a flexible, conversational flow and draws listeners in with realness, vivid storytelling that foregrounds social justice themes.

As a gifted lyricist, Mahlwele brings emotion and texture to his rhymes, allowing listeners to visualise the images he paints with his words and connect to his lived experience. Rather than chasing commercial hip-hop success, Mahlwele focused on his skills and utilised underground circuits to release conscious material during the years following the start of his recording career.

Mahlwele avoids being put in a box, as his range spans from trap and Trapsoul through Afrobeat, having performed on big stages such as Back to the City and Castle Lite Unlocks. Nyakaza and Kapeesh, his more recent releases, garnered positive critical attention and drove home the point that this is an artist setting himself up for longevity in the South African music scene.

Photo: touchline_truth/instagram