Xphola

Mafuko Sipho Malatji, professionally known as Xphola, is a South African Xitsonga rapper and music producer born on 18 January 1991 in GaModjadji, Mothomeng Village near Tzaneen. His formative years were shaped by the cultural environment of GaModjadji, where he attended Mothomeng Primary School and first developed an early fascination with performance, initially aspiring to become a martial artist. His relocation with his mother and siblings to Giyani’s Dzumeri Mageva Village marked a pivotal shift in his artistic exposure, as he grew up in a family environment that deeply valued music and storytelling. This atmosphere nurtured his talent for memorising song lyrics, laying the groundwork for his later engagement with rhythmic composition and lyrical craft.

Upon settling in Mageva Village in December 2003, Xphola pursued his final primary school year (Grade 7) at Charlie-Rhangani Primary School before proceeding to Nghonyama High School in 2005, where he completed his matric in 2010. During this period, particularly while in matric, he cultivated a profound interest in R&B and hip-hop music, genres that expanded his understanding of expressive art forms. Exposure to local artists who performed hip-hop in Xitsonga proved transformative, as he actively collected, listened to, and studied their music after school. This practice not only deepened his appreciation for the genre but also broadened his linguistic and cultural imagination within hip-hop.

Through continuous engagement with Xitsonga hip-hop, Xphola began to grasp the structural, poetic and narrative dimensions of the genre, ultimately inspiring him to start writing his own material. His artistic development reflects both personal experience and cultural identity, positioning him within the expanding landscape of indigenous-language hip-hop in South Africa. As a rapper and producer, Xphola embodies the dynamic interplay between vernacular expression and contemporary musical forms, contributing to the preservation and innovation of Xitsonga musical culture within the modern soundscape.