Jabulani Tsambo (14 September 1980 – 24 October 2018), better known by his stage name Hip Hop Pantsula, later shortened to HHP, was a South African

Motswako Motswako is a Southern African subgenre of hip hop popular in South Africa. It consists of a mix of rap lyrics in both the local language ( Setswana) and English layered on a steady beat. Other languages used include Sesotho, Zulu and Afrika ...

rapper (Motswakolista) who performed in several languages, mostly in

Setswana Tswana, also known by its native name , and previously spelled Sechuana in English, is a Bantu language spoken in Southern Africa by about 8.2 million people. It belongs to the Bantu language family within the Sotho-Tswana branch of Zon ...

. He was prominent in bringing South African hip hop and motswako rap to the mainstream world. After his death, the

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...

called him a "music icon who became a beacon of hope and inspired many artists, and individuals in our country".

Career

Tsambo completed his high schooling at St. Alban's College in

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foot ...

. He was initially part of a group called Verbal Assassins, working with producer Tebogo Rameetse. After the release of their 1997 debut album, ''Party'', the group split up. Pantsula had his next album, ''Introduction'', produced by singer and producer Isaac Mthethwa, and recorded in different South African languages such as Setswana,

isiZulu Zulu (), or isiZulu as an endonym, is a Southern Bantu language of the Nguni branch spoken in Southern Africa. It is the language of the Zulu people, with about 12 million native speakers, who primarily inhabit the province of KwaZulu-Natal of ...

and

Sesotho Sotho () or Sesotho () or Southern Sotho is a Southern Bantu language of the Sotho–Tswana ("S.30") group, spoken primarily by the Basotho in Lesotho, where it is the national and official language; South Africa (particularly the Free ...

. Pantsula used the term "Maf-town" as a reference to his hometown of Mafikeng. In 2004 he released ''O Mang'', an album that saw him reuniting with Rameetse as the producer of a track entitled "On My Own". He was honored in September 2007 in the inaugural Mafikeng Golden Stars Awards. Pantsula released '' Acceptance Speech'' in December 2007 with its first single, "Music & Lights". In December 2009, Pantsula released his seventh studio album ''Dumela''. That same year, he collaborated with South African rapper Proverb on a song entitled "Breadwinners", again featuring Tebogo Rameetse on production. He co-chaired a record label, Lekoko Entertainment. On 14 September 2021, rapper Focalistic celebrated the legend's 40th birthday with a song which titled Nkaofa 2.0 and featured himself.

Television appearances

In 2007, Tsambo was the winner of

Strictly Come Dancing (South African TV series) ''Strictly Come Dancing'' is a South African reality dance competition television series produced for SABC2 by Rapid Blue, based on the British show of the same name. It was broadcast live from the Carlton Centre Ballroom, Johannesburg. The show ...

. He presented The Respect Show. He appeared on Who Do You Think You Are? (South African TV series).

Death

Tsambo was discovered dead in his

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...

home on 24 October 2018. The tabloid ''Celeb Gossip South Africa'' reported that he had committed suicide in what was his fourth attempt following three in 2015. Tsambo revealed in a 2016 interview that he had been battling depression due to his faltering career.

Personal life

Tsambo was married to Lerato Sengadi. He had strong views about African unity.

Discography

;Studio albums * Party (1997) * ''Introduction'' (2000) * ''Maf Town'' (2001) * ''

O Mang? ''O Mang?'' is the third studio album of South African hip hop artist Hip Hop Pantsula Jabulani Tsambo (14 September 1980 – 24 October 2018), better known by his stage name Hip Hop Pantsula, later shortened to HHP, was a South African Mots ...

'' (2003) * '' O Mang Reloaded'' (2004) * '' YBA 2 NW'' (2005) * '' Acceptance Speech'' (2007) * '' Dumela'' (2009) * ''Motswafrika'' (2011) * '' Motswako High School'' (2014) * ''Drum'' (2018) ;Guest appearances

Awards and nominations

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pantsula, Hip Hop 1980 births 2018 suicides South African hip hop musicians Place of death missing South African rappers People from Mahikeng Suicides in South Africa