Rapper Zuluboy is competing for the chance to record with American hitmaker Timbaland through the Orbiiit competition.
Two years ago, while his career was reaching new heights, Zuluboy — whose birth name is Mxolisi Majozi — left South Africa and relocated to New York City. He became a father for the fifth time on December 21 2024, before marrying his partner of nine years on January 28 2025.
He described the competition as a fresh beginning and an entirely new phase of his life.
“I was motivated by starting from the bottom in America and pursuing the American dream. Back home in South Africa, I had achieved everything I needed to. To build success in America, I had to begin humbly. I didn’t arrive with the mindset of an artist; I arrived first as a father,” he said.
“My priority was to establish myself and find employment while continuing to use the talent God gave me.”
In early July, the rapper, actor and cultural activist ended a two-year musical break with his single Freedom, released to mark Nelson Mandela International Day.
A recording with a major US artist would be significant to his new life on another continent, while potentially helping shift the course of South African hip-hop.
“It would give me the opportunity to work alongside the best and create pathways for my music to reach listeners around the world, particularly through the right connections. South African hip-hop has often been excluded from the international expansion of music. We changed that approach by blending hip-hop with culture, which forced us to rethink everything.”
Zuluboy is currently leading the competition and is determined to claim the overall victory.
“I have put in serious effort to secure votes. From the beginning, my campaign has been relentless.”
However, holding the top position has also brought consequences.
The musician has faced heavy criticism across social media, with some trolls saying they will refuse to back his music journey.
The controversy followed a video in which he performed Chileshe, the politically charged song by the late Hugh Masekela, during the March and March rallies.
Despite the criticism, Zuluboy said it has not weakened his commitment to his legacy or his ambitions.
“I believe every kind of attention can be useful, because the truth can be heard in the voice. People with good intentions should never allow evil to win. Light will always overcome darkness. South Africans misunderstanding me has helped shape both the person I am and the person I am striving to become.
“I am a South African who believes in peace. My hopes are for human rights, justice and a prosperous South Africa and Africa. For years, we have sung about African unity. What these critics are doing amounts to online harassment, but it is also bringing me the numbers I need. I tell the haters to keep going.”
