Amapiano is a genre of house music that started in South Africa in 2012. Kabza De Small is one of the Amapiano music genre pioneers, and many people call him the King of Amapiano.

Popularly known as a South African DJ and record producer, Kabza De Small’s hard work and tenacity have helped revolutionize the Amapiano genre.

In this article, we will highlight why Kabza De Small is regarded as the undisputed King of Amapiano.   

Kabza De Small Career

Kabza De Small began his professional career as a DJ in 2009. During the period, he did not have a lot of resources to further his career but tried to hone his DJ talents. So, he tried out different genres ranging from Afro-fused houses to EDMs.

His first album, Avenue Sounds, was released under House Afrika Records in 2016. Kabza started to make waves in 2018 after releasing Amabele Shaya and Umshove featuring guest vocals from Leehleza. He released another song Bamba La in January 2019.

Later in July 2019, Kabza De Small released a collaborative studio album with record producer DJ Maphorisa. The album was certified diamond in South Africa. After their success, they released their sophomore studio album called Piano Hub in October 2019.

Kabza has also released albums and EPs, making a lot of waves both in South Africa and other parts of the world.

So far, Kabza De Small has garnered lots of awards and recognition both at home and abroad.

Reasons Why Kabza De Small Is the King of Amapiano

He Is Among the Pioneers of Amapiano

Kabza was among the early people that popularized Amapiano music, dating to his 2016 album, Avenue Sounds.

During this period, the Amapiano genre was just gaining ground as a niche sound, and his album became popular in the taverns and among the youth of Pretoria, which later spread to other parts of the country through online forums and so on.

He Helped Evolve the Amapiano Genre

It is common that pioneers of sound fade into the background.

However, after Amapiano became a dominant force of the South African music scene, Kabza established himself as Amapiano’s superstar with the album, “Scorpion Kings”. He collaborated with DJ Maphorisa in this album.

The Recording Industry of South Africa certified the album Diamond, and many considered it as an instant classic.

Furthermore, the success of the album helped propel Amapiano to wider audiences. He later released I am the King of Amapiano: Sweet & Dust in 2020, asserting his claim to the throne.

He Has an Insane Work Rate

Kabza De Small has a long list of production credits and guest appearances when it comes to Amapiano.

He always shows his creative range, and he has delivered a wide range of albums, collaborative tapes, and EPs.

Kabza De Small has an impressive catalog of Amapiano music comprising some of the best and biggest Amapiano records, from his solo projects to collaborations.

Recently the producer released an 18 track album, KOA Vol. 2 and in an interview he said that he initially had 80 songs ready for the album but had to prune it down to just 18 songs (Insane right?).

His Impact and Achievements

Kabza is regarded by many to be among the best-selling music artists of the Amapiano.

Since he broke into the South Africa music scene, he has been winning one award to another and has helped popularize the Amapiano genre.

His influence in the genre can be seen when Spotify South Africa named him the most-streamed South African artist on the platform in 2019.

In June 2020 he released his album I Am King of Amapiano: Sweet & Dust and the album songs occupied the top positions of Apple Music South Africa for many weeks.

Kabza followed it up with KOA Vol. 2 in 2022, which also earned him international recognition as he appeared on billboards in New York’s Time Square.