Cassper Nyovest - Profile (Biography, Career, and Albums)

Refiloe Maele Phoolo who is professionally known as Cassper Nyovest, is a well-known South African rapper, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and celebrity boxer. He is highly regarded as one of South Africa's most successful artists.

In 2014, he started his own record label called Family Tree Records. His fame took off with the release of his first album, "Tsholofelo," in 2014, which included hit songs like "Gusheshe" and "Doc Shebeleza."

One of his major accomplishments was selling out tickets for a concert called "Fill Up the Dome" in 2015, held at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg. This success led him to organize more concerts in different stadiums every year, such as Orlando Stadium in 2016, FNB Stadium in 2017, Moses Mabhida Stadium in 2018, and Royal Bafokeng Stadium in 2019.

Cassper Nyovest released his album "Refiloe" at one of his "Fill Up" concerts in 2015. This album featured collaborations with other famous artists like The Game, DJ Drama, Stonebwoy, and Casey Veggies. He continued to create more successful music with albums like "Thuto" in 2018 and "Sweet and Short" in 2019.

Early Life and Background

Refiloe Maele Phoolo, known as Cassper Nyovest, was born on December 16, 1990, in Mafikeng, a town in North West, South Africa. His parents were Muzuki and Letsebela Phoolo, and he had a sister named Tsholofelo Phoolo. Unfortunately, their brother, Khotso Phoolo, passed away in 2003.

Cassper Nyovest went to Sol Plaatjie Secondary School, where he was athletic and into different kinds of sports. He also started rapping when he was 12 years old. But in 2006, he faced difficulties in his Grade 10 exams and this made him move in with his grandmother in Potchefstroom. Eventually, in 2007, at the age of 16, he made the decision to officially leave high school.

In 2008, he moved to Johannesburg to chase his music dreams as a rapper and producer. He had a conversation with his parents about pursuing his dreams instead of playing it safe, as he didn't want to regret it later in life.

Personal Life

In July 2015, despite previously denying any romantic relationship, Cassper Nyovest and actress Boity Thulo confirmed that they were indeed dating. The magazine cover’s headline that month suggested that they were engaged, but both Nyovest and Thulo later clarified that this was not the case. They believed the magazine used the engagement headline as a strategy to boost sales. Sadly, the couple ended their relationship in December 2015.

Musical Career

In 2004, Nyovest created a hip-hop group with his friends named “Childhood Gangsta” when he was just 13 years of age. Later on, he left to join another group that had record producer Ashish Gangaram of Ganja Beatz amongst only 8 members of the group called SLOW MOTION. When he was 16 years old (which was after he had dropped out of school), Motswako record label Impact Sounds signed Nyovest. This record label also signed artists like Tuks Senganga and Morafe in 2006. However, the partnership between Impact Sounds and Nyovost didn't work out because they didnt agree on his direction of music. They later parted ways in 2008 and Nyovest became an independent artist.

When Nyovest moved back home to Mafikeng, he created his own record label but before then, the now-deceased rapper by the name Hip Hop Pantsula discovered the talent in Nyovest and featured him in his song titled "Wamo Tseba Mtho".

in 2013, Nyovest released his first single titled "Gusheshe (which he featured Okmalumkoolkat). He later created his own record label called "Family Tree Records" in 2014. He released his second single later that same year and named it after "Doc Shebeleza" a Kwaito artist. The song was liked by many as even public figures like singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka talked positively about it.

Nyovest released his first album on the 18th of July, 2014 which he named "Tsholofelo" after his sister. This album was a big hit and reached the Number 1 spot on the iTunes SA (South African) albums chart for two months in a row (July and August 2014). In October 2014, he was ranked as the top artist on the MTV Base show "The Hottest MC in Africa" and also got the second spot on "MTV SA's Hottest MCs" in the same year.

Following the success of Tsholofelo, Nyovest released many other singles and albums between 2015 to date of which his last album was "Solomon" which was released on the 15th of September, 2023.

Musical Achievements

Cassper Nyovest has received recognition and nominations for multiple music awards, both in South Africa and abroad. His journey with awards began in 2013 when he won four awards at the second edition of the South Africa Hip Hop Awards.

In April 2018, he received a nomination at the 12th Headies Award in Nigeria. He was nominated in the category of Best African Artiste, alongside other notable artists such as Nasty C, Sarkodie from Ghana, the Kenyan group Sauti Sol, and Tanzanian singer Vanessa Mdee. This nomination highlighted his growing international appeal and recognition in the music industry beyond South Africa.

Entrepreneurship and Record Label

Cassper Nyovest has secured numerous endorsement deals with various companies, and one of the most significant deals in his career has been with the vodka brand, Ciroc. His partnership with Ciroc began in 2017 when he featured Cîroc bottles in his music video for the song "Tito Mboweni." This collaboration was then officially unveiled by Ciroc. It's worth noting that this deal with Ciroc has been one of the major highlights of his endorsement career. In addition to Ciroc, Nyovest has also been associated with other well-known brands. In 2015, he endorsed MTN and AG Mobile and played a part in the launch of the AG Hashtag smartphone, which was inspired by him and partly designed with his input. Cassper Nyovest has also endorsed with other various brands, including Samsung South Africa, KFC SA, Coca-Cola, Bitcasino, Shoprite, Nike SA, and Castle Lite. These endorsements have not only added to his financial success but have also solidified his status as a sought-after brand ambassador in the South African market.

In addition to his successful music career, Cassper Nyovest has ventured into entrepreneurship. He founded Family Tree Records in 2014, which is his own record label after parting ways with Impact Soundz. In July 2021, he expanded his business ventures by launching the sneaker company Root of Fame, operating under Drip Footwear. And most recently, on September 6, 2021, he ventured into the world of spirits by introducing his own liquor brand, Billiato. Nyovest's entrepreneurial spirit has made him venture into different kinds of businesses outside the music industry.

Albums

Here is a list of Cassper Nyovest’s albums since his first debut album in 2014 up to date

• Tsholofelo (2014)
• Refiloe (2015)
• Thuto (2017)
• Sweet and Short (2018)
• A.M.N (Any Minute Now) (2020)
• Sweet and Short 2.0 (2021)
• Solomon (2023)

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassper_Nyovest#Television

https://mp3joli.info/cassper-nyovest-nasty-c-nominated-for-best-african-artiste-headies-awards-2018/