Toss has opened up about his musical identity and the creative journey behind his collaboration with Nadia Nakai on their six-track EP, Do’s & Don’ts.
While Toss is widely recognised for his contribution to the Amapiano movement, the artist says hip-hop has always been a fundamental part of who he is as a musician. That background, he explains, made the decision to blend his sound with Nadia Nakai’s hip-hop style an easy one.
Speaking to SA Hip Hop Mag, Toss was asked whether he had any reservations about combining his Amapiano sound with Nadia’s hip-hop approach.
“Not really. I have a history in hip-hop. I’m a rapper, funny enough. I’m really a rapper on the core, so it wasn’t a hard decision to make,” Toss explained.
Toss Highlights His Hip-Hop Roots
Toss’ comments offer another perspective on an artist whose career has become closely associated with Amapiano. Although the genre has played a major role in his rise, he says rap remains deeply connected to his musical identity.
That connection also helped shape his approach to Do’s & Don’ts, allowing him to enter the collaboration without seeing the two genres as being worlds apart.
For Toss, Nadia Nakai’s creativity was another major reason to embrace the project. He says he was already familiar with her abilities and knew that working alongside her would push him creatively.
“I know Braga is dope and that her creativity is crazy, honestly out of this world. I knew working with her would push me,” he said.
A Collaboration Built Around Creative Challenges
Rather than avoiding the differences between their musical backgrounds, Toss says he welcomed the challenge.
“It was a challenge, and I love challenges. I love challenging myself to show up and rise to the occasion,” he added.
That mentality became an important part of Do’s & Don’ts, bringing together Toss’ Amapiano experience and rap background with Nadia Nakai’s established hip-hop identity.
The project also arrives at a time when South African artists continue to move freely between genres, creating collaborations that blur traditional musical boundaries. For Toss, the partnership with Nadia represents an opportunity to step outside his most familiar creative space and explore what happens when Amapiano and hip-hop meet.
With Do’s & Don’ts, the two artists bring different experiences to the same project, while Toss uses the collaboration to highlight a side of his artistry that has often been overshadowed by his Amapiano success.
