South African hip-hop icon Cassper Nyovest recently took a look back at his career, reminding fans that two of Mzansi’s biggest hip-hop anthems were initially met with heavy ridicule.
Responding on X (formerly Twitter) to a fan asking if people really trashed Kwesta’s “Ngud'” (featuring Cassper) and his own hit “Tito Mboweni”, the Family Tree head honcho revealed just how harsh the initial reaction was from both listeners and fellow musicians.
“Like nobody’s business. Not only fans but artists too. I was a laughing stock when those dropped, and they said I should have never ever dropped them,” Cassper shared. He recalled seeing tweets questioning his choices, including one that asked, “Is this nigga serious?”
Despite the early pushback, time proved his artistic vision right. Both tracks transformed into massive cultural phenomena. Released in 2016, Kwesta’s “Ngud'” became a defining moment for South African hip-hop, while the 2017 hit “Tito Mboweni”—the lead single off his critically acclaimed album Thuto—went viral, dominating radio charts and street culture so heavily that even the late former South African Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni chimed in on the hype.
“Mara today?? Classic!!! I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING!!! I AM THE GOAT!!!” Cassper added, celebrating how songs once treated like punchlines eventually became timeless classics.
Fans rallied behind the rapper in the comments, pointing out that 2017 saw him double down on his success with Thuto, widely regarded as one of SA hip-hop’s finest projects. Nearly a decade later, the tracks that once drew skepticism remain certified crowd-pleasers—proving that while the industry was slow to catch on, Nyovest had the blueprint all along.
