Image: Supplied.
All eyes are on Cape Town-born rapper K.Keed, whose cutting-edge and unorthodox rap style has seen her emerge as the most streamed female hip-hop artist in 2024.
Real name Mihlali Koyana, K.Keed’s efforts are paying off as she was recently announced as the female artist with the most streams on Spotify with 175, 800 listeners.
Nadia Nakai came second, followed by Dee Koala, Fifi Cooper and Boity, respectively.
“It’s feels phenomenal, I feel extremely blessed. I’m humbled and grateful to those who keep showing up and supporting me. At my young age, all of this support feels unreal… I feel encouraged and motivated to do better and become the greatest,” she said.
“Being the number one most streamed female hip-hop artist feels like a hug from all my fans. It’s as though they’re telling me, ‘Yo, don’t worry, we got you’”.
Growing her footprint in other parts of the country has always been K.Keed’s goal, but she knew it wouldn’t be easy.
“The creative industry is very multidimensional, there’s so much you can do and explore. This goes hand-in-hand with patience and timing, something I learnt throughout these five years,” she said.
“I’ve learnt to learn and understand that things won’t work out the way you want them to but this should never deter you. In this process, you learn that no one else can take care of that vision besides you. At the end of the day, it’s all about who wants it badly and what you’d do to get there.
“I knew to get there, I had to do a lot of hustling.”
Born and bred in Gugulethu, Cape Town, K.Keed said her tenacious spirit comes from the tough surroundings of her neighbourhood that trained her to look for ways to achieve or attain her desired goal.
“To me, it didn’t matter if I was taking the long route, all I knew was that I was aiming to make it. The township I grew up in is multicultural and rich with life. Our lifestyle and how we do things is far different from any other place… you won’t find that type of vibe anywhere else.
“I make sure to embody my hood in my music, in my character, in the way I dress… I am a kasi bru. When you look at me, you’ll see my hood. I’m truly grateful I grew up in Kasi, it shaped and continues to inspire my whole being.”
Sowetan: How do you deal with fame?
K.Keed: Fame is like a double-edged sword, it comes with its bad and good times. It’s one of those things where you have to tread carefully. I still step outside as a normal human being.
I don’t want to have that mentality where you think you’re bigger than somebody because of what you do or the position you hold in the world or access you have to certain things … I hate that.
Sowetan: What type of childhood did you have?
K.Keed: I was a child who enjoyed having fun. I played with everybody.
I was raised by my grandmother and mother. There are a lot of females in my family, so I have a lot of mothers. My granny holds my heart the most. She’s such a disciplinarian and has instilled so much discipline in all of us, I owe who I am today to her.
Sowetan: How has it been living in the City of Gold?
K.Keed: I’ve recently moved to Johannesburg. It’s a different world compared to Cape Town. Everything is different this side but I’m growing to love it. I’m excited to meet new people who might show me different things in life.
Sowetan: What’s next?
K.Keed: I’d like to travel outside the country more. It’s something that’s in the pipeline. I’m ready to experience a new crowd and visit different places. I believe the world is waiting for me, I just need to get myself out there. I had a phenomenal year and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon.
I also have an upcoming album that I plan to drop early next year and I’ve got amazing collaborations lined up. I’m excited about what’s to come.
