These Are The 10 Hottest South African MCs According to MTV Base

This list never ends well.

These Are The 10 Hottest South African MCs According to MTV Base
Kwesta. Photo by Sabelo Mkhabela.

MTV Base's annual Hottest MCs list came out last night, and as usual, feathers were ruffled. Both fans and artists have shared their opinions on the list. The most common notion is that A-Reece, YoungstaCPT and Emtee should have made the list. A reasonable number of people feel AKA should have been number one.


The list is always compiled by a panel of hip-hop insiders, and this year, joining the round table were writer and radio host Spoken Priestess, DJ Capital, radio host Kyeezi, DJ and radio host Ms Cosmo, TV and radio host Scoop Makhathini and DJ Zai Maya.

The list is based on criteria that aren't always communicated that well to fans (or we are just not paying enough attention). MCs aren't only judged on bars and music, but also on their business acumen—endorsement deals, sales, tours etc, and cultural impact, among a few more. So, even though an artist like Riky Rick might have been quiet this year, he will still make the list by ticking the other boxes.

Below is the list the panel decided on:

1. Kwesta

2. AKA

3. Nasty C

4. Cassper Nyovest

5. Rouge

6. Shane Eagle

7. Anatii

8. Riky Rick

9. Moozlie

10. Nadia Nakai

And below are some responses from SA hip-hop artists about the list:









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