Genre:Hip-Hop / Rap
Ntokozo “K.O” Mdluli was born in Soweto, Johannesburg to Thembisile Mdluli and Jabulani Mdluli. As an infant his family moved to Piet Retief in Mpumalanga where he spent his growing years. K.O’s early music influences were greats like Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre, it is these artists that made him want to be an MC and dreamed of one day being a Hip Hop great himself and so the journey began…When K.O began pursuing music as a career as a solo act until he met his band mates Ntukza and Ma-E at Vaal University of Technology, where graduated in a PR degree, the three of them formed the group Teargas and have to date released four critically acclaimed, award winning and commercially successful albums; ‘K'shubile K'bovu’, ‘Wafa Wafa’, ‘Dark Or Blue’ and ‘Num8er Num8er’. The success and popularity of Teargas has helped built K.O into a star and through his various collaborations with other artists K.O has become the most prominent member of Teargas. Some of his collaborations include ‘God’s Will’ with AKA, ‘We Rolling’ with L-Tido and ‘Just Dream’, a Hansa Pilsener brand campaign song with Zakes Bantwini and Big Nuz’ Mampintsha.In 2013 K.O alongside Teargas’ Ma-E teamed up with long time music and marketing executive Thabiso Khati to start Cashtime Life, an all encompassing entertainment and lifestyle company with a 360 degree approach that will exclusively focus on urban youth culture entertainment. K.O is the company’s first artist; his first single ‘Mission Statement’ is enjoying massive airplay across Southern Africa and East Africa. On March 3rd K.O released his highly anticipated second single ‘Caracara’, which features Kid X another Cashtime Life artist. Caracara is a township colloquial for the VW Caravelle mini bus; back in the 90s the Caravelle was a symbol of cool and a party vehicle of choice. ‘Caracara’ is K.O’s ode to this legendary vehicle and how it featured in South African township lifestyle of the 90s. Since it’s release the song has gone to chart on iTunes Top Songs Chart and is enjoying massive support from radio and clubs.Caracara has become the biggest song in South Africa and dominating all radio and digital sales charts. The song has reached number 1 on MTV, Trace TV, Channel O, Metro FM, YFM, 5 FM, Ukhozi FM and numerous other stations across the country and continent including Nigeria’s The Beat 97.9 FM and Tanzania’s Choice FM. Caracara’s music video is the first to get a million views on YouTube.