Following his achievement as a Top 3 Finalist in the 2024 Cotton Fest Open Mic Competition held in Durban, upcoming rapper uMhlanga releases his debut EP titled Dubane. Umhlanga (full name Asanda Seluleko Mhlanga) who, despite being a young emerging rapper, has a devoted small fanbase drawn to his genuine expressions of love and appreciation for his hometown.

The Dubane Ep is 14 minutes long with a total of five tracks: eDubane, 24/7, Lakuphuka Itheku, Izinto eziWrong and 4Riky. On Dubane - a slang word for Durban, the rapper aims to showcase the resilience and creativity that define the Durban spirit, while cementing his place in the local and hopefully global rap scene.

The project is short and easy to understand if you’re fluent in both IsiZulu and English. With the hip hop industry being a tough industry to break through, and the young rapper rapping about things that are already rapped about in the industry, he will need to put in a lot of work in order to find his unique voice and stay relevant.

uMhlanga hopes his work solidifies his presence in the music industry while honouring his roots. Will this project do that? Let us know in the comments.

Listen to the Dubane Ep by uMhlanga below:

Written by Tsakane Mhlongo