K.O teams up with Oxlade and Diamond Platnumz on Sete remix

27 Mar 2023 - 12:44

South African rapper K.O has released the remix to his 2022 hit single ‘Sete’.

K.O.

The record, featuring Tanzanian superstar Diamond Platnumz and Nigerian singer Oxlade, is available on all major digital platforms.

The original version of ‘Sete’ was released on 16 September 2022, and guests South African artists Young Stunna and Blxckie. The single stood at No.1 for 20 weeks on South African radio charts and garnered 10 million YouTube views in a month. Rolling Stone put ‘Sete’ at No.22 on its annual Top 40 Best Afropop Songs of 2022 list.

Fuelled by this momentum, K.O now hopes to take the single to newer heights. “I was never big on remixes, but I believed it could be a great chance for us to take ‘Sete’ to the next level, especially bringing in some amazing acts from the continent,” K.O said.

The remix retains the track’s original Afrobeats-inspired sound with a South African influence brought by the upbeat lyrics of amapiano star Young Stunna, while Oxlade adds a fresh take with his contemporary Nigerian pop style made up of soft, sensual yet arresting melodies. Not to be outdone, Diamond Platnumz chimes in with his bongo flava finesse.

Speaking about his collaboration with Oxlade and Diamond Platnumz, K.O said: “I chose Oxlade and Diamond Platnumz because I wanted to make it organic, and they both bring West and East Africa together, which is what I had hoped for.”

K.O is already in the studio cooking up a new project. Drawing lessons from the success of ‘Sete’, the rapper plans to produce easily exportable sounds in the upcoming body of work.

Growing up in Piet Retief in Mpumalanga, K.O, real name Ntokozo Mdluli, looked up to the likes of Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg as he nursed a dream of becoming a rapper. It was only when he met brothers Ntukza and Ma-E at Vaal University of Technology and formed the hip hop group Teargas that K.O made the decision to pursue music as a full-time career.

Without a blueprint for success, Teargas blazed their own trail and laid the foundation for the next generation of SA hip hop to thrive. Their four critically acclaimed, award-winning and commercially successful albums K'shubile K'bovu (2006), Wafa Wafa (2008), Dark or Blue (2009) and Num8er Num8er (2012) ensured their status as SA’s hip hop royalty and established K.O as a charismatic, breakout star.