Zuluboy is ‘chasing the American dream’ with Timbaland collab contest

Rapper Zuluboy has thrown his hat in the ring to earn a record collaboration with American producer Timbaland through the Orbiiit contest.

Two years ago, at the height of his career, Zuluboy, real name Mxolisi Majozi, decided to pack his bags and migrate across the Atlantic to New York City in the US. He welcomed his fifth child on December 21 2024, and tied the knot on January 28 2025 with his partner of nine years.

With this venture, he said entering the contest represents a complete reset and a new chapter.

“What inspired me was humble beginnings in America and chasing the American dream. I ticked all the boxes in South Africa at home. For me to make it big in America, it requires humble beginnings because I didn’t come with the capacity of being an artist, I came with the capacity of being a father,” he exclusively told TshisaLIVE.

“What I needed to do was settle myself, find work, but still keep doing with my God-given talent.”

In early July, the rapper, actor and cultural activist broke his two-year hiatus with his latest single, Freedom, which he released in commemoration of Nelson Mandela International Day.

Releasing music with a US star would mean a lot for his fresh start on a different continent, but it would also change the trajectory for South African hip hop.

“This would mean working with the best and opening doors for opportunities for my music to be heard on a global scale, especially with the right people. Our genre of hip-hop in SA has been left out in the growth and development of music worldwide. Then we turned the coin by introducing hip-hop with culture. We had to go back to the drawing board.”

He has taken first place in the competition thus far and hopes to win the title.

“I’ve been working hard on getting votes. My campaigns have been aggressive from the get-go.”

Zuluboy has received a lot of backlash on his socials, with trolls vowing not to support his music career.

The backlash stems from a video he shared of himself singing the late Hugh Masekela’s politically charged track Chileshe amid the March and March rallies.

Zuluboy said that hasn’t strayed him from his legacy and drive to succeed.

“There’s no publicity that’s bad publicity because it’s evident in the voice. Good men won’t stand in the way for evil to prevail. The light always outshines the dark. The misunderstanding of South Africans has pushed me to who I am and who I want to be.