South African producer and DJ Lelowhatsgood has earned a 2025 South African Music Awards (SAMA) nomination for Best Gqom Album with his debut project, Next Level, and is now following it up with a new release, Rebirth Is Necessary.
A Surprise Nomination and a Rapid Rise
Lelowhatsgood learned of the nomination when a friend sent him a message. “I was in disbelief. I was quite surprised and happy. I feel like that moment validated everything that I was doing,” he says.
He has been producing music for only three or four years. “I’m still such a baby producer; I’m still new. Coming up so fast within that space has been such an interesting journey, and I’m learning so much in real time, just how the industry and artists work,” he adds. A DJ since 2018, he saw production as the logical next step. Beyond the studio, he curates the VNJ Ball, an inclusive movement that celebrates queer culture through music, art and fashion.
Durban Roots and the Shifting Sound of Gqom
Born in Johannesburg, Lelowhatsgood grew up in Durban, where gqom first caught his attention in high school. “Catching taxis to Durban CBD and South Beach, gqom was already circulating in those taxis. We were all sharing files that we’d gotten from other people,” he recalls. “Even going to certain parties and seeing the rawness of the sound and what it did to me and other people as well. It’s something that always stuck with me.”
He notes that the genre has evolved significantly since then. “I think we have a lot more tools now to use to our advantage. With our globalized worldview, digital media also has a way of influencing the things we listen to,” he says. Gqom now encompasses multiple sub-genres: the traditional Durban style, a deeper electronic-focused strand pushed by artists like Zvri and Omagoqa, and a more EDM-leaning, European-influenced sound.
Crafting ‘Rebirth Is Necessary’
With the new project, Lelowhatsgood aimed to stay rooted while pushing forward. “There are so many genres, but I wanted to stay true to my roots, and also be quite daring and do something that’s a little bit more futuristic, and what I think African electronic music should sound like,” he says.
His debut Next Level contained five tracks spanning South African electronic music. The lead single “Ba Ko Kae” with Espacio Dos deliberately moved away from the convention of singing in isiZulu or other Nguni languages over gqom beats. Another standout, “Mind ur Business,” features spoken-word artist Lazarusman and a broken-down beat from Kiing Bhutie. The track opens as Afro-tech before morphing into gqom, a structural choice Lelowhatsgood calls one of his most daring. He first approached Lia Butler, envisioning an old-school house feel with spoken vocals, then reached out to Lazarusman, who was in London. “We did the thing virtually. He was like, I think I’m gonna keep it a little bit minimal. I didn’t dictate what he should say; I just shared the feel of the song,” Lelowhatsgood explains. Lazarusman returned with vocals two weeks later, and after a few tweaks, the track was finished.
For Lelowhatsgood, the creative process is about personal definition rather than external rules. “I don’t think there are rules. It’s fun having to create my own lane, not having to look at what other people are doing. Being like, how does this define me and what I wanna do? I guess this EP is exactly that, really putting together all the things that influenced me and trying to make sense of it.”
