South African artist Tshego appeared on the Space Impaxt podcast where he opened up about generational dynamics within hip-hop, touching on how experience, respect and communication shape relationships between established names and emerging voices. The conversation moved through personal encounters, industry lessons and reflections on how different tiers of artists engage with one another.
Speaking during the discussion, Tshego made it clear that he does not align with dismissive attitudes toward seasoned voices in the culture. “I feel like that’s entitled mindset, the guys that I respect like the Qwellers. I really respect those boys and not only are they good at what they do but they are so humble.” His reference to Qwellers highlighted a standard of conduct he values, pointing toward humility alongside creative ability.
He continued by describing how mutual respect allows for meaningful exchange between generations. “Those niggas can sit down with OG’s and have real conversations, I’m pretty sure Sjava is around there and forcing them to listen to the things his saying and I’m pretty sure they just look at Sjava’s moves sometimes and they like Yo, we gotta do that.” In this reflection, he referenced Sjava as part of the broader group of established voices whose presence, in his view, carries influence that younger artists observe closely.
Tshego emphasized that learning requires openness rather than confrontation. “But if you wanna come around and scoop some knowledge, then come around and knowledge don’t come around to argue right?” He went on to share a personal memory involving producer and artist Zakes Bantwini, recalling a chance meeting in a social setting several years ago that left a lasting impression on how he approaches business discussions in music.
He explained that the conversation at the time shifted toward the mechanics of record deals and how artists can better structure expectations. “You know I’ll never forget the first time I met Zakes Bantwini it was in a club even. It was probably 6 to 7 years ago, and I ask him give me some advice about how to finesse a label give me one thing about how I can finesse a label and his like next time you do a deal with the label instead of you know your deliverables being the album? Let your deliverable be a certain time like 50 minutes 40 minutes. Don’t have to worry about a certain amount of songs or tracks cause they’ll get you there and if I want to drop a nine track album they’ll be like no let’s make it 14 and I was like oh shit the next time I go to a deal or whatever it’s gonna be written down in minutes at LP or EP is a six songs or 5 songs.”
Beyond industry lessons, Tshego also addressed what he perceives as a shift in attitude among newer artists. “the younger niggas are not humble and I see it a lot with the Jozi niggas, the niggas from outside Jozi they are very humble and the young niggas in Jozi and those ones have a chip on their shoulder and me I’m not from Jozi I’m from Northwest”. His comments placed emphasis on regional differences in behaviour, while also positioning his own background within the North West.
He revisited his admiration for certain collectives, reinforcing that confidence and humility can coexist. “I love the Qweller cause of that chip, those niggas are humble and they know they’re the shit and not to say like minimise yourself no you not gonna come here and start arguing.” The statement reinforced his earlier point about balance between self-belief and openness.
Tshego added that his approach is not rooted in confrontation. “I’m not here to argue with you I’m telling you my truth you can either take it or leave it. And I’m not telling you what to do either. You’re the one asking me questions and I’m just telling you what I think”.
The conversation also shifted toward recent industry discourse involving Blxckie and radio personality DJ Speedsta. Tshego suggested that the situation was largely driven by misunderstanding, noting that clarity was later provided on another platform. “With the whole Speedsta and Blxckie thing I think that was just definitely miscommunication, you know Speedsta went on another podcast, the New Gen guys and he did elaborate on what he was trying to say and I thought that was dope.”
He further reflected on how public disagreements can sometimes shape careers and conversations in hip-hop culture. “It’s good for the game man it’s that hip-hop thing the beef did a lot for Cass and Kiernan it did a lot for their career”. In this reference, he pointed to Cassper Nyovest and AKA as examples of how high-profile rivalries have historically drawn attention and shaped narratives within the genre.
Tshego’s appearance on the Space Impact podcast ultimately highlighted his perspective on respect, learning and communication across different levels of the hip-hop industry, while also drawing from personal experiences and widely known moments within the culture.
