A THREAD on Botswana contemporary music starting from the mid-90s.
I'll start with Skizo, one of the 1st to have heavy rotation in & out of Botswana.
This legendary Producer & Songwriter worked as part of Kalawa Jazmee's DCC production crew along with Trompies & BOP. https://twitter.com/arniefeelus_/status/1350858381419032583

Skizo was undoubtedly Botswana's 1st Crossover star in the 90s.
He produced an instrumental track on his debut album (track name: Strawberry Goom Goom) which was later re-released as a Trompies song (Magasman ft Lebo Mathosa).
This was another major hit from his latter albums.

Around 2001, an ex-soldier turned Musician would change locally produced music forever. Frank Lesokwane or simply Franco came along with a new sound, different from Kwaito, more akin to the Congolese rhythms of the late 80s.
He burst on the scene with Ke Lela le lona & Issa.

Subsequently, Botswana's contemporary music landscape was torn between Urban-Contemporary & Traditional-Contemporary.
T-Joint released this song circa 2002. Which featured a then unknown crew from Mafikeng known as Morafe.
The song Chencha Number was a huge hit.

Around the same time a young star was rising in the Botswana Kwaito scene, who had been inspired by the works of Franco & Kwaito.
Vee came in the game with the intention of blending these 2 sounds.
This was one of the biggest songs when he burst on the scene.

One of Botswana's 1st mainstream Hip Hop crews also emerged on the scene with a slightly more aggressive tone from their first albums & were more emboldened than ever before.
3rd Mind ushered in another wave of urban music.

A fledgling Mochudi-born record label owner known as Eric Ramco after noticing the trends decided to not only accommodate the urban talents but also tap into the contemporary-folklore lane. One of the 1st groups he brought on the scene was a group known as Machesa.

This is the song they are more popularly known for.
Notice some of the dancers in the dance troop?
They would later on form a group known as Matsieng.

Back to the urban contemporary side of things.
To an extent Skizo's rapport in and around Joburg's music elite,created a lane for younger Batswana acts to also rub shoulders with some big names in SA.
One Stagga Don Dada had become yet another Motswana Crossover act.

Stagga's debut album had been received quite well.
Who remembers this song??

1 major omission I made was that of Draztik who was heavy in the SA Rap scene with his Clique Cashless Society.
He also produced a couple tracks on ProKid's debut album.
Meanwhile, another Hip Hop act was tearing up the airwaves in .
Fosta Juliano fka Mister Doe.

This mainstream traction resulted in Botswana 1st major Hip Hop Posse Cut.
The All Kasi Anthem.
Featuring the likes of the late Dice Tirodimaswe, Nomadic fka Mr T, Scar, Apollo D, Kast, Mister Doe, Orakle & a hook by Vee.
All Kasi clothing had been officially open to the masses.

Back to the traditional scene.
As I had mentioned before, Machesa traditional group's dancer decided to create an offshoot by the name Matsieng.
Arguably the biggest song to come out of Botswana.

Another group emerged in the contemporary-folklore scene.
Culture Spears came in and also laid down they're own classic Setswana jingles.
They managed to penetrate the East African market.

The Kwaito music scene in Botswana was slowly becoming Kwasa-Kwasa, the music made famous by Franco & Alfredo Mos.
A new act came in and kind of revived the authentic Bits Kwaito sound that Vee acts like Exodus & Eskimos has found fame with.
Mapetla Skhokho.

Around the same time. A new Hip Hop act who was in Joburg due to studies emerged on the scene.
Zeus came on the scene with this Dance Hall inspired classic featuring Stagga Don Dada.
Stagga being half Jamaican tapped into his Jamaican roots.

As if that wasn't enough.
Scar would drop his own magnum opus which in a way resulted in a bit of a plateau for Botswana born artists not making music in the contemporary-folklore lane.

Zeus star was rising though.
He probably ran the BW Rap game for a solid 7 years without anyone else on the scene.
Gijima was another hit he dropped the period 2006-2013 where he was at his absolute best.

Zeus really had some of the top Producers in SA, namely the cars from the SA Hip Hop Juggernaut production crew Octave Couplet producing his albums.
Champagne Music (produced by Ross Jack of Octave Couplet) was another banger that got him a few plaudits continentally.

I'll end it here with 1 of my fav African collabs. Gabs meets Jozi meets CPT.
Zeus x Stogie T (Formerly Tumi from The V) x a young AKA.