Laud (Jhb) SA

Tumisang Kekana, popularly known as ‘Laud, was born on September 29, 1997, in Hammanskraal, South Africa. Raised by his grandmother, he later moved to Atteridgeville, where he attended Laudium Heights Primary School. In 2011, he relocated to the Vanderbijlpark, south of Johannesburg, where he completed his matriculation.

As a child, Laud was quiet and timid. His journey into music began in high school when he started attending the Free Baptist Church in Vanderbijlpark and learned to play the drums. This sparked his love for music, and he started producing music at a young age. Initially, he created deep house tracks before transitioning to hip hop beats and finally finding his niche in Amapiano in 2020.

Mid-2020 Laud met producer and DJ Visca, forming a close relationship. Later that year, Visca joined producer and DJ Maphorisa’s record label, Money Gang. Visca invited Laud to the studio, where they collaborated on numerous songs, gaining recognition in the music scene. During this period, Laud connected with other producers and artists such as MFR Souls, Ntokzin, DJ Stokie, Stakev, Sha Sha, Daliwonga, Mthunzi, Bassie, Busi N, Luu Nineleven, and Nielic, with whom he recorded the song “Abadala”.

Building strong relationships with influential figures in the Amapiano genre, Laud decided to host his one-man show in the Vaal, aimed at establishing his brand and bringing the Amapiano sound to his hometown. After several single releases, Laud released his debut album, “Rearabetswe,” in 2023. The album’s title, which translates to “We’ve been answered,” is a tribute to his younger sister, with whom he shares a special bond.